ASHG 2019

Recent articles

RNA, transcription

Antidote to ‘poison’ DNA may treat lethal form of epilepsy

An experimental drug silences a DNA segment and seems to prevent seizures and death in a condition related to autism.

By Nicholette Zeliadt
26 August 2020 | 3 min read

Brain ‘organoids’ point to new drug target for fragile X syndrome

New findings hint at why drugs that work in mouse models of fragile X syndrome have not been effective in people.

By Nicholette Zeliadt
18 October 2019 | 3 min read
Illustration of a DNA strand.

Massive project doubles list of genes tied to autism

The largest analysis of sequences from autistic people and their families implicates 184 genes in the condition — nearly doubling the previous estimate.

By Nicholette Zeliadt
17 October 2019 | 3 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

Barbara Finlay looking at a glass jar with a brain.

Remembering Barbara Finlay, ‘maverick’ of evolutionary neuroscience

Finlay, who died on 12 September, championed the idea that developmental constraints dictate how evolution sculpts brains, a concept she used to model the timing of hundreds of events and align them across mammalian species.

By Calli McMurray
23 October 2026 | 8 min read
A crow looking at a screen showing a circle of white dots on a black background.

Crows have brains ‘in the fast lane’

The birds accurately complete decision-making tasks twice as fast as primates, although their endbrains look considerably different.

By Sarah Thau
22 October 2026 | 4 min read
A boy manipulates blocks at a table while sitting across from a woman taking notes.

Prevalence of profound autism declines with new definition

The updated, more precise definition used in a CDC study includes adaptive scores.

By Brianna Abbott
22 October 2026 | 5 min read