https://www.jacklab.chss.gmu.edu/news daily 0.75 2022-10-21 https://www.jacklab.chss.gmu.edu/news/nih-awards-ace monthly 0.5 2022-10-14 https://www.jacklab.chss.gmu.edu/news/mason-team-works-identify-more-objective-evaluations-diagnose-autism monthly 0.5 2022-10-21 https://www.jacklab.chss.gmu.edu/news/brain-activity-patterns-may-distinguish-girls-with-autism monthly 0.5 2022-10-21 https://www.jacklab.chss.gmu.edu/publications daily 0.75 2025-01-22 https://www.jacklab.chss.gmu.edu/home daily 1.0 2025-03-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60feee633ed2fd41c41573a4/8bb595e0-b8c2-4872-856d-31fbd0423f57/220714309.jpeg Home - Many people have historically been left out of autism research, both as participants and as researchers. We are focused on closing this gap by studying the experiences and biology of neurodiverse individuals of different sexes and genders. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60feee633ed2fd41c41573a4/33a9f159-1ac9-4daa-ba01-956adff6c867/200915054.jpg Home Rear entrance to David King Hall. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Creative Services/George Mason University https://www.jacklab.chss.gmu.edu/prospective-students-1 daily 0.75 2025-01-23 https://www.jacklab.chss.gmu.edu/researchers daily 0.75 2022-10-13 https://www.jacklab.chss.gmu.edu/studies daily 0.75 2025-11-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60feee633ed2fd41c41573a4/1639426510471-6MC1TS08VTI0QVDGH8RL/200932500.jpg Studies https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60feee633ed2fd41c41573a4/1639427353143-JSCB8PVB8XRWRVCVSA12/181005124.jpg Studies https://www.jacklab.chss.gmu.edu/gender-autistic-traits-study daily 0.75 2024-03-25 https://www.jacklab.chss.gmu.edu/mri daily 0.75 2022-01-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60feee633ed2fd41c41573a4/f5dfbc92-e1d4-421e-9c54-8b0e72723561/2021-07-07_15-14-35_065.jpg MRI: What to expect - Once inside the imaging center, you will pass through the waiting room. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60feee633ed2fd41c41573a4/3f524c85-5d89-434d-b3ed-89a3a07cee09/scrubs_rbg.jpg MRI: What to expect - After you have been screened twice, you will change into scrubs and non-slip socks. Steps away from the imaging room is a bathroom where you will change in privacy. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60feee633ed2fd41c41573a4/2fbd7bc0-e011-4752-917d-8164b12e1826/2021-07-07_13-50-16_528.jpg MRI: What to expect - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60feee633ed2fd41c41573a4/20902a32-b20d-417a-b3f6-fcd81d00611a/2021-07-07_15-15-13_664.jpg MRI: What to expect - We will enter the facility. A bathroom will be available immediately to your right as you enter, and just past that is the MRI suite. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60feee633ed2fd41c41573a4/0f5b139c-0b90-48d1-94ff-908fdac8843f/2021-07-07_13-49-21_752.jpg MRI: What to expect - She will ask you to lie on your back on the MRI scanner bed. You will be allowed to remove your mask now. She will put what is called a head coil (similar to a helmet that will click into place over the top of your head) in place that allows us to take the images of your brain. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60feee633ed2fd41c41573a4/b4eb9108-f58f-4a3e-b2ad-646ce1ed196c/squeezeball.jpg MRI: What to expect - Once you are inside the machine we will be able to communicate with you before and after each scan through the audio and speaker system. The MRI tech will give you a “squeeze ball” in case you need to get our attention urgently during a scan. Squeezing it will activate an alarm in the control room and we will stop the scan and check in with you. The squeeze ball will rest beside you. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60feee633ed2fd41c41573a4/3a816775-8fa3-44b0-8134-42da74959a54/2021-07-07_15-14-44_122.jpg MRI: What to expect - Our MRI technologist Susan Tozzi, pictured to the left, will also go over the screener with you. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60feee633ed2fd41c41573a4/4ee0e113-257f-49f7-84d4-05bfe61f63f7/mirror_and_cushions-01-01.jpg MRI: What to expect - She will add a mirror to the head coil (left) that will let you view a screen. The tech will ask you if you can see the screen and move it up or down based on your feedback. She will slide some cushioned pads on either side of your head to help you hold your head still, and place some other cushions along the insides of your arms (right). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60feee633ed2fd41c41573a4/42e64d86-edee-42e0-8509-0856c1becf48/181023501.jpg MRI: What to expect - Your MRI scan will take place in Peterson Family Health Sciences Hall. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60feee633ed2fd41c41573a4/6b91a560-b786-4a17-9240-cda5a1e70342/map_detail_parking.png MRI: What to expect - If you drove, you can park in spaces #3-#10 in Finley Lot (left), directly across from Peterson Hall. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60feee633ed2fd41c41573a4/29bc0127-0a8c-47a6-b43d-70a2ddcd5559/2021-07-07_15-14-29_977.jpg MRI: What to expect - Then you will enter the room where you will complete the MRI screening form. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60feee633ed2fd41c41573a4/a127431a-3bc7-403c-9e63-e702b78771b4/2021-07-07_14-32-03_640.jpg MRI: What to expect - For some studies, we might ask you to do tasks or games in the scanner. So that you will know what to expect, you will practice these tasks beforehand on a laptop. During the practice and inside the MRI machine you will press buttons on a device that looks like a video game controller (left). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60feee633ed2fd41c41573a4/9dcda522-84a9-4a3a-b8b5-77b00a9b855c/2021-07-07_13-49-47_771.jpg MRI: What to expect - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60feee633ed2fd41c41573a4/f31ca77c-b0c6-48be-a960-63a361caa8fe/forehead_thermometer.jpg MRI: What to expect - One of our team members will meet you at your car if you drove. We will walk you to the entrance we use for the MRI facility. The MRI technologist will meet us at the entrance and take your temperature with a forehead thermometer to ensure that you are not running a fever. We will also check to see that your Mason COVID Health Check status is “green.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60feee633ed2fd41c41573a4/96118ac1-3915-44ab-a38b-2330495032fa/2021-07-07_15-15-05_575.jpg MRI: What to expect - Before you go into the MRI room, there’s just one more step! Without touching you, the MRI tech will wave a “wand” over your hair and body. This wand is used to check for metal. It will make a loud, unpleasant sound if it detects any metal on your body (similar to the sound in this clip). This is just a final safety check before you go into the room with the MRI machine. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60feee633ed2fd41c41573a4/94d92814-6127-4257-be62-8641510ffc1a/earplugs-01.jpg MRI: What to expect - The MRI tech will walk you into the room with the scanner. She will give you ear plugs that will protect your ears against some of the louder noise of the machine. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60feee633ed2fd41c41573a4/bcbacac1-69a7-4140-b24f-7ac60bfd7acf/2021-07-07_13-49-41_250.jpg MRI: What to expect - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.jacklab.chss.gmu.edu/how-to-get-here daily 0.75 2022-01-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60feee633ed2fd41c41573a4/bbd0f54d-ae0e-49a1-b0d7-f1fc375b54bc/191022402_smaller.jpg How to get here The JackLab David King Hall Rm. 1019 4400 University Dr. Fairfax, VA 22030 MRI Scans Peterson Hall 4400 University Dr. Fairfax, VA 22030 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60feee633ed2fd41c41573a4/5f5d8fff-4ebe-4374-989b-0fc51ed5cf3a/181005120.jpg How to get here - Make it stand out The MRI suite at Peterson Hall. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Creative Services/George Mason University https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60feee633ed2fd41c41573a4/68f79fec-86c0-48c7-9eca-576f7334ea2b/180718083_smaller.jpg How to get here - Make it stand out Peterson Hall. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Creative Services/George Mason University https://www.jacklab.chss.gmu.edu/women-nonbinary-mri-study daily 0.75 2022-01-06 https://www.jacklab.chss.gmu.edu/people-2 daily 0.75 2025-01-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60feee633ed2fd41c41573a4/1628355342559-NTKJCC3KOGK4WC3BFPPX/AJack_headshot_Spring2020.jpg People - Dr. Allison Jack, PhD (she/her) Principal Investigator Download CV Allison Jack, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Psychology Department at George Mason University. She received her BA in Psychology and English at the College of William & Mary, followed by a PhD in Developmental Psychology from the University of Virginia and postdoctoral training at the Yale Child Study Center via an NIMH T32 training grant. Her background includes training in child psychopathology, social cognitive neuroscience, and imaging genetics, with specialization in neuroimaging and assessment of autism. Her published work includes peer-reviewed articles on autism and brain function in Brain, Human Brain Mapping, Scientific Reports, Cerebral Cortex, and the Journal of Child Psychology & Psychiatry, among others. She has a particular interest in autistic women and nonbinary people, who are understudied and under-represented relative to boys and men on the spectrum. Currently, she co-leads a National Institutes of Health Autism Center of Excellence Network focused on understanding why some autistic people are diagnosed late or not at all. https://www.jacklab.chss.gmu.edu/empathy-and-autism-study daily 0.75 2025-11-17