Current Research

The TAA is the only national organization that invests in research for Tourette Syndrome (TS) and Tic Disorders. This research has led to increased knowledge, cutting-edge treatments, and improved care. 

This important research is carried out by leading Young Investigators in the field of TS, Tic Disorders, and related disabilities and we invite you to join us in supporting their efforts. When you invest in research, there is a clear and direct impact on the lives of individuals with TS.

In addition, we would like to expand our research efforts into the field of Humanities and Social Sciences. By doing so, it will allow us to meaningfully address key focus areas that inform more than just the medical aspects of the condition, such as exploring creativity and the arts, interpersonal relationships, and so much more.

Support Research

In 2024, we will need more than $600,000 to invest in research that will pave the way for the future, making life incrementally better for all impacted.

TAA Research Advancements

2023-2024 Young Investigator Award Projects

Exploring the Connection Between Early Childhood Stress, Males, and TS
Cheng Jiang, PhD – Associate Research Scientist in Psychiatry, Yale University

Using Medical Records to Understand the Role of Genetics in Tic Disorders
Tyne Miller-Fleming, PhD – Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Vanderbilt University

Understanding How Stigma Affects Mental Health in Adults with TS
Chengshi Shiu, PhD – Postdoctoral Fellow, University of California Los Angeles 

Improving Tic Management with Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics
Brianna Wellen, PhD – Postdoctoral Associate, University of Minnesota 

Highlighting Past Projects

DEVELOPING GAME PLAY TO ENHANCE BEHAVIOR THERAPY
Gal Raz, PhD, Tel-Aviv University and Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center
Developing and validating a neuroscientifically-informed gamified tic therapy platform to enhance exposure and response prevention (ERP) behavioral treatment in Tic Disorders by increasing the efficiency and compliance with the treatment.

INVESTIGATING NEURON ACTIVITY DYSFUNCTION
Max Tischfield, PhD, Rutgers University
Investigating changes to neuronal activity and behavior using mouse models for Tourette Syndrome engineered to express human de novo mutations in Celsr3.

EXPLORING BRAIN COMMUNICATION AS A MECHANISM OF COMPULSION
Alik Widge, MD, PhD, University of Minnesota
Studying how brain areas communicate to produce more flexible or more rigid, compulsive behavior, to understand both the tics and the obsessive-compulsive symptoms of TS.

EXAMINING BRAIN ACTIVITY TO DEVELOP BIOMARKERS
Davis Alan Isaacs, MD, PhD, Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Identifying markers of brain activity associated with premonitory urge and sensory processing dysfunction in Tourette Syndrome. This work aims to deepen insight into mechanisms of Tourette Syndrome sensory symptoms and to facilitate development of clinically meaningful biomarkers.

STUDYING BRAIN MECHANISMS UNDERLYING TOURETTE SYNDROME Marc Fuccillo, MD PhD, University of Pennsylvania Learning from a gene associated with Tourette Syndrome (Neurexin 1a) to understand brain circuit differences that drive Tourette symptoms.
STUDYING THE INFLUENCE OF HORMONES ON THE BRAIN Kristen Delevich, PhD, UC Berkeley Studying the influence of puberty on brain circuits involved in behavioral control to understand why Tourette symptoms typically change during adolescence.
STUDYING BRAIN IMAGING TO UNDERSTAND MOTOR ACTIVITY Iain Perkes, MD, Prince of Wales Hospital Using brain imaging to understand how sensory cues lead to motor activity in people with Tourette Syndrome.

STUDYING LEARNING PROCESSES TO OPTIMIZE TREATMENT OUTCOMES
Joey Ka-Yee Essoe, PhD, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
Studying the relationship between therapeutic learning processes and behavior treatment outcomes in youth with Tourette Syndrome with the goal of updating and optimizing interventions like Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics (CBIT).