headshot of Jacob Vorstman

Jacob Vorstman

Professor
The Hospital for Sick Children

Jacob Vorstman is associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Toronto and director of the Autism Research Unit at the Hospital for Sick Children in Canada. Initially, his research focused on the psychiatric and genetic aspects of the 22q11.2 deletion. After obtaining his Ph.D. in 2008, he broadened the scope from 22q11.2 deletion syndrome to the study of genotype-phenotype relations in neurodevelopmental conditions — in particular, autism, intellectual disability and schizophrenia. His ambition is to further insights into the genetic architecture underlying these conditions as well as to improve methods to measure the associated phenotypes.

From this contributor

Explore more from The Transmitter

Howard Fields.

In memoriam: Howard Fields, pain research pioneer

Over six decades, Fields mapped out the circuits of both pain and addiction.

By Natalia Mesa
22 May 2026 | 7 min read
Hand points to letters on a board.

Still no proof for facilitated spelling methods

A systematic review into whether the “rapid prompting method” or “spelling to communicate” can help autistic people express themselves comes up empty yet again.

By Brendan Borrell
21 May 2026 | 6 min read
Billboard reads Protect Life-Saving Science.

Oregon primate center scientists fight proposed sanctuary transition

A group of employees has launched a series of campaigns to advocate for their work and argue against the center’s potential transition to an animal sanctuary.

By Calli McMurray
21 May 2026 | 6 min read