Quality of life

Recent articles

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

Colorful illustration of a latticework of proteins.

Cracking the code of the extracellular matrix

Despite evidence for a role in plasticity and other crucial functions, many neuroscientists still view these proteins as “brain goop.” The field needs technical advances and a shift in scientific thinking to move beyond this outdated perspective.

By Anna Victoria Molofsky
17 January 2025 | 5 min read
A repeated DNA strand extends farther from the left side of the image with each iteration.

Huntington’s disease gene variants past a certain size poison select cells

The findings—providing “the next step in the whole pathway”—help explain the disease’s late onset and offer hope that it has an extended therapeutic window.

By Angie Voyles Askham
16 January 2025 | 6 min read
Research image highlighting different brain regions.

X marks the spot in search for autism variants

Genetic variants on the X chromosome, including those in the gene DDX53, contribute to autism’s gender imbalance, two new studies suggest.

By Holly Barker
16 January 2025 | 6 min read