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We can build a healthier future for autistic youth together.
Recent Publications
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Highlighted publication.
Autism diagnoses for females are on the rise (opens in a new tab)
Published in: Audacy
Abstract: On this edition of the Bay Area All Local, KCBS' Scott Cohn spoke with Emily Hotez, an assistant professor and autism researcher at UCLA's Fielding School of Public Health, about how more and more women and girls are receiving autism diagnoses.
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A Narrative Review of Cardiovascular Health in Autistic Individuals: Epidemiologic Evidence, Mechanistic Pathways, and Future Directions (opens in a new tab)
Published in: Current Epidemiology Reports
Abstract: Autistic individuals are more likely than others to experience poor heart and cardiovascular health. This review brings together current research to better understand why these differences exist and what can be done to address them. Studies show that autistic people are more likely to have risk factors for heart disease, such as higher rates of obesity, stress, and certain co-occurring health conditions. These risks do not come from a single cause. Instead, they reflect a combination of factors, including health behaviors (such as diet and physical activity), biological processes (like stress hormones and inflammation), mental health, access to healthcare, and broader social and environmental influences. Family context and individual differences also play an important role. At the same time, existing research has important gaps. Many studies do not take a full, life-span view of health or fail to capture the complex ways that physical and mental health interact over time. This review highlights the need for more comprehensive and inclusive research approaches. Future studies should examine cardiovascular health across development, consider multiple levels of influence (from biology to environment), and focus on meaningful health outcomes rather than autism traits alone.
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Aligning Biomedical Research With Neurodiversity to Support the Metabolic Health of Autistic Individuals (opens in a new tab)
Published in: Obesity Science & Practice
Abstract: Autistic individuals represent approximately 1 in 31 people in the United States and experience disproportionately high rates of obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and feeding and eating challenges, alongside reduced life expectancy. However, evidence‐based metabolic health interventions for autistic populations remain sparse. This Perspective synthesizes evidence on two interconnected barriers that limit metabolic health research in the autism field: (1) lack of accessible biomedical research methodologies and (2) insufficient attention to mechanisms underlying poor metabolic health in this population, including chronic stress and weight stigma. Drawing on principles from neurodiversity, Universal Design for Research, and the Academic Autism Spectrum Partnership in Research and Education (AASPIRE) guidelines, we outline a neuro‐affirming paradigm that can improve metabolic health research in the autism field. Finally, we provide phase‐by‐phase practical recommendations for researchers, spanning study design, measure development, recruitment, consent, screening, data collection, and interpretation. Aligning metabolic health research with neuro‐affirming principles can generate more rigorous, representative, and ethically grounded evidence and ultimately support more meaningful improvements in metabolic health and overall well‐being for autistic individuals across the life course.
About Our Work
The UCLA SHARE Study investigates how stress affects the health and everyday life of autistic teens and young adults. We do this in a respectful and neuro-affirming way, working together with autistic people, families, and clinicians.
We seek to understand real experiences so we can help create better supports, reduce stress, and help autistic people feel healthy and thrive as they grow into adulthood.
The UCLA Stress, Health, and Autism Research (SHARE) Study explores how stress influences physical and emotional health for autistic adolescents and emerging adults. Using innovative biomarker tools—including hair cortisol collection—we aim to build a clearer understanding of how stress affects wellbeing across the life course.