About Us
Our Mission
To catalyze breakthrough treatments and understanding of autism.
N of One was founded by parents and researchers who believe breakthroughs in autism research are possible in our lifetime. We do this by working to understand the core biological processes involved in autism and using that knowledge to guide the development of treatments and prevention strategies.
Our Focus
At this point, autism is just a behavioral label applied to individuals who meet certain criteria. It says nothing about the underlying biology that may be behind those behaviors.
Autism can be diagnosed from very mild to very severe (which some now refer to as “profound”) hence the term autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Our focus is on getting answers for those in the moderate to severe category - those who have little prospect of an independent life.
While most of the historical focus has been on genetic research, the latest research suggests that other areas such as the immune system, cell metabolism, and the gut microbiome are also key factors in the biology of autism. We believe these areas have been historically under-studied, under-funded and hold potential breakthroughs. We argue for a more diversified approach to autism research.
What Makes Us Different
Research, Research, Research
We are a “pure play” on autism research. While there are many non-profits dedicated to autism, most have broad mandates that include advocacy, support services, etc. At N of One, our focus is catalyzing breakthrough research to discover the fundamental mechanisms of autism.
Small Dollars, Big Results
We focus our limited funds on novel ideas in emerging areas that other larger, more conservative funders are not funding in the hopes that our success will de-risk these areas and invite more funding. We call this our “Venture Capital” approach and bring this mindset to everything we do. We are looking for research with a high “ROI” (return-on-investment) potential.
If this sounds like the right approach to you, please consider dedicating a portion of your charitable donations to N of One through a one time or an annual gift.