Breaking Ground with the New Thompson Center

Dear Colleagues,

Autism continues to be among the most common developmental disorders in the United States, affecting one in 36 children. The demand for expert care and research continues to increase. As we carry out our mission to save and improve lives, I am proud to say that we are increasing our clinical capacity at the Thompson Center for Autism and Neurodevelopment.

Yesterday, I was able to join leaders and supporters of our university at a groundbreaking event for the new home of the Thompson Center.

This rendering gives a glimpse into the future home of our Thompson Center for Autism and Neurodevelopment. This vision will become a reality when the space opens in spring 2026 at the South Providence Medical Park.

The Thompson Center expects to move into the new 74,000 square foot building in spring 2026. With the new facility, they will expand capacity and increase the number of specialists and annual visits by more than two-fold to meet the demand for clinical services.

The Thompson Center will launch an Intensive Day Treatment Program, the first of its kind in Missouri, which will help fill a large gap between outpatient and inpatient services for the entire state.

The state-of-the-art facilities will complement and accelerate diverse and evidence-based research by our renowned faculty. Research allows us to make breakthroughs that help families in our clinic as well as families around the world. Our experts will study epigenetic biomarkers and infant cries as early identifiers of autism and conduct clinical trials, particularly how propranolol relates to anxiety and autism.

These experts partner with others across our campus in fields like medicine, health sciences, speech-language pathology, education and engineering.

Thompson Center groundbreaking — Pictured, from left to right: Nim Chinniah, vice chancellor for health affairs; Scott Fitzpatrick, state auditor; myself; Ron Ashworth, president of the Thompson Foundation Board of Directors; Bill and Nancy Thompson, founders; Don Thompson, executive director of the Thompson Family Foundation; Mun Choi, president of the University of Missouri; Robin Wenneker, chair of the Board of Curators; Dr. Connie Brooks, executive director of the Thompson Center; and Al Eberhard, former executive director of the Thompson Center and Thompson Foundation board member. (Photo credit Schaefer Photography.)

It is fitting that this historic event took place in April, which is World Autism Month. The teams at the Thompson Center hosted several events and outreach opportunities for our community throughout the month. Thank you for continuing to support our community. I cannot wait to see how we will continue to save and improve even more lives at the new center!

Sincerely,