neurodiversity
FCAI Launches NeuroTech Frontiers Incubation Program in Partnership with JANUS Innovation Hub
Dec. 2, 2025—We at FCAI are proud to announce the launch of the Neurotech Frontiers Incubation Program, a groundbreaking initiative developed in partnership with JANUS Innovation Hub. This six-month hybrid program will support early-stage startups building technology solutions that enhance the lives of autistic and neurodivergent individuals, their families, and the professionals who support them. The program...
FCAI Hosts Successful Lab-Match Event Connecting Researchers with Innovative Start-Ups
Dec. 1, 2025—The Frist Center for Autism and Innovation is pleased to announce the successful inaugural Lab-Match Event, held today both in-person at Vanderbilt and virtually. This event brought together lab managers and start-up companies in a unique forum designed to connect researchers with entrepreneurial ventures seeking research support. The Lab-Match Event provided a platform for start-ups...
SEEKING RESEARCH PARTICIPANTS: PEACES Study Team Recruiting Autistic Undergraduates for Experience Study
Nov. 29, 2025—What is the study? On behalf of the Postsecondary Education: Autistic Collegians’ Experience of Success (PEACES) study team, we encourage our partners to spread the word about this research study that honors the holistic lived experiences of autistic college students. One goal of this study is to create a publicly accessible national database that provides...
Debugging Broken Systems: The Power of Neurodivergent Thinking by Aras Sheikhi
Nov. 18, 2025—If you’ve been following along, you know I get excited about the tools and startups built for the neurodiversity community. But lately, my brain has been buzzing about something even bigger. What if the real superpower isn’t just in the apps we build, but in the very wiring of the neurodivergent mind itself? And what...
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 with Dr. Nilanjan Sarker, the Principal Investigator on an NSF-funded project. AiCoVE, a computer platform that allows two people to complete collaboratively on tasks with each other while experiencing AI...
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...