Quality of life

Recent articles

Composite of Autism Data Science Initiative researcher headshots.

Meet the Autism Data Science Initiative grantees

The awarded projects plan to study gene-and-environment interactions in people, stem cells and organoids, as well as predictors of positive life outcomes in autistic youth and adults.

By Calli McMurray
3 October 2025 | 12 min read
Research image of frog cells.

Many autism-linked proteins influence hair-like cilia on human brain cells

The finding may help explain autism’s association with multiple co-occurring conditions that involve cilia defects.

By Charles Q. Choi
9 January 2025 | 4 min read
Stock photograph of a women and her young child at a clinician’s office.

A genetics-first clinic for catching developmental conditions early: Q&A with Jacob Vorstman

A new clinic is assessing children who have a genetic predisposition for autism and other neurodevelopmental conditions—sometimes before traits appear.

By Lauren Schenkman
15 August 2024 | 7 min read
A hand holds a stack of speech bubbles.

Leveraging the power of community to strengthen clinical trials for rare genetic syndromes

Families can become not only participants but champions of these research efforts.

By Shafali Spurling Jeste
11 July 2024 | 7 min read

Building bridges: Collaboration across the autism community

An autistic person and the mother of an autistic child explore partnership in the autism community.

By Samantha Easter, Amy S.F. Lutz
24 October 2023 | 10 min read
Five high-school-aged students sit on a bench looking at notebooks and a laptop.

Social skills decline during adolescence for a sliver of autistic youth

Most children with the condition, however, gain communication and social abilities over time.

By Calli McMurray
24 August 2023 | 4 min read
Photograph of a doctor and nurse checking a patient’s temperature and taking notes.

Co-occurring conditions in autistic teens increase with age

The most prevalent conditions include obesity, neurological disorders, anxiety and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

By Calli McMurray
8 August 2023 | 1 min read
A group of rectangles placed against a colorful background contains diverse colors and patterns.

Broadening the autism spectrum: Q&A with Oluwatobi Abubakare

Too often, people outside the margins of what’s considered classic autism are left out of research agendas, Abubakare says.

By Rachel Zamzow
20 September 2022 | 8 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

Error equation predicts brain’s ability to generalize

Four statistical measurements of neural network geometry capture how well brains and artificial networks use what they already know to solve new problems, a study suggests.

By Natalia Mesa
10 April 2026 | 5 min read

Embrace complexity to improve the translatability of basic neuroscience

Researchers must learn to view heterogeneity as an essential feature of the systems they study and a central consideration in experimental design, not a variable to control for or reduce.

By Linda Douw, Klaus Eyer, Lara Keuck
9 April 2026 | 5 min read

Romain Brette reveals fundamental flaws in commonly assumed neuroscience concepts

His new book, “The Brain, In Theory,” offers alternatives to many of the computer science frameworks currently driving theoretical neuroscience.

By Paul Middlebrooks
8 April 2026 | 131 min listen