To learn more about the unique cardiovascular and cerebrovascular health needs of people with autism, a new $2 million research initiative is being funded by the American Heart Association, celebrating 100 years of lifesaving service as the world’s leading nonprofit organization focused on heart and brain health for all, and Autism Speaks, founded in 2005 to create an inclusive world for all individuals with autism throughout their lifespan.

People with heart disease may receive different care because of how race is interpreted in health risk calculators and other tools that help clinicians make treatment decisions. The American Heart Association, a global force for healthier lives for all celebrating 100 years of lifesaving service, awarded four new grants this month to support scientific research that will evaluate the use of race in predicting heart disease risk and in turn help develop tools that are free of bias.

The newly funded principal investigators join six previous awardees who are part of a two-year scientific research strategy funded by a grant from the Doris Duke Foundation to study the complex issue of how race and ethnicity factor into clinical care algorithms and risk prediction tools. The grants are $50,000 each.