Spectrum: Autism Research News
Podcasts
FORCE learning and finding an out with David Sussillo
The senior research manager at Meta Reality Labs talks about neural networks and his time at the Milton Hershey School.
Sensing touch, the immigrant life and Ardem Patapoutian
The Nobel Prize winner talks about PIEZO 1 and 2, proprioception and the viral photo of him and his son from the 2021 Nobel Prize announcement.
Brian Boyd, classroom-based interventions and the importance of representation
The leader of the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute talks about what drew him into the autism field, and his departure from — and return to — the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Evdokia Anagnostou and the concept of a good life
The Holland Bloorview clinician and research director discusses how growing up on a small island shaped her career and the existential questions that keep her up at night.
The Transmitter Stories
‘Emergent and transactional’: How Jonathan Green is rethinking autism and interventions
The experienced clinician discusses writing his recent paper, and its reception in the field.
The story of autism research in Australia: A conversation with Cheryl Dissanayake
With the help of a generous benefactor, autism research in Australia is gathering critical mass.
New journals seek to fill neurodiversity gap
The two journals, although differing in initial support, both realized the need for a publication focused exclusively on the neurodiverse experience.
Writing a ‘new history of autism’
Spectrum talks with David Dobbs about researching his latest article, and what he found.
Vast diversity of human brain cell types revealed in trove of new datasets
The collection offers a glimpse into differences in cell composition — across people and brain regions — that may shape neural function.
Journal club: Why do some children lose their autism diagnosis?
More than one-third of a cohort of autistic toddlers no longer meet criteria for the condition at school age, according to a new study, but the findings may not generalize because the cohort is predominantly white and affluent.
Uncertainty and excitement surround one company’s cell therapy for epilepsy
After 10 years of work, Neurona may have the data to quiet its skeptics. But its ongoing clinical trial will be the ultimate test.
Mutations in multipurpose gene deal dendrites a double whammy
The mutations disrupt protein translation as well as the cell’s skeleton, according to a new study.