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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
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2025 UCSF Conference: Advancing Care of People with Autism Through Scientific Research
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That means that not only shouldn’t we trust results from studies with 10 or 20 people, we should ignore them. They’re just noise. — KEVIN MITCHELL, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, GENETICS AND NEUROSCIENCE, TRINITY COLLEGE, DUBLIN

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WHAT WE ARE READING
“From variants to mechanisms: Neurogenomics in the post-GWAS era”
By MICHAEL P. MARGOLIS et al IN NEURON
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Stay current with the latest advancements in autism research.

Richard Frye.
Spectrum

Exclusive: Who is Richard Frye, the neurologist who researches and advocates for leucovorin as an autism treatment?

Frye has led two placebo-controlled trials of the folate supplement in autistic people; the first was suspended by regulators, and the other has yet to be published.

By Brendan Borrell
1 October 2025 | 11 min read
Amina Abubakar, dressed in yellow, stands outside and looks into the camera lens.
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Amina Abubakar translates autism research and care for Kenya

First an educator and now an internationally recognized researcher, the Kenyan psychologist is changing autism science and services in sub-Saharan Africa.

By Ruth Kadide Keah
29 May 2025 | 7 min read
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Research image of SYNGAP protein in the mouse cortex.

Gene replacement therapy normalizes some traits in SYNGAP1 model mice

The first published virus-based gene therapy for SYNGAP1 deletion yields benefits despite the gene’s long length and complexity.

By Charles Q. Choi
20 November 2025 | 5 min read
Illustration of an open journal featuring lines of text and small illustrations of eyes and mouths.

Role of maternal factors in autism; and more

Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the week of 17 November.

By Jill Adams
18 November 2025 | 2 min read
Human brain cross-sections.

Teasing out mosaicism cell by cell; and more

Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the week of 10 November.

By Jill Adams
11 November 2025 | 2 min read
Mouse brain slices and atlases.

Constellation of studies charts brain development, offers ‘dramatic revision’

The atlases could pinpoint pathways that determine the fate of cells linked to neurodevelopmental conditions.

By Holly Barker
5 November 2025 | 6 min read
Microglia from neonatal mice.

Functional connectivity links with autism, not ADHD; and more

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

By Jill Adams
4 November 2025 | 2 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

Tatiana Engel explains how to connect high-dimensional neural circuitry with low-dimensional cognitive functions

Neuroscientists have long sought to understand the relationship between structure and function in the vast connectivity and activity patterns in the brain. Engel discusses her modeling approach to discovering the hidden patterns that connect the two.

By Paul Middlebrooks
3 December 2025 | 1 min read

Beyond the algorithmic oracle: Rethinking machine learning in behavioral neuroscience

Machine learning should not be a replacement for human judgment but rather help us embrace the various assumptions and interpretations that shape behavioral research.

By Nedah Nemati, Matthew Whiteway
3 December 2025 | 7 min read
A see-through human brain with circuits inside it.

‘Wired for Words: The Neural Architecture of Language,’ an excerpt

In his new book, Hickok provides a detailed overview of the research into the circuits that control speech and language. In this excerpt from Chapter 5, he shares how meeting his colleague David Poeppel led to them developing the theory for bilateral speech perception.

By Gregory Hickok
2 December 2025 | 8 min read

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