Deborah Rudacille earned an M.A. in science writing from Johns Hopkins University in 1998. She worked as a research writer at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and as senior science writer at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Rudacille is the author of three books: The Scalpel and the Butterfly (2000), The Riddle of Gender (2004) and Roots of Steel (2010). She joined SFARI.org’s team as news editor in 2010.
Deborah Rudacille
Former News Editor
SFARI.org
From this contributor
The twenty-something free fall
Young adults with autism face many new expectations and challenges — with none of the support that is available during high school.
New clinical guidelines address gender dysphoria in autism
New recommendations urge clinicians to screen teenagers for autism when they seek treatment at gender clinics, and evaluate those with autism for gender concerns.

New clinical guidelines address gender dysphoria in autism
Living between genders
‘Trans’ people with autism express a gender at odds with societal expectations, or reject the male-female divide entirely. Many are breaking new ground on how identity is defined — and what it means to also have autism.
Nobel goals
On the occasion of Thomas Südhof winning the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, SFARI.org’s former news editor recalls their first meeting.
Autism rates higher among adults with low birth weight
Autism prevalence is five times higher in young adults born weighing 2,000 grams or less compared with controls, according to a study published 17 October in Pediatrics.

Autism rates higher among adults with low birth weight
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Exclusive: Recruitment issues jeopardize ambitious plan for human brain atlas
A lack of six new brain donors may stop the project from meeting its goal to pair molecular and cellular data with the functional organization of the cortex.

Exclusive: Recruitment issues jeopardize ambitious plan for human brain atlas
A lack of six new brain donors may stop the project from meeting its goal to pair molecular and cellular data with the functional organization of the cortex.
How pragmatism and passion drive Fred Volkmar—even after retirement
Whether looking back at his career highlights or forward to his latest projects, the psychiatrist is committed to supporting autistic people at every age.

How pragmatism and passion drive Fred Volkmar—even after retirement
Whether looking back at his career highlights or forward to his latest projects, the psychiatrist is committed to supporting autistic people at every age.
The brain’s quiet conductor: How hidden cells fine-tune arousal
New research published today suggests that the pericoeruleus acts as a kind of micromanager of arousal, selectively inhibiting different subgroups of locus coeruleus neurons depending on the behavioral context.
The brain’s quiet conductor: How hidden cells fine-tune arousal
New research published today suggests that the pericoeruleus acts as a kind of micromanager of arousal, selectively inhibiting different subgroups of locus coeruleus neurons depending on the behavioral context.