2019: Year in review

Recent articles

Five hot topics in autism research in 2019

This year’s hot topics in autism research center around brain organoids, heart rate, the gut microbiome, treatment timing and early detection.

By Spectrum
23 December 2019 | 6 min read
Illustration of a storefront with stem cell treatments

In case you missed them: Spectrum’s standout stories from 2019

Here are seven Spectrum stories from this year that deserve a close look.

By Spectrum
23 December 2019 | 4 min read

Photographer captures intimate scenes of daily life with autism

An award-winning photography series offers a close look at one autistic person coming of age in New York City.

By Rebecca Horne
23 December 2019 | 7 min read

Notable papers in autism research in 2019

This year’s top papers deepen our understanding of autism’s genetics and reveal mixed results from trials of autism therapies.

By Melissa Thomas Baum
23 December 2019 | 5 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

Research image of autism-linked gene PTEN changes in neurons.

A consensus on the definition of profound autism, and more

Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the week of 5 July.

By Sarah Thau
7 July 2026 | 2 min read

‘Completely new learning mechanism’ drives navigation in fruit flies

The neuromodulator octopamine, the insect counterpart to norepinephrine, helps flies get their bearings in an unfamiliar environment.

By Natalia Mesa
7 July 2026 | 0 min watch
Illustration of needle sewing through multicolor strips.

How to use artificial intelligence to strengthen scientific processes and scholarly output

As AI-driven systems are integrated into all aspects of science, we need to make sure that they read and write to a shared data and knowledge space.

By Satrajit Ghosh
6 July 2026 | 5 min read