News and Knowledge

Ann Wagner, Ph.D., former member of OAR’s Scientific Council, became the national autism coordinator at the end of February. U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar named her to the post. Dr. Wagner’s responsibilities will include working alongside government agencies to oversee the implementation of autism activities and programs across the country.

Dr. Wagner has a long-standing relationship with OAR, having served on the Scientific Council from 2004 until 2015, where she used her extensive experience and expertise to help guide OAR’s research program.

Dr. Wagner is currently the chief of the Biomarker and Intervention Development for Childhood-Onset Mental Disorders Branch at National Institutes of Mental Health’s (NIMH) Division of Translational Research. In this role, she oversees the NIMH Autism Research Program, which supports a wide range of research on the characterization, pathophysiology, treatment, and outcomes of individuals with autism spectrum disorder and related neurodevelopmental disorders.

Dr. Wagner also serves as chair of the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) Autism Coordinating Committee, which coordinates autism-related research across several NIH Institutes and Centers and has jointly developed critical research initiatives, including the Autism Centers of Excellence and the Autism Biomarkers Consortium for Clinical Trials.

OAR offers its warmest congratulations to Dr. Wagner as she begins her new position.