Spectrum: Autism Research News
Podcasts
Introducing ‘Synaptic,’ a new podcast from Spectrum
Explore the people, the science and the challenges in autism research.
Episode One: Catherine Lord
In this inaugural episode, Lord discusses her entry into autism research, what the future of the field might look like, and how drama club saved her in high school.
Genetic background sways effects of autism-linked mutation
Experiments offer clues to why certain mutations are associated with autism in some people and not others.
Null and Noteworthy: Arbaclofen results; another oxytocin edition
New data from clinical trials of arbaclofen and oxytocin underscore the murkiness of null results. Plus, researchers seek clarity on the neurodevelopmental effects of oxytocin during childbirth.
Dataset maps connectivity in 40,000 brains
The new resource aims to aid reproducibility in imaging research.
Grafted organoids reveal how microglia adapt to shifting brain environments
The chimeric mouse model could provide a more realistic way to study microglia’s roles in brain conditions such as autism.
Spectrum Stories
What it’s like to be a Black autism researcher
Spectrum spoke to four Black autism researchers about what it’s like to be in a field that’s overwhelmingly white, how police violence against Black people has affected them, and the joy of finding one another in ‘Black In Neuro.’
Spectrum stories: Life in lockdown with autism
Host Chelsey B. Coombs talks to clinicians and people with autism about their experience of the pandemic, how their routines have changed and some of the unexpected benefits.
Spectrum Stories: What social touch says about autism
Understanding how touch is altered in autism could yield an early marker of the condition.
Spectrum Stories: How social media aids discovery and diagnosis of autism-linked conditions
Social media is connecting families with researchers who study rare conditions related to autism — to the benefit of both.