Multiplex families

Recent articles

Illustration of hybrid objects: part light bulb, part lab vial, some in blue and some in red to signify null and replicated results.

Null and Noteworthy: Modified MRI; father findings

This month’s newsletter tackles null findings from an attempted replication of a “revolutionary” MRI approach and an analysis of family genetics.

By Emily Harris
22 June 2023 | 4 min read
An illustration of doctors examining a larger-than-life DNA strand

Whole-genome trove ties new genes, variants to autism

A massive update to the MSSNG dataset gives qualified researchers ready access to explore autism’s genetic architecture on a cloud-based platform.

By Isabel Ruehl
12 December 2022 | 4 min read
Abstraction of human genome data with some sections circled.

Analysis ups estimate of spontaneous mutations’ role in autism

Spontaneous genetic mutations contribute to autism in 30 to 39 percent of all people with the condition, and 52 to 67 percent of autistic children whose siblings do not also have the condition.

By Laura Dattaro
27 September 2021 | 5 min read

Ultra-rare variants point to new autism candidate genes

A large, whole-genome sequencing study of families yields insights into ultra-rare genetic variants that contribute to autism.

By Niko McCarty
26 July 2021 | 4 min read
Paper DNA with one torn base to signify a point mutation.

Analysis links 98 genes to neurodevelopmental conditions

Genetic sequences from nearly 53,000 people with autism, developmental delay or intellectual disability reveal strong ties to 98 genes.

By Peter Hess
10 December 2020 | 4 min read

Decade of data dents idea of a ‘female protective effect’

Brothers and sisters of people with autism are both about two to three times more likely than the general population to have an autistic child themselves.

By Peter Hess
12 June 2020 | 4 min read
colorful micrograph of cells dividing

Whole-genome study lifts veil on inheritance patterns in autism

An analysis of whole-genome sequences from nearly 500 families has implicated 16 new genes in autism.

By Lauren Schenkman
19 September 2019 | 4 min read

Genetics do-over; iffy influences; high-tech education and more

A re-analysis of data yields an increased estimate for the genetic contribution to autism, how the environment might contribute to autism is hard to pin down, and students on the spectrum describe the benefits of using technology at school.

By Emily Willingham
29 September 2017 | 5 min read

Mitochondrial risk; anxiety amelioration; fever factor and more

Some variants in mitochondrial DNA are more common than others in autism, cognitive therapy reduces anxiety for people on the spectrum, and maternal fever in the third trimester is tied to autism risk.

By Emily Willingham
25 August 2017 | 5 min read
A young boy and a young girl hiding behind the kitchen table.

Sibling study bolsters role of common variants in autism

Children with autism are genetically more similar to one another than to a group of unaffected siblings.

By Jessica Wright
24 August 2017 | 4 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

Mother mouse with pups.

Oxytocin shapes both mouse mom and pup behavior

Distressed pups emit distinct cries for help, which depend on oxytocin neurons in their hypothalamus.

By Claudia López Lloreda
11 September 2025 | 5 min read
Research image showing cell activity in a particular region of the mouse thalamus.

Sensory gatekeeper drives seizures, autism-like behaviors in mouse model

The new work, in mice missing the autism-linked gene CNTNAP2, suggests a mechanism to help explain the overlap between epilepsy and autism.

By Diana Kwon
11 September 2025 | 5 min listen

Michael Breakspear and Mac Shine explain how brain processing changes across neural population scales

Breakspear and Shine find a scale-free property of brain activity that is conserved across diverse species, suggesting that a universal principle of brain activity underlies cognition.

By Paul Middlebrooks
10 September 2025 | 1 min read

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