Dr. Piven is a child/adolescent psychiatrist specializing in the clinical care of individuals with autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders. He is Director of the Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, a comprehensive program of services, research and training in neurodevelopmental disorders. He has been continually funded to conduct research since starting his academic career. His research has emphasized interdisciplinary collaborations in imaging (MRI/DTI), behavioral-family and molecular genetics (linkage and association) studies aimed at elucidating the pathogenesis of autistic syndromes. He has been the principal investigator of two large-scale research centers on autism—an NIH STAART Center and NIH ACE Network; as well as an NICHDfunded P30 Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center and a T32 post-doctoral research training grant. He is the author of over 100 peer-reviewed publications on neuropsychological mechanisms, brain morphology/mechanisms and the genetics of autism and Fragile X Syndrome.