I N T E RV I E W Putting Autism Research on the Fast Track Autism-spectrum disorders (ASDs) affect one-in-68 children in the United States, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In the hope of fast-tracking studies of promising drugs for ASDs, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) has awarded a $9-million grant to UCLA. James T. McCracken, MD, Joseph Campbell Professor of Child Psychiatry and director of the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA, is leading a national network of researchers at UCLA and other academic centers. Dr. McCracken spoke about the ambitious effort. UCLAHEALTH.ORG 1-800-UCLA-MD1 (1-800-825-2631)