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Spectrum: Autism Research News

WEEK OF
April 29th

Research roundup

  • Researchers have discovered a network of more than 200 genes that influence gene splicing — the piecing together of parts of a genetic message — in autism. Molecular Cell
  • An online database of women scientists that includes more than 7,500 entries has helped conference organizers and journalists increase the visibility of women in science and the media. PLOS Biology
  • Executive functions such as impulse control and working memory affect social skills in autistic children with low intelligence. American Journal on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities 

Science and society

  • Noise-canceling headphones and visual aids can help autistic people navigate health care settings. CNN
  • A large study of transgender people brings new insights into the long-term effects of transitioning. Nature
  • Prominent autism scientists have penned 29 brief commentaries on gaps in autism research ranging from basic biology to services. Autism Research
  • A video of a gene getting turned on enables scientists to visualize the dynamics of this fundamental cellular event. Knowable Magazine
  • Municipalities should find more collaborative ways to tackle public health crises such as measles outbreaks, says law professor Wendy Parmet. STAT
  • A new effort called LawSeq is developing recommendations for health care providers about legal risks and privacy concerns of widespread genetic testing. Science
  • Ethicist Arthur Caplan recommends actions to prevent risky and unethical science such as gene editing in human embryos. PLOS Biology
  • Medical and diversity experts offer their opinions on how to make progress on gender inequality in medical research. Nature Medicine
  • Statistician Kathryn Roeder and neurobiologist Bernardo Sabatini have been elected as members of the National Academy of Sciences. National Academy of Sciences

Autism and the arts

  • The Autism Center of Nebraska opened an art project space connected to a retail store to enable autistic adults to broaden their skills. KETV Omaha

Publishing

  • A group of Norwegian universities has made a deal with journal publisher Elsevier to allow university researchers to publish their work with open access. Nature
  • The inaugural issue of the journal Autism in Adulthood is out. Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.

TAGS:   autism