Ewen Laboratory
The Ewen Laboratory at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago aims to understand the biological, cognitive, and behavioral bases of neurodevelopmental disorders, namely autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The lab uses a variety of behavioral, psychophysical, neuropsychiatric, and electrophysiological assessments to test new and existing theories on the biological, cognitive, and behavioral bases of ASD and ADHD. The lab specializes in using statistical models (e.g., structural equation modeling) to formalize and test theories on the developmental origins of ASD and ADHD. Currently, the lab is working on projects related to:
- Somatosensory (i.e., tactile) function in children on the autism spectrum
- Imitation abilities in children on the autism spectrum
- Attentional regulation of sensory information in children on the autism spectrum
- Motor inhibition in children with ADHD
- Biomarker validation for developmental disorders
With an eye toward how theories have refined over time, the lab also has considerable interest in meta-science. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses play a key role in refining theories and developing evidence-based practice. These studies are generally highly cost-effective but typically require a large number of person-hours. Summarizing a rapidly growing literature is becoming increasingly difficult, and may benefit from the application of AI tools, such as large language models, to reduce the cost burden on researchers.
Research Topics
Autism spectrum disorders
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
Cognitive neuroscience
Meta-science
Statistical modeling
Contact
Joshua B. Ewen
jewen@luriechildrens.org
Research Highlights
TESTING THEORIES OF IMITATION DEVELOPMENT IN AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER
Theories proposing early differences in altered imitation as a cause of social communication deficits in autistic children date back to the 1960’s and dating to the present. These theories have been highly influential in spurring new research, but they have remained largely unconstrained and unspecified. Using data from the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative on thousands of autistic children, we attempt to test and constrain these theories with advanced statistical models.
INVESTIGATING CAUSES OF SENSORY PROCESSING DIFFICULTIES IN AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER
Sensory issues, such as becoming overwhelmed by a shirt tag or the sound of someone chewing, are among the most commonly reported difficulties in autism spectrum disorder. Our goal is to determine what is the neuropsychological cause of these differences and what resources might help autistic children minimize their impact on daily life.
Principal Investigator
Joshua B. Ewen, MD
Joshua Ewen, MD, is a pediatric neurologist, neurodevelopmental specialist, and clinical neurophysiologist. He serves as Division Head of Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics. His research has been focused primarily on the borderlands between sensory-motor function and cognition in autism and ADHD, but his is lab is also interested in theory-based data integration in psychology and in biomarker validation methodology.
