Dr. Genova wins K18 award to advance research on transition-age youth with autism
Helen M. Genova, PhD, of Kessler Foundation, was awarded a two-year K18 grant for $266,988 from the NIH's National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) - the NIMH Career Enhancement Award to Advance Autism Services Research for Adults and Transition-Age Youth. This K18 award will provide Dr. Genova with support to develop her expertise in the field of transition-aged youth with autism spectrum disorders, including her research project, "A strength-based intervention to improve job interview skills in transition age youth with autism spectrum disorder."
Dr. Genova, assistant director of the Center for Neuropsychology and Neuroscience Research at Kessler Foundation, is known for her research in disorders of social functioning in populations with brain injury and multiple sclerosis, with broad-based funding from federal, state, and private sources. Through Kessler Foundation's partnership with Children's Specialized Hospital, she applied this background to adolescents with autism, whose difficulties with social functioning can affect their interactions with family members, educators, and peers.