Dr. Cassandra Rutledge Newsom is an Associate Professor in the Department of Neurobiology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) and Associate Director of the Civitan International Research Center. She also serves as Associate Director of the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) Center of Excellence at Children's of Alabama and Director of the Civitan Autism and Neurodevelopment Translational Research Core. With over two decades of experience in neuropsychology and clinical research, Dr. Newsom specializes in translational research for neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorder and rare genetic syndromes as well as prenatal and environmental factors influencing child brain development.

Dr. Newsom has led and contributed to numerous NIH-funded and industry-sponsored clinical trials investigating biomarkers, therapeutic targets, and novel interventions for conditions such as Pitt Hopkins Syndrome, Phelan-McDermid Syndrome, Fragile X Syndrome, and Angelman Syndrome. She served as UAB Site Principal Investigator for a clinical trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of NNZ-2591 in children and adolescents with Pitt Hopkins Syndrome. Her research integrates deep behavioral phenotyping, neuropsychological assessment, and biomarker discovery to inform precision medicine approaches in neurodevelopmental disorders.

At UAB, Dr. Newsom oversees a large research registry and biorepository for children with autism or rare genetic neurodevelopmental disorders, facilitating targeted recruitment for clinical trials, ensuring rigorous assessment protocols and outcome measures, and sample collection for basic and translational research collaborations. She actively collaborates with geneticists, neuroscientists, and clinicians to bridge basic science and clinical applications, advancing innovative assessment tools and treatments for rare disorders.