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Spectrum: Autism Research News

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Q&A

Conversations with experts about noteworthy topics in autism.

Previous articles
July 2022
hand points to pause button shape made from pills

Forging a path for vasopressin drugs for autism: Q&A with Suma Jacob

by  /  5 July 2022

After the vasopressin antagonist balovaptan flopped in a late-stage clinical trial, Suma Jacob and her colleagues took stock of all the factors that might have complicated the results.

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June 2022

Prioritizing physical health in autism: Q&A with Alice Kuo

by  /  6 June 2022

The principal investigator of the Autism Intervention Research Network on Physical Health wants to encourage more researchers to study physical health issues in autistic children and adults.

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May 2022
Researcher stands in spotlight that is the shape of a monkey's head.

Why monkey researchers are seeking the spotlight: Q&A with Cory Miller

by  /  25 May 2022

For decades, many researchers who study nonhuman primates kept quiet about their work, concerned about the extreme actions taken by some animal welfare activists. But a growing number are speaking more openly about the importance of their work in an attempt to take back the narrative.

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Autism and the complete human genome: Q&A with Evan Eichler

by  /  10 May 2022

Scientists have at last filled in the missing gaps — an advance likely to inform every aspect of autism genetics research, Eichler says.

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April 2022
Illustration of colorful compass

Ethical gaps in autism genetics: A conversation with Holly Tabor

by  /  29 April 2022

Genetics research has largely failed to generate concrete benefits for autistic people, and its values and goals are due for reassessment, Tabor says.

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The placenta and neurodevelopment: A conversation with Anna Penn

by  /  19 April 2022

The temporary organ may hold clues about the origins of autism and brain development, Anna Penn says — if only researchers would study it.

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Autism and menopause: Q&A with Rachel Moseley and Julie Turner-Cobb

by  /  7 April 2022

Menopause poses significant challenges for autistic people, according to a small survey published in 2020 — the first to explore the transition among people with autism traits.

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March 2022
Dr. Ben Rein seen through the circle of a ring light with a skull and brain model.

The autism researcher firing up TikTok: A Q&A with Ben Rein

by  /  8 March 2022

In the lab, neuroscientist Ben Rein studies mouse models of autism. But on TikTok, he’s fighting pseudoscience about his field, one video at a time.

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Neurons lighting up yellow, green and red on blue.

Controlling neurons with ultrasound: Q&A with Sreekanth Chalasani

by  /  1 March 2022

The new method, called sonogenetics, noninvasively manipulates neural circuits in mice.

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February 2022

A new hub for participatory research: Q&A with Zachary Williams

by  /  22 February 2022

Last month, the International Society for Autism Research launched the INSAR Community Collaborator Request (ICCR), an online forum to foster collaborations between autistic people and autism researchers. Its creator, Zachary Williams, explains how researchers can make the most of this new resource.

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