About Our Research
The Bilder Neurodevelopmental Lab, led by principal investigator Deborah Bilder, MD, studies prenatal risk factors and co-occurring mental health concerns in individuals with autism, intellectual disabilities, and single-gene disorders impacting neurodevelopment, including phenylketonuria.
Prenatal Factors in Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders
Our lab focuses on investigating prenatal risk factors, including maternal medical conditions during pregnancy, that impact maternal health and fetal and early childhood neurodevelopment, with a particular focus on metabolic phenomena.
This work includes prenatal maternal serum analyses in a large obstetrical cohort and prenatal risk factor analyses among 8-year-olds who were classified with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and/or intellectual disability in the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network (ADDM).
Learn more about our research
Autism and Developmental Disabilties Monitoring (ADDM) Network
Co-occurring medical and psychiatric conditions affect the functioning and well-being of individuals across the lifespan with neurodevelopmental disabilities. Our lab measures the prevalence of co-occurring psychiatric conditions and associated characteristics among adolescents identified with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) through the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network.
Learn more about the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network.
Developing Treatment Algorithms for Better Care
Our lab has partnered with Utah State University to develop treatment algorithms to support medical decision-making for clinical providers managing severely disruptive behavior in individuals with neurodevelopmental disabilities. This work aims to raise the standard of care for treating agitation in this population across the continuum of care.
Phenylketonuria (PKU) Research
Our lab's research on phenylketonuria (PKU) investigates co-occurring neuropsychiatric conditions in adults with PKU and their responsiveness to PKU intervention.
Raising Utah Children Study (RUCS)
Raising Utah Children Study (RUCS) evaluates unmet needs and socio-economic factors affecting families who are in various stages of accessing DSPD services.
Sources of Distress Survey
We have developed the Sources of Distress Survey, a web-based, peer-reviewed and validated clinical translation tool that establishes a systemic means of identifying the presence of co-occurring conditions that cause or contribute to severely disruptive behavior in individuals with neurodevelopmental disabilities.
Sources of Distress is publicly available at https://familyhealth.utah.gov/cshcn/asd/.
Utah Registry of Autism and Developmental Disabilities (URADD)
Dr. Bilder is the principal investigator for the Utah Registry of Autism and Developmental Disabilities (URADD). URADD measures the prevalence of autism and other developmental conditions in Utah and identifies risk factors and changes over time in the population of children identified with autism.
URADD partners with the the Utah Department of Health and Human Services’ Division of Services for People with Disabilities to study access to supports for families of children and young adults with developmental disabilities.
Learn more about the Utah Registry of Autism and Developmental Disabilities (URADD).
Principal Investigator
Deborah Bilder, MD
Dr. Bilder is triple board-certified in pediatrics, general psychiatry, and child and adolescent psychiatry. Her clinical focus is on autism and neurodevelopmental disabilities. She provides specialized care and interventions at the Autism Spectrum Disorder Clinic at Huntsman Mental Health Institute.
Selected Publications
- Bilder DA, Mthembu M, Worsham W, Aguayo P, Knight JR, Deng SW, Singh TP, Davis J (2024). Developing and Implementing a Web-Based Branching Logic Survey to Support Psychiatric Crisis Evaluations of Individuals With Developmental Disabilities: Qualitative Study and Evaluation of Validity. JMIR Ment Health,11, e50907.
- Bilder DA, Worsham W, Sullivan S, Esplin MS, Burghardt P, Fraser A, Bakian AV (2023). Sex-specific and sexindependent steroid-related biomarkers in early second trimester maternal serum associated with autism. Mol Autism, 14(1), 30.
- Bjoraker KJ, Eggerding C, Ellenberg E, Hollander S, Holmes BM, Lindstrom K, McNutt M, Miller S, Northrup H, Rogers M, Rose S, Scott M, Shim S, Wardley B, Wessenberg L, Bilder DA (2024). Best practice recommendations for the management of anxiety during the pegvaliase journey. Mol Genet Metab, 141(1), 107737.
- Worsham W, Dalton S, Bilder DA (2021). The Prenatal Hormone Milieu in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Front Psychiatry, 12, 655438.
- Bilder DA, Esplin MS, Coon H, Burghardt P, Clark EAS, Fraser A, Smith KR, Worsham W, Chappelle K, Rayner T, Bakian AV (2019). Early Second Trimester Maternal Serum Steroid-Related Biomarkers Associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder. J Autism Dev Disord, 49 (11), 4572-4583. ilder DA, Worsham W, Sullivan S, Esplin MS, Burghardt P, Fraser 6. Bakian AV (2023). Sex-specific and sexindependent steroid-related biomarkers in early second trimester maternal serum associated with autism. Mol Autism, 14(1), 30.
- Bilder DA, Esplin MS, Coon H, Burghardt P, Clark EAS, Fraser A, Smith KR, Worsham W, Chappelle K, Rayner T, Bakian AV (2019). Early Second Trimester Maternal Serum Steroid-Related Biomarkers Associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder. J Autism Dev Disord, 49 (11), 4572-4583
- Worsham W, Dalton S, Bilder DA (2021). The Prenatal Hormone Milieu in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Front Psychiatry, 12, 655438.
Contact
Deborah Bilder, MD
Principal Investigator