Frist Center for Autism & Innovation Convenes Inaugural NeuroCorps Cohort
Nov. 12, 2025—The Frist Center for Autism & Innovation (FCAI) at Vanderbilt University is proud to announce the successful convening of the inaugural NeuroCorps cohort on Monday and Tuesday this week. This brand-new program brings together six neurodivergent leaders, entrepreneurs, and business and non-profit leaders, comprising staff and visiting scholars, to advance neuroinclusion in the workplace and...
Creating a Neuroinclusive Profession: Congratulating Tim Vogus on New JMS “Says” Essay
Nov. 8, 2025—The Frist Center for Autism and Innovation celebrates Deputy Director Dr. Tim Vogus on the publication of his new “JMS Says” essay, “Creating a Neuroinclusive Profession: Overcoming the Double Empathy Problem,” in the Journal of Management Studies. In this compelling piece, Vogus blends personal experience as the father of an autistic son with years of scholarship...
Dr. Nigel Newbutt on AiCoVE, Empathy, and the Future of Neurodiverse Collaboration
Nov. 7, 2025—Dr. Nigel Newbutt is at the forefront of advancing learning technologies while focusing on the human-computer interaction. One of Dr. Newbutt’s current projects is collaborating on an NSF-funded award, AiCoVE, a computer platform that allows two people to complete collaboratively on tasks with each other while experiencing AI interventions. AiCoVE was initially designed at Vanderbilt...
STUDY SEEKING PARTICIPANTS: Job Coaches with Experience in Autism Needed
Nov. 7, 2025—What is the study? Georgia Tech’s Collaborative Wellness and Computing (Co-Well Comp) Lab is seeking participants in their study, which intends to examine strengths-based job coaching practices for autistic individuals and explore the challenges and opportunities of using an LLM. This project aims to investigate 1) the traditional strength-based job coaching approach for autistic individuals...
STUDY SEEKING PARTICIPANTS: Autistic Young Adults Needed
Nov. 7, 2025—What is the study? This study aims to understand what autistic young adults consider essential workplace supports. Eligibility Between the ages of 18 and 29 Current or previous work experience Currently living in the United States Autistic (formal diagnosis or self-identification) Participation This survey should take about 10-15 minutes to complete. Participate at this link:...
Join Us: Rockin’ Neurodiverse Employment in Music City USA
Nov. 1, 2025—The Frist Center for Autism and Innovation is excited to invite you to an upcoming event focused on advancing neurodiverse employment opportunities in Middle Tennessee. On Thursday, December 11, 2025, at 8:30 AM, join us for the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce Talent Solutions Forum’s special presentation: Rockin’ Neurodiverse Employment in Music City, USA. This...
Neurotech Rising and the Autistic Founders Rewriting the Autism Story by Aras Sheikhi
Oct. 28, 2025—There’s a quiet revolution happening, one that hums in code, glows on phone screens, and whispers in startup pitch decks. It’s where artificial intelligence meets autism innovation, where founders with lived experience are shaping the tools that once shaped them. Let’s call it what it is: Neurotech Rising. When AI learns empathy (kind of) For...
From Amazon to Autism Tech: Vijay Ravindran’s Journey to Founding Floreo
Oct. 23, 2025—Vijay Ravindran is an engineer, a leader, and a CEO. At the heart of all those titles is his most significant role: a father. When his son was diagnosed with autism, Vijay responded in a way that came most naturally to him: by building a solution. That solution became Floreo, a clinically designed immersive virtual...
Countdown to the Neurotech Frontiers Summit: Empowering Neurodiverse Innovation
Oct. 6, 2025—In just four days, the Neurotech Frontiers Summit, presented by the Frist Center for Autism and Innovation at Vanderbilt University, will make its way to Nashville from October 10th to October 20th. This year’s theme, “Shaping the future of Assistive and Inclusive Technology,” brings together researchers, entrepreneurs, and neurodivergent leaders shaping inclusivity and creating innovation...
Bridging Worlds: How Large Language Models are Reshaping Autism Support by Aras Sheikhi, founder of Janus Innovation Hub
Oct. 5, 2025—In today’s digital world, it feels like technology is moving faster than our ability to process it. One area I’ve been especially curious about is Large Language Models (LLMs). At first glance, they look like fancy text generators, but as I started digging into the research and real-world applications, I realized they’re quietly beginning to...