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Karen Pierce (scientist)

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Karen Pierce
Pierce in 2023
Born
Manhattan, NY
Education
Known forEarly Detection of Autism and Developmental Neuroscience Research
SpouseEric Courchesne
Awards
Websitehttps://autism-center.ucsd.edu

Karen Pierce is an American scientist known for her research on the early detection of autism spectrum disorder (ASD).  She is a professor-in-residence[1] in the Department of Neurosciences at University of California San Diego, and co-director of the UC San Diego Autism Center of Excellence.

Education and career

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Pierce holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Stony Brook University, and a PhD in experimental psychology from the University of California, San Diego, under her adviser Laura Schreibman.[2]

Through a K01 award,[3] she trained in neuroscience and used brain imaging and eye tracking for early autism biomarkers. In 2011, Pierce assembled a network of 137 pediatricians throughout San Diego to screen for autism at well-baby check-ups starting at age 12 months,[4][5][6][7] three years earlier than the average age of diagnosis.[8] This eventually formed the foundation for her Get SET Early model, which provides a mechanism for the early detection and treatment referral of toddlers with ASD and to examine eye tracking and brain imaging as tools for early biomarker discovery very early in development.[9]

In addition to grant support from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), Pierce is also a recipient of grants from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Simons Foundation.[10]

Autism early detection research

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Eye Tracking as a diagnostic tool for autism

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Sample Images from the GeoPref Test Which do you prefer?

Pierce researches eye-tracking as a diagnostic and prognostic tool for ASD. In 2011, her team found that some toddlers with ASD spent considerably more time fixating on dynamic geometric images, rather than social images, when compared to non-ASD toddlers.[11] The initial study indicated that if a toddler fixated on geometric images for over 69% of the time, the likelihood of an accurate autism diagnosis was 100%.[12][13] The ‘Geometric Preference Test’ (GeoPref Test) were the first published eye tracking-based biomarker of a specific autism subtype. Pierce has since created additional eye tracking tests, including those measuring attention to speech.[14][15]

Get SET Early

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Pierce developed the Get SET Early Model to standardize early autism screening, evaluation, and treatment in medical settings. The program connects three key steps: Screening (S), Evaluation (E), and Treatment (T), aiming to detect ASD by age two. Early diagnosis allows children to start treatment early, benefiting from neural plasticity. Over 200 pediatricians collaborate to screen for ASD and other developmental conditions at 12, 18, and 24-month checkups. Screening begins at 12 months, as this is the earliest age supported by evidence-based treatment.[9][16]

Brain imaging

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Early in her career, Pierce used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to study brain activity related to social challenges faced by most individuals with ASD. Research showed reduced activity in face-processing areas when individuals with ASD viewed faces.[17][18] However, Pierce found that when children with ASD saw familiar faces, like their mother or sibling, their brain activity was similar to neurotypical individuals.[19] She now uses fMRI to study brain function in social speech processing in children aged 12–36 months.[20]

Other research

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During her early career Pierce investigated the efficacy of naturalistic behavioral treatments for children with ASD, particularly Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT). Based on this work, she created both a teacher and peer training manual to support the use of PRT in a classroom setting by neurotypical students with classmates who have ASD.[21] Pierce is also an investigator for the CDC's ADDM Network and leads public health projects to determine the prevalence rates of autism in San Diego county.

Honors and awards

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In 2023, Pierce received a National Institutes of Health MERIT Award.

References

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  1. ^ "Karen Pierce | UCSD Profiles". profiles.ucsd.edu. Archived from the original on 2023-10-19. Retrieved 2023-10-22.
  2. ^ "Laura Schreibman". psychology.ucsd.edu. Archived from the original on 2023-10-19. Retrieved 2023-10-22.
  3. ^ "Research Career Development Awards | Research Training". researchtraining.nih.gov. Archived from the original on 2023-10-19. Retrieved 2023-10-22.
  4. ^ Pierce, Karen; Carter, Cindy; Weinfeld, Melanie; Desmond, Jamie; Hazin, Roxana; Bjork, Robert; Gallagher, Nicole (September 2011). "Detecting, Studying, and Treating Autism Early: The One-Year Well-Baby Check-Up Approach". The Journal of Pediatrics. 159 (3): 458–465.e6. doi:10.1016/j.jpeds.2011.02.036. PMC 3157595. PMID 21524759.
  5. ^ Park, Alice (2011-04-28). "Detecting Autism Early With a 5-Minute Questionnaire". Time. ISSN 0040-781X. Retrieved 2023-10-24.
  6. ^ "Autism can be diagnosed as early as 14 months, study suggests - CBS News". www.cbsnews.com. 2019-04-30. Archived from the original on 2023-11-02. Retrieved 2023-10-24.
  7. ^ Rabin, Roni Caryn (2011-05-02). "Screening: An Autism Questionnaire at Checkup Time". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2023-11-02. Retrieved 2023-10-24.
  8. ^ Maenner, Matthew J.; Warren, Zachary; Williams, Ashley Robinson; Amoakohene, Esther; Bakian, Amanda V.; Bilder, Deborah A.; Durkin, Maureen S.; Fitzgerald, Robert T.; Furnier, Sarah M.; Hughes, Michelle M.; Ladd-Acosta, Christine M.; McArthur, Dedria; Pas, Elise T.; Salinas, Angelica; Vehorn, Alison (2023-03-24). "Prevalence and Characteristics of Autism Spectrum Disorder Among Children Aged 8 Years — Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, 11 Sites, United States, 2020". MMWR. Surveillance Summaries. 72 (2): 1–14. doi:10.15585/mmwr.ss7202a1. ISSN 1546-0738. PMC 10042614. PMID 36952288. Archived from the original on 2023-09-06. Retrieved 2023-09-12.
  9. ^ a b Pierce, Karen; Gazestani, Vahid; Bacon, Elizabeth; Courchesne, Eric; Cheng, Amanda; Barnes, Cynthia Carter; Nalabolu, Srinivasa; Cha, Debra; Arias, Steven; Lopez, Linda; Pham, Christie; Gaines, Kim; Gyurjyan, Gohar; Cook-Clark, Terri; Karins, Kathy (September 2021). "Get SET Early to Identify and Treatment Refer Autism Spectrum Disorder at 1 Year and Discover Factors That Influence Early Diagnosis". The Journal of Pediatrics. 236: 179–188. doi:10.1016/j.jpeds.2021.04.041. PMID 33915154. S2CID 233462150.
  10. ^ "SFARI | Karen Pierce". SFARI. 21 July 2017. Archived from the original on 13 October 2024. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
  11. ^ Pierce, Karen; Conant, David; Hazin, Roxana; Stoner, Richard; Desmond, Jamie (2011-01-03). "Preference for Geometric Patterns Early in Life as a Risk Factor for Autism". Archives of General Psychiatry. 68 (1): 101–109. doi:10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2010.113. ISSN 0003-990X. PMC 4894313. PMID 20819977.
  12. ^ Pierce, Karen; Conant, David; Hazin, Roxana; Stoner, Richard; Desmond, Jamie (2011-01-03). "Preference for Geometric Patterns Early in Life as a Risk Factor for Autism". Archives of General Psychiatry. 68 (1): 101–109. doi:10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2010.113. ISSN 0003-990X. PMC 4894313. PMID 20819977.
  13. ^ Park, Alice (2010-09-06). "Using Videos to Help Diagnose Autism in Babies". Time. ISSN 0040-781X. Archived from the original on 2023-11-02. Retrieved 2023-10-24.
  14. ^ Pierce, Karen; Wen, Teresa H.; Zahiri, Javad; Andreason, Charlene; Courchesne, Eric; Barnes, Cynthia C.; Lopez, Linda; Arias, Steven J.; Esquivel, Ahtziry; Cheng, Amanda (2023-02-08). "Level of Attention to Motherese Speech as an Early Marker of Autism Spectrum Disorder". JAMA Network Open. 6 (2): e2255125. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.55125. ISSN 2574-3805. PMC 9909502. PMID 36753277. Archived from the original on 2023-10-19. Retrieved 2023-10-18.
  15. ^ "Children less attracted to 'baby talk' are more likely to have autism". KPBS Public Media. 2023-02-23. Archived from the original on 2023-11-02. Retrieved 2023-10-22.
  16. ^ Smith, Christopher J.; James, Stephen; Skepnek, Erica; Leuthe, Eileen; Outhier, Lisa Elder; Avelar, Delia; Barnes, Cynthia Carter; Bacon, Elizabeth; Pierce, Karen (1 December 2022). "Implementing the Get SET Early Model in a Community Setting to Lower the Age of ASD Diagnosis". Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics: JDBP. 43 (9): 494–502. doi:10.1097/DBP.0000000000001130. ISSN 1536-7312. PMC 9725891. PMID 36443921.
  17. ^ Pierce, K. (2001-10-01). "Face processing occurs outside the fusiform 'face area' in autism: evidence from functional MRI". Brain. 124 (10): 2059–2073. doi:10.1093/brain/124.10.2059. PMID 11571222.
  18. ^ Schultz, Robert T.; Gauthier, Isabel; Klin, Ami; Fulbright, Robert K.; Anderson, Adam W.; Volkmar, Fred; Skudlarski, Pawel; Lacadie, Cheryl; Cohen, Donald J.; Gore, John C. (2000-04-01). "Abnormal Ventral Temporal Cortical Activity During Face Discrimination Among Individuals With Autism and Asperger Syndrome". Archives of General Psychiatry. 57 (4): 331–340. doi:10.1001/archpsyc.57.4.331. ISSN 0003-990X. PMID 10768694.
  19. ^ Pierce, Karen; Redcay, Elizabeth (October 2008). "Fusiform Function in Children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder Is a Matter of "Who"". Biological Psychiatry. 64 (7): 552–560. doi:10.1016/j.biopsych.2008.05.013. PMC 2673799. PMID 18621359.
  20. ^ Pierce, Karen (22 March 2011). "Early functional brain development in autism and the promise of sleep fMRI". Brain Research. 1380: 162–174. doi:10.1016/j.brainres.2010.09.028. ISSN 0006-8993. PMC 3050065. PMID 20869953.
  21. ^ Pierce, Karen; Schreibman, Laura (March 1997). "Multiple Peer Use of Pivotal Response Training to Increase Social Behaviors of Classmates with Autism: Results from Trained and Untrained Peers". Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis. 30 (1): 157–160. doi:10.1901/jaba.1997.30-157. PMC 1284029. PMID 9103991.