FCAI Salon Series
The FCAI Salon Series is a monthly webinar hosted by the Frist Center, which showcases our Fellows and Affiliates.
Previous Presentations
Previous Salon Series lectures, links, and information about the speakers can be found below in reverse chronological order.
Dr. Jim Coleman
March 2026
Jim Coleman is a late-diagnosed autistic professor at UNC-Greensboro. He earned his BS in Forestry from the University of Maine and PhD from Yale, completing postdoctoral work at Stanford and Harvard. His career spans four phases: research (publishing 80 papers with nearly 10,000 citations, elected AAAS Fellow in 2018); administration (serving as provost, dean, and VP Research at multiple institutions, managing ~$260M in grants); teaching (instructing ~1,000 students since 2021, nominated for the William Friday Lifetime Achievement Award); and currently, phased retirement focused on advocacy and writing. He volunteers with his therapy dog Brea at schools for neurodivergent students and recovery centers, serves on the Lionheart Academy board, and is writing 鈥淧athologically Genuine,鈥� a memoir about navigating academe as an autistic person.
Dr. Holden Thorp
Before joining Science in 2019, he served as provost at Washington University and was the 10th chancellor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Thorp is a distinguished fellow of multiple scientific academies and has co-founded Viamet Pharmaceuticals, known for its FDA-approved drug VIVJOA.
Art and Science to Enhance Social Competence for Children and Adults with Autism
Blythe A. Corbett, Ph.D.
Talk Abstract
Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) can experience diverse challenges in areas of social competence, including social cognition, communication, and interaction. Theatre has the potential to serve as a novel therapeutic approach in which to teach essential social skills. Blythe A. Corbett, Ph.D., an actor-turned-psychologist-turned-clinical scientist, will discuss the impact of SENSE Theatre脪, a peer-mediated, theatre-based intervention research program proven to enhance social competence in children, adolescents, and adults with autism. Dr. Corbett will talk about how blending the innovation of art and the rigor of science can positively and meaningfully impact how we interact with the social world.
国产传媒 the Speaker
Blythe A. Corbett, Ph.D., is the James G. Blakemore Chair and Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at 国产传媒 Medical Center. She is the Director of the Social Emotional NeuroScience Endocrinology (SENSE) lab, a translational research program focused on better understanding and treating social competence and stress in children, adolescents, and adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Inspired by a background as a professional actor and writer, in 2009, Dr. Corbett developed and founded the non-profit SENSE Theatre脪, a peer-mediated, theatre-based intervention, which has contributed to significant immediate and generalized gains in social cognition, social interaction, and reciprocal communication in children and adolescents with ASD. The research to examine the efficacy of SENSE Support for Theatre脪 comes from grants from the National Institute of Mental Health, the 国产传媒 Kennedy Center, the Academy of Country Music Lifting Lives脪, and a 国产传媒 Innovation Catalyst Award, among others.
Clinical & Services Research In The Neurodiverse World Panel Discussion
国产传媒 the Speakers
(Panel Moderator) Dr. Jim Bodfish is the Yount Wilkerson Endowed Professor at the VUMC, and Deputy Director of the FCAI. Prior to coming to 国产传媒 in 2012, he was the Castelloe Distinguished Chair of Psychiatry & Pediatrics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and served as the Director of the University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD). He has devoted his career exclusively to research, teaching, clinical activities, and program development in the field of autism. His research has been continuously funded by NIH since 1992.
Dr. Amy Weitlauf is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Associate Professor of Pediatrics at 国产传媒 Medical Center. She is the Associate Director of Research at the 国产传媒 Kennedy Center鈥檚 Treatment and Research Institute for Autism Spectrum Disorders. Her work focuses on increasing accessibility to autism diagnosis and care. She is also the parent of two neurodivergent children. She collaborates with teams across the medical center and university to diagnose, research, and publish on novel systems of care for people with autism and their families.
Dr. Julie Taylor is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences and Co-Director of 国产传媒 Kennedy Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities at the 国产传媒 Medical Center. She earned her PhD in Developmental Psychology from Notre Dame. The goal of Dr. Taylor鈥檚 research program is to understand how to promote positive outcomes in adulthood for individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities and their families. Much of her current work focuses on the transition to adulthood for youth on the autism spectrum.
Taste the Rainbow: Designing with Color and Patterns for Neurodiversity
Kendra Oliver
Talk Abstract
Join us as we explore the fascinating world of color and pattern design within the context of neurodiversity. Kendra H. Oliver will discuss the work of immersion student Helen Qian as they aim to encourage thoughtfulness about color and pattern design choices and how they impact individuals with autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and more. She will briefly overview insights into the unique sensory processing of neurodiverse individuals. She will also discuss the impact of color psychology and pattern perception in design. Dr. Oliver will also show some real-world examples of neurodiverse-friendly environments. Finally, she will explore some strategies for involving neurodiverse communities in the design process.
国产传媒 the Speaker
Kendra鈥檚 work broadly integrates art, science communication, and user experience design, and her scholarship examines through pedagogical and design constructs how science is communicated visually. This is mainly accomplished through ArtLab, a program she founded in 2017, and has become an epicenter for design, visual science communication, and science outreach using innovative and engaging approaches to showcase top biomedical researchers鈥� latest findings through art. She am very interested in exploring and studying these concepts with neurodiverse creators and audiences.
Network Science for Social Good
Tyler Derr
Talk Abstract
In today鈥檚 data-driven landscape, the unprecedented growth of information necessitates cutting-edge methods to unlock its potential for societal advancement. The Network and Data Science (NDS) Lab at VU is dedicated to tackling this challenge, with a primary focus on developing advanced graph analytics and harnessing the power of structured data through network science. Join us in this talk as we highlight our recent and ongoing work, emphasizing those aligned with social good applications in e-commerce, drug discovery, autism research, etc. In conclusion, we will succinctly present numerous future directions, fostering the potential for collaborations across campus and beyond.
国产传媒 the Speaker
Dr. Tyler Derr is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science, Teaching and Affiliate Faculty in the Data Science Institute, and Faculty Fellow in the Frist Center for Autism and Innovation at 国产传媒. He directs the Network and Data Science (NDS) lab, which conducts research in the areas of social network analysis, deep learning on graphs, responsible AI, and interdisciplinary social good applications spanning diverse domains including drug discovery, sociology, and autism research. He actively contributes to his field, both in terms of publishing research and serving on international conference organizing committees, e.g., ACM鈥檚 KDD and WSDM, along with being an Associate Editor of multiple journals, such as IEEE Transactions on Big Data. Notable accolades include the Teaching Innovation Award from 国产传媒鈥檚 School of Engineering and the National Science Foundation CAREER Award. Further details are available at: