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Spectrum: Autism Research News

Author

Niko McCarty

Former data reporter

Niko McCarty was Spectrum’s data reporter from 2021 to 2022. He has an M.A. from New York University’s Science, Health and Environmental Reporting Program. He also has an M.Res. in systems and synthetic biology from Imperial College London, where he was a Fulbright Scholar, and an M.Sc. in bioengineering from the California Institute of Technology. His prior research focused on engineered microbial communities and building CRISPR-Cas technologies.

Contact Info

[email protected]

May 2023
A stack of papers sits on a blue table.

Neuroscience journal retracts 13 papers at once

by  /  22 May 2023

The papers were flagged by a method that has now been called into question.

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December 2022
A photograph of zebrafish in a lab environment.

DNA unwinder tied to social behaviors in mice, zebrafish

by  /  16 December 2022

Blocking the enzyme, called TOP2A, in embryos makes the animals less inclined to seek companionship later in life.

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Image from an open-source programming tool that overlays microscopy images in 3D and pinpoints where neurons connect.

Microscopy mash-up quantifies, maps neural circuits

by  /  7 December 2022

A new method that merges tissue expansion, light-sheet microscopy and automated image segmentation can reconstruct neural circuits in about a week.

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November 2022
Pink geometric brain against a blue background.

Autism brain signature most pronounced in sensory areas

by  /  2 November 2022

An analysis of 11 cortical regions shows anterior-to-posterior shifts in gene expression linked to autism.

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An array of brain maps.

New tool transforms, compares dissimilar brain maps

by  /  1 November 2022

The open-source software makes it possible to overlay disparate datasets and potentially accelerate hypothesis generation.

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October 2022
Woman sits on a hospital bed and looks out of a window.

Psychiatric conditions hospitalize almost one in three autistic women by age 25

by  /  31 October 2022

The findings, based on Swedish national registry data, suggest a critical need to expand mental health services for autistic people.

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May 2022

Spectrum Index: Self-harm hospitalizations, everolimus flops in phase 2 trial

by  /  30 May 2022

This month’s newsletter also highlights deflated autism prevalence estimates from Shanghai, China.

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Illustration of a rat in profile with the middle section of its body replaced by a red outline containing small yellow polygons against a navy blue background

Six steps to using machine learning for animal behavior research

by  /  26 May 2022

Machine-learning tools are widely available and can help speed up studies in animal models of autism. Here’s how to get started with the ‘minimal viable product’ and a few pro tips.

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Week of MayMay
16th
2022

Spotted around the web: INSAR abstracts, autism-specific anxiety, Human Cell Atlas

Here is a roundup of news and research for the week of 16 May.

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A playful chart is made from bars in lively patterns and red and blue.

By the Numbers: Suspensions, unemployment, health checks

by  /  20 May 2022

This edition plots school suspensions and the unemployment gap for autistic people, and charts outcomes for those who attend regular health checks.

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