As May kicks off, our community newsletter brims with tweets of new starts and fresh findings — about FMRP and Alzheimer’s disease, disparities in autism diagnoses and the power of convergent neuroscience to make progress in understanding autism.
First up, the journal Autism had big news, announcing that their incoming editor-in-chief is Sue Fletcher-Watson, professor of developmental psychology at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. As part of the tweet, Fletcher-Watson introduced herself and her plans for the publication in a short video. She assumes her new position this summer, taking the reins from David Mandell, professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, who held Autism’s top spot for 10 years.
We are delighted to share the news that Professor Sue Fletcher-Watson (@SueReviews) will be @JournalAutism‘s new Editor-in-Chief.
You can find out more about Sue, and her hopes and ambitions for the future of Autism below ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/sYQVReX10R
— Autism Journal (@journalautism) April 26, 2022
“Professor, research centre director, conference chair, book (co-)author, charity founder, mother of autistic Etsy artist, not a ‘non-autistic’ person (linguistically, not substantively— suggestions welcome) and now, @journalautism Editor-in-Chief!” tweeted Steven Kapp, an autistic lecturer in psychology at the University of Portsmouth in the United Kingdom, along with his congratulations.
Congratulations to @SueReviews, Professor, research centre director, conference chair, book (co-)author, charity founder, mother of autistic Etsy artist, not a “non-autistic” person (linguistically, not substantively – suggestions welcome) and now, @journalautism Editor-in-Chief! https://t.co/dnoL07crDs
— Steven Kapp (@drstevenkapp) April 26, 2022
Mandell tweeted that the journal is also looking for two new associate editors.
@JournalAutism is recruiting for two new associate editors. Please consider applying to help shape the Journal and international autism research https://t.co/JzbaNM3PjV
— David Mandell (@DSMandell) April 26, 2022
The University of Illinois tweeted about new work from Nien-Pei Tsai, associate professor of molecular and cellular biology at the school’s Urbana-Champaign campus. Tsai and his colleagues found that FMRP, the protein deficient in fragile X syndrome, is overexpressed in Alzheimer’s disease mouse models in response to an accumulation of amyloid beta peptide.
???? New research from @TsaiNien‘s lab illuminates balancing act for protein linked to #FragileX Syndrome, #AlzheimersDisease, and #autism.
???? Learn about their findings: https://t.co/99hBPI8kI3 pic.twitter.com/9imHcan1KK— U of I School of Molecular and Cellular Biology (@MCB_Illinois) April 26, 2022
Joshua Gordon, director of the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), tweeted about a new study showing that one way to reduce disparities in autism diagnoses may be to make multistage screening part of federally funded early-intervention services.
Early intervention services for autism are available to families with kids younger than 3 in all U.S. states and territories through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, but these services vary in quality and availability across early intervention sites. (1/2)
— Joshua A. Gordon (@NIMHDirector) April 27, 2022
Gordon’s colleague Armin Raznahan, chief of the NIMH section on developmental neurogenomics, tweeted about a new review paper from Matthew State, professor and chair of psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco, and his colleagues that highlights “genomics, convergent neuroscience and progress in understanding autism spectrum disorder.”
Genomics, convergent neuroscience and progress in understanding autism spectrum disorder https://t.co/E8bCbGcAIn pic.twitter.com/r59YnGHmTM
— Armin Raznahan (@bogglerapture) April 23, 2022
“Proud to have our review paper published online today in @NatRevNeurosci,” tweeted the Willsey lab at the University of California, San Francisco. (Spectrum has previously written about co-investigator Helen Willsey’s work on autism genetics in frogs.)
Proud to have our review paper published online today in @NatRevNeurosci
Also feel very fortunate to have such wonderful co-authors in @goodfrognosis @belinda_p_wang and Matt State@UCSFPsychiatry @QBI_UCSF @PsychCellMap https://t.co/z5WI1rmLfD
— Willsey Lab (@WillseyLab) April 19, 2022
“Excellent review!” tweeted Rebecca Meyer-Schuman, a postdoctoral researcher in Huda Zoghbi’s lab at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas.
Excellent review! https://t.co/pcpSHBmbmM
— Rebecca Meyer-Schuman (@RMeyerSchuman) April 20, 2022
“Fantastic — on my read list!” tweeted the LaBonne lab at Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois, throwing in a hat tip to the genus Willsey works with.
Fantastic – on my read list! Hopefully highlights the awesome power of #xenopus for studying autism and other neuro disorders ???????? https://t.co/mKQKsNO7WC
— @LaBonneLaB (@labonnelab) April 20, 2022
That’s it for this week’s Community Newsletter! If you have any suggestions for interesting social posts you saw in the autism research sphere, feel free to send an email to [email protected].
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Cite this article: https://doi.org/10.53053/KRGC1344
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