Autism and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are two common neurodevelopmental conditions, but we still lack a deep understanding of the biological mechanisms that underlie them. A new grant from the National Institute of Mental Health will provide more than $919,000 to support the USC Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute (Stevens INI) in a five-year investigation into one key theory of what causes the two conditions: changes in the brain’s reward network. Lawrence will use high-resolution functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans to analyze how the reward network interacts with other parts of the brain in autism, ADHD and in cases where the two conditions co-occur. She will then apply advanced machine learning and statistical methods to map how that reward connectivity changes across the lifespan and whether it differs based on individual factors, such as sex. Down the line, the research could support new, personalized interventions for the conditions that are grounded in a sophisticated understanding of how the brain responds to external rewards.