Help advance our understanding of how biological and environmental factors are linked to autistic health and wellbeing.
The Australian Autism Biobank is Australia’s largest collection of data and samples from autistic children and their families.
This page outlines how researchers can apply to use resources from the Australian Autism Biobank for approved research purposes. This includes biological samples and data (including whole genome sequencing), and behavioural, socio-economic, and health data from internationally-validated tools and questionnaires.
This page includes a breakdown of participant numbers, sex and age groups, a link to the applications page, and a sample of the latest publications and outputs from research projects using Biobank data and samples.
Almost 3,000 people participated in the Australian Autism Biobank.
Almost 3,000 people participated in the Australian Autism Biobank.
Age groups of child participants
Most of the children that participated were in primary school.
Sex of child participants
Most of the autistic children were male. The mix of male and female participants was more equal in the other groups.
Using the Australian Autism Biobank
All applications are considered by the Autism CRC Access Committee. You can find out how to apply, and what data and samples are available, on the application process page.
Current research
Projects using collections from the Australian Autism Biobank have already resulted in findings that are helping to improve the health and wellbeing of autistic people, with many more projects underway. The latest publications are listed below, but you can find a full list on our Publications and resources webpage.
Yap, C.X., Henders, A.K., Alvares, G.A. et al. Interactions between the lipidome and genetic and environmental factors in autism. Nat Med 29, 936–949 (2023).
Mathew, N.E., Mallitt, K.A., Masi, A., Katz, T., Walker, A.K., Morris & M.J., Ooi, C.Y. (2022). Dietary intake in children on the autism spectrum is altered and linked to differences in autistic traits and sensory processing styles. Autism Res. doi: 10.1002/aur.2798.
Masi, A., Eapen, V., Lin, P-I., Moni, M.A., Heussler, H. (2022). Sleep difficulties in children on the autism spectrum: Understanding the biological and behavioural attributes leading to sleep difficulties in children on the autism spectrum. Final Report. Brisbane: Autism CRC
Lin, P.I., Masi, A., Moni, M.A., Kummerfeld, S. & Eapen, V. (2022). Genetic pathways associated with sleep problems in children with autism spectrum disorder. Front Psychiatry. Jul 8;13:904091. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.904091.
Montgomery, A., Masi, A., Silove, N., Karlov, L., Whitehouse, A., Eapen, V. (2022). Defining an immune-mediated subgroup of children in the Australian Autism Biobank [Executive summary]. Final Report. Brisbane: Autism CRC.
View full list of publications and resources
Contact
For more information, contact the Australian Autism Biobank at biobank@autismcrc.com.au.
Acknowledgements
Autism CRC would like to thank the children on the autism spectrum, their siblings and parents and other children who generously contributed their time and data/samples for the Australian Autism Biobank.
Autism CRC acknowledges and thanks the various sites and their staff who supported the establishment of the Australian Autism Biobank: Telethon Kids Institute, University of NSW, La Trobe University, Mater Medical Research Institute, Institute for Molecular Biosciences: University of Queensland, Wesley Medical Research, University of Western Australia, Pathwest and Sydney Children’s Hospital Network, Andrew Whitehouse, Dora Abbondanza, Gail Alvares, Erin Beattie, Jolene Berry, Vandhana Bharti, Grace Christou, Dominique Cleary, Paul A Dawson, Melanie De Jong, Cheryl Dissanayake, Kendra Dommisse, Valsamma Eapen, Mira Frenk, Jacob Gratten, Rachel Grove, Claire Hafekost, Maryam Haghiran, Alexis Harun, Nicole Hayes, Anjali Henders, Honey Heussler, Helen Holdsworth, Anneliese Hopkins, Anna Hunt, Rachel Jellett, Feroza Khan, Lauren Lawson, Deborah Lennon, Jodie Leslie, Anne Masi, Nisha Mathew, Tiana McLaren, Candice Michael, Melanie Muniandy, Melissa Neylan, Michaela Nothard, Brooke Peden, Mridu Radhakrishnan, Ola Rajapakse, Emma Raymond, Felicity Rose, Natalie Silove, Ashley Thomson, Leanne Wallace and Naomi Wray.