R2D2-MH at mid-term

By Sophie Dauzet, Project Manager  

Since 2022, the Institut Pasteur is coordinating R2D2-MH, a five-year project funded by the European Commission and supported by the Grants Office's dedicated team. This project aims to identify risk and resilience factors associated with neurodevelopmental diversity, including autism, ADHD and intellectual disability. Coordinated by Prof. Thomas Bourgeron, the consortium brings together 28 partners distributed worldwide. 

R2D2-MH has achieved significant results over the past three years, some of which are described below. The project focused on data acquisition, establishing a repository that harmonises data from over half a million participants. 

A distinctive feature of the project is its participatory research approach, implemented through co-creation groups (CCGs) involving adults and adolescents with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs). CCG members co-authored "Neurodiverse Research Collaboration Within a European Biomedical Project: Limits and Possibilities" (Struyf et al., The Palgrave Handbook of Research Methods and Ethics in Neurodiversity Studies, 2024). Melissa Black et al. published three papers with CCG members on data harmonization (BMJ Mental Health, 2024), resilience through scoping review (Clinical Psychology Review, 2024), and qualitative risk/resilience analysis using WHO ICF (Scientific Reports, 2025). Leblond et al. provided an integrated review bridging autism genetics, brain imaging, medicine and neurodiversity (Annual Review of Genetics, 2024). 

Key publications advanced NDD understanding through neurodiversity perspectives. Hens and Van Goidsenhoven discussed transitioning to developmental diversity approaches (Front. Psychiatry, 2023). Rolland et al. studied phenotypic impacts of autism-associated genetic variations (Nature Medicine, 2023). Charman et al. found autism sibling recurrence may be higher in mid-childhood than at 3 years (Autism Research, 2024). Wechsler et al. identified mental health as priority for autistic healthcare equity (The Lancet, 2025). Borglum & Demontis explored ADHD and cannabis use disorder genetics (Nature Mental Health, 2024). Wolke et al. published a systematic review of resilience conceptualizations in longitudinal studies (2025). 

Preterm birth studies examined developmental trajectories and risk factors (Zhou et al., European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 2025) and modifiable factors for mental health outcomes (Twilhaar & Wolke, Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 2025). 

Brain imaging research examined cortical thickness patterns (Berg et al., Molecular Autism, 2023), structural connectivity (Leyhausen et al., Biol Psychiatry, 2023), and coordinated brain development involving molecular mechanisms (Pretzch et al., JAMA Psychiatry, 2024). Gu et al. linked autism polygenic scores to reduced neurite density (Molecular Psychiatry, 2025). Ecker et al. developed frameworks linking neuroimaging to brain transcriptomes (Nature Communications, 2025). Caporale et al. benchmarked brain organoid multiplexing strategies (Nature Methods, 2024). 

Early development research revealed language-motor skill relationships (Leyan et al., Autism Research, 2023) and developmental cascades (Perry et al., Developmental Science, 2024). Parent-child neurodevelopmental trait similarity may protect children's social functioning (Wechsler et al., Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 2025). Amit et al. developed autism prediction models using routine assessments (JAMA Netw Open, 2024). Goldshtein et al. explored breastfeeding associations with neurodevelopmental outcomes (JAMA Netw Open, 2025). 

Finally, the ADAPPT application was co-created to support parents of children with NDDs using positive psychology and mindfulness (Tonis et al., 2024).