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Spectrum is the go-to destination for the latest news and analysis about autism research and a springboard for scientists and clinicians to forge collaborations that deepen our understanding of autism.

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2025
TROINA, ITALY
19th Troina Meeting on Genetics of Neurodevelopmental Disorders
3-5 APRIL 2025
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It’s just a loss to science, and it’s happening to so many terrific people. — LAURA ANTHONY, PROFESSOR OF PSYCHIATRY, UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO ANSCHUTZ MEDICAL CAMPUS

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WHAT WE ARE READING
“Untangling the molecular mechanisms contributing to autism spectrum disorder using stem cells”
By ZOE MATTINGLY et al. IN AUTISM RESEARCH
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Spectrum

The perils of parachute research

Scientists who study autism in lower-income countries are working to end practices that exploit or ignore collaborators and communities on the ground.

By Linda Nordling
6 June 2024 | 11 min read
Research video of a zebrafish larva (zoomed in on the gut) being given glucose.
Spectrum

On the periphery: Thinking ‘outside the brain’ offers new ideas about autism

Neuronal alterations outside the brain may help to explain a host of the condition’s characteristic traits, including sensory changes, gut problems and motor differences.

By Sarah DeWeerdt
13 April 2023 | 20 min read
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A pregnant woman seen in profile, sitting on the edge of a bed.

Maternal infection’s link to autism may be a mirage

Family-linked factors explain most associations between maternal illness and autism, a study of 1.1 million Danish children finds.

By Charles Q. Choi
6 March 2025 | 3 min read
Research image of enlarged brain ventricles in a mouse model of hydrocephalus.

Vocal language development in genetically different twins; gaze behavior in face-to-face conversation

Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the week of 3 March.

By Jill Adams
4 March 2025 | 3 min read
Child playing with blocks.

Structure of striatum varies by sex in autistic children

The changes could reflect different developmental trajectories between boys and girls with autism, a new study suggests.

By Holly Barker
27 February 2025 | 4 min read
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Attention and IQ link; AUTS2-related syndrome; Glyx-13 for fragile X

Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the week of 24 February.

By Jill Adams
25 February 2025 | 1 min read
Cara Pugliese.

Autism program chief among National Institutes of Health layoffs

The termination is one of more than 1,000 employee cuts at the U.S. agency this week.

By Rachel Zamzow
21 February 2025 | 3 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

Learning scientific rigor: Q&A with Konrad Kording and Hao Ye

The developers of a new open-access curriculum to teach rigor discuss confirmation bias and other common errors in scientific thinking, plus ways to avoid these missteps.

By Calli McMurray
19 March 2025 | 6 min read
Illustration of a woman sitting on a branch with a singing bird.

This paper changed my life: Stephanie Palmer on the ties between human speech and birdsong—and her ‘informal life coach’

A groundbreaking review by Allison Doupe, who was Palmer’s mentor, and Patricia Kuhl helped shape the field’s understanding of the neural and evolutionary dynamics of speech.

By Stephanie Palmer
18 March 2025 | 5 min read
Tiger in a brain scanner.

Lions and tigers and bears: Long-lived zoo animals offer a promising venue to study mental health and neurodegenerative disorders

These animals’ lifestyles often mirror those of people, making them a more relevant milieu than lab mice for determining how environmental factors influence mental health and cognitive decline. Studying them could improve animal welfare in the process.

By Christine J. Charvet
17 March 2025 | 5 min read