Araceli Takaoka

The institute is funded by a $21.5 million, five-year award from the National Science Foundation and will bring together over 40 partners across academia, industry, and government.

The philanthropy company, Arnold Ventures, granted $2.6 million across 12 research projects.

Six months after the center opened in 2023, the number of psychiatric visits at HUP-Cedar Avenue’s emergency department had decreased by 80% and has since remained relatively stable. 

The model, called ApexGO, tells researchers whether a given peptide is “likely to have antimicrobial properties.” 

His appointment comes as Penn Med and CHOP seek to establish the recently launched institute as “a nationally and globally recognized hub” for autism research, clinical care, and collaboration.