Dr. Harrop, together with co-PI Dr. Brenna Maddox (TEACCH), were recently awarded a pilot award from the Foundation of Hope for their project “Biobehavioral Markers of Suicide Risk in Female Adolescents on the Autism Spectrum.” In this study, Drs. Harrop and Maddox will examine how two biomarkers, cortisol and heart rate variability (HRV) predict suicidal thoughts and behaviors in autistic females. The study replicates a protocol from Dr. Mitch Prinstein’s team in Psychology that found both cortisol and HRV to be predictive of suicide risk in non-autistic females. We are excited to start this important work in the fall.