At 17 years old, Michael Marino is handsome, studious, and gifted on the gridiron, just like his father. But when Michael was 2, NFL Hall of Famer and former Miami Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino and his wife, Claire, faced the most formidable opponent of their lives—autism.

Michael’s success in overcoming autism is a result of early intervention and comprehensive care. Wanting to give other children a fighting chance against neurodevelopmental disorders, the Marinos in 1992 established the Dan Marino Foundation, which helped create the Miami Children’s Hospital Dan Marino Center in 1998.

The foundation recently pledged $1.2 million over three years to develop the Marino Autism Research Institute, a collaboration between the University of Miami and Nova Southeastern University Center for Autism and Related Disabilities (UM-NSU CARD) and Vanderbilt University’s TRIAD program of the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development. The Marino Autism Research Institute brings psychology, neuroscience, medicine, and special education together in cross-site research, clinical, and training activities.

“This will ultimately accelerate the rate of discovery of new strategies for treating and preventing this disorder,” says Peter Mundy, professor of psychology and executive director of UM-NSU CARD.

UM-NSU CARD is a division of the University of Miami’s Department of Psychology and Nova Southeastern University’s Programs in Communication Sciences and Disorders.