GWAS

Recent articles

Data visualization from a genome-wide association study.

Revised statistical bar extracts less-common variants from autism genetics studies

Adjusting genetic analyses could help plug autism’s heritability gap, according to a new preprint.

By Holly Barker
12 March 2026 | 4 min read
Crowd seen from above.

Common and rare variants shape distinct genetic architecture of autism in African Americans

Certain gene variants may have greater weight in determining autism likelihood for some populations, a new study shows.

By Laura Dattaro
15 January 2026 | 5 min read
Research image of stem cells derived from people of African ancestry.

Bringing African ancestry into cellular neuroscience

Two independent teams in Africa are developing stem cell lines and organoids from local populations to explore neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative conditions.

By Lauren Schenkman
14 January 2026 | 7 min read
A child sits at a table moving around small cutout drawings.

Genetic profiles separate early, late autism diagnoses

Age at diagnosis reflects underlying differences in common genetic variants and developmental trajectories among people with autism.

By Natalia Mesa
27 November 2025 | 5 min read

Cell ‘antennae’ link autism, congenital heart disease

Variants in genes tied to both conditions derail the formation of cilia, the tiny hair-like structure found on almost every cell in the body, a new study finds.

By Lauren Schenkman
24 July 2025 | 0 min watch
Research image of gene expression.

Sequencing study spotlights tight web of genes tied to autism

The findings, shared in a preprint, help to illuminate how a large and heterogeneous group of genes could be involved in autism.

By Katie Moisse
13 March 2025 | 5 min read
A younger looking set of hands holds an older looking set of hands.

New catalog charts familial ties from autism to 90 other conditions

The research tool reveals associations stretching across three generations.

By Charles Q. Choi
17 October 2024 | 4 min read
Illustration of a brain made up of many smaller brains.

Breaking down the winner’s curse: Lessons from brain-wide association studies

We found an issue with a specific type of brain imaging study and tried to share it with the field. Then the backlash began.

By Nico Dosenbach, Scott Marek
25 March 2024 | 6 min read

Common genetic variants shape the structure of the cortex

A genome-wide association study lays a foundation for deeper investigation of these variants in neurodevelopmental conditions.

By Lauren Schenkman
18 September 2023 | 5 min read
Research diagram of gene clusters.

Atlas of gene activity in prenatal brain holds clues to autism

Genes exert their strongest influence on the brain in the first half of gestation — a key window for autism and other neurodevelopmental conditions.

By Brendan Borrell
24 April 2023 | 4 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

A blue comment bubble is pinned down by crisscrossing red threads and pins.

Neuroscience conference policy draws confusion, apology

NeurIPS organizers apologized and altered course after issuing a policy that barred submissions from researchers at U.S.-government-sanctioned institutions.

By Dalmeet Singh Chawla
27 March 2026 | 5 min read
Assembloids in a petri dish.

Funding for animal research alternatives reaches ‘inflection point’

The United States and Europe are dedicating hundreds of millions of dollars in funding to advance novel alternative methods, but not all neuroscientists see this as a positive step.

By Claudia López Lloreda
26 March 2026 | 4 min read
Illustration of a laptop computer superimposed over a scroll.

‘Friction-maxxing’ in school: Students should read primary literature, not AI summaries

Trainees need to learn how to identify a neuroscience paper’s major takeaways and integrate them into their understanding. This skill doesn’t come from outsourcing the work to large language models.

By Nora Bradford
26 March 2026 | 5 min read