ACM Lifting Lives, the charitable arm of the Academy of Country Music, has announced a $750k fund to Vanderbilt University Medical Center for Autism research. Supporting programs and research that demonstrate the healing power of music, the fund aids launching the ACM Lifting Lives Autism Lab at Vanderbilt Kennedy Center.

Establishing autism as one of ACM Lifting Lives’ signature initiatives, the lab will support four programs at Vanderbilt: Treatment and Research for Autism Spectrum Disorders, Sense Theatre, Music Cognition Lab and Expansion of Telehealth.

“Since 2012, ACM Lifting Lives has partnered with Vanderbilt Kennedy Center (VKC) on a week-long residential program for musically talented individuals with Williams Syndrome, which affects 1 in 10,000 people. We are so thrilled to be able to partner with VKC on another scale,” said Lyndsay Cruz, ACM Lifting Lives Executive Director.

“The Vanderbilt Kennedy Center’s relationship with ACM Lifting Lives is unique and has been a catalyst for the Center’s mission to conduct groundbreaking research and then share these discoveries to benefit the lives of children and families everywhere,” added Jeff Balser, MD, PhD, President/CEO of Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Dean of Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. “Through the ACM’s generosity, we are grateful for the opportunity to extend and amplify this critical work.”

“The timing of this gift could not be more advantageous,” shared Jeffrey L. Neul, MD, PhD, Director of the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center. “The COVID-19 pandemic has made the expansion of telehealth vitally important in treatment of people with developmental disabilities as in all areas of health care.”

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