Penn Medicine and CHOP Name Founding Director for Lurie Autism Institute, Advancing New Era of Autism Research
Renowned Brown University physician-scientist Eric M. Morrow, MD, PhD, to lead trailblazing initiative focused on accelerating discovery and improving care across the lifespan
Excerpt from the Press Release:
PHILADELPHIA, April 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Penn Medicine and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) today announced the appointment of Eric M. Morrow, MD, PhD, as the founding director of the Lurie Autism Institute. Dr. Morrow will assume this role on September 1, 2026, and will join the departments of Pediatrics and Genetics at the Perelman School of Medicine (PSOM) at the University of Pennsylvania.
The appointment marks a pivotal milestone for the Lurie Autism Institute, launched by a transformational, $50 million gift from Jeffrey Lurie Family Foundation and the Nancy Lurie Marks Family Foundation in 2025. It is the largest single donation to a U.S. academic medical center focused on autism research across the lifespan. The institute will serve as a nationally and globally recognized hub for autism spectrum disorder research, collaboration, clinical care, and advocacy. The institute’s headquarters and research laboratories will be located on Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s campus, spanning adjacent buildings to facilitate close collaboration and discovery between Penn Medicine and CHOP.
“We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Morrow to lead this once-in-a-generation initiative,” said Jonathan A. Epstein, dean of the Perelman School of Medicine and executive vice president of the University of Pennsylvania for the Health System. “His extraordinary depth of scientific and clinical expertise in autism and related neurodevelopmental disorders, combined with his collaborative approach and longstanding ties to both Penn and CHOP, position him to drive the kind of cross-disciplinary discovery that this moment demands.”
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