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Spectrum: Autism Research News

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Science & Society

From funding decisions to scientific fraud, a wide range of societal factors shape autism research.

February 2023
Illustration of a series of pills in petri dishes laid out to look like a descending line graph.

Biotech downturn hurts companies targeting autism-linked conditions

by  /  23 February 2023

After a year of intense growth, funding for biotech is in decline. The result is layoffs and program cuts — and maybe some innovation.

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Speech bubble formed by a network of communication

Community Newsletter: Rare genetic variants; shape-shifting microglia; telehealth diagnoses

by  /  19 February 2023

Tweets this week consider new research on how rare gene variants contribute to complex traits and microglia change their shape, plus views on diagnosing autism virtually.

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Week of FebruaryFeb
13th
2023

Spotted around the web: Brain organoids; early IQ changes; anti-racist policies

by , ,  /  17 February 2023

Here is a roundup of news and research for the week of 13 February.

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Coraline with her family at home in Pennsylvania.

The promise of telehealth in autism diagnoses

by  /  15 February 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic forced a reckoning, in which autism clinicians had to redefine best practices and expand how children are evaluated. The remote assessments they developed may help solve a persistent problem: the long wait families endure to get a diagnosis in the United States.

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Headshot of Wendy Chung.

Simons Foundation clinical research head Wendy Chung to lead Boston Children’s pediatrics department

by  /  14 February 2023

Chung, a clinical and molecular geneticist, plans to continue serving as principal investigator of two large research projects involving cohorts of people with autism and related neurodevelopmental conditions.

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A group of children walk up stairs

Filling autism knowledge gaps in Latin America: Q&A with Cecilia Montiel-Nava

by  /  13 February 2023

Countries across Latin America and the Caribbean struggle to collect data on autism, but Cecilia Montiel-Nava and the Latin American Autism Spectrum Network are beginning to change that.

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Many mouths making conversation, with speech bubbles in red and blue.

Community Newsletter: Neuroimaging assumptions; brain wave resonance; dietary treatment

by  /  12 February 2023

This week’s newsletter considers tweets about the assumptions baked into brain-imaging studies; the reach of brain waves; and a diet-based intervention for a rare autism-linked condition.

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Week of FebruaryFeb
6th
2023

Spotted around the web: Two-hit autism model; cholinergic signaling; funding loss in U.K.

by  /  10 February 2023

Here is a roundup of news and research for the week of 6 February.

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Celebrating women
in autism science

by  /  10 February 2023
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Illustration shows a road going into the distance, seen from the driver's point of view.

Spectrum Launch: What the earliest early-career researchers contribute to the autism field

by  /  6 February 2023

High school interns don’t just gain new skills — they also form a pipeline of future scientists.

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