IMFAR 2017

Recent articles

Spiral DNA against a dark background

Patterns of DNA tags mark candidate genes for autism

Children with autism who carry mutations in the chromosomal region 16p11.2 or the gene CHD8 — two of the leading risk factors for autism — show distinct patterns of chemical tags on their DNA.

By Nicholette Zeliadt
15 August 2019 | 3 min read

Having smart father raises child’s risk of autism

Children whose fathers are highly intelligent are at a higher risk of autism than those whose fathers are of average intelligence.

By Hannah Furfaro
9 May 2019 | 3 min read

Long-term study shows language’s role in easing autism features

Difficulties with social communication appear to wane as toddlers with autism mature into young adults, perhaps due in large part to improvements in language ability.

By Nicholette Zeliadt
31 August 2018 | 3 min read
child with brain scan test

Top autism gene may alter sensory perception

An unusual brain response to sound may distinguish children with mutations in SCN2A, a leading candidate gene for autism.

By Jessica Wright
16 April 2018 | 5 min read
rat behind bars

Rats with autism mutation turn deaf ear to playful entreaties

Male rats missing an autism candidate gene called SHANK3 spend less time sniffing, nuzzling and chasing their peers than controls do.

By Jessica Wright
20 February 2018 | 4 min read
Grid of 8 portraits of children with characteristic facial features

Small head, speech delay characterize mutations in autism gene

Children with mutations in a gene called DYRK1A, a leading autism candidate, have a distinct set of features, including intellectual disability, speech delay, motor problems and a small head.

By Jessica Wright
16 October 2017 | 4 min read

Common variants, rare mutations combine to shape autism risk

Children with autism inherit a greater burden of common genetic variants associated with autism than would be expected by chance. These variants combine with rare, spontaneous mutations to boost autism risk.

By Katie Moisse
15 May 2017 | 4 min read

Persistent motor problems may flag autism in ‘baby sibs’

Infant siblings of children with autism who also have the condition show motor problems into their second year.

By Hannah Furfaro
14 May 2017 | 3 min read

Altered circuit may underlie repetitive behaviors in autism

A brain circuit that controls movement is altered in people with autism, a postmortem brain study suggests.

By Katie Moisse
13 May 2017 | 3 min read

Adolescence unmasks autism traits in girls

Autism traits may become more apparent as girls reach adolescence but stay stable in boys.

By Jessica Wright
13 May 2017 | 3 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

Illustration of an open journal featuring lines of text and small illustrations of eyes and mouths.

Autism-linked genes alter sleep behavior, and more

Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the week of 13 April.

By Jill Adams
14 April 2026 | 2 min read
Illustration of a monkey pushing a button.

This paper changed my life: Erin Calipari ponders the nuances of rewarding and aversive stimuli

A 1960s study by Kelleher and Morse found that lever pressing in squirrel monkeys depended not on whether they received a reward or shock, but on the rules of the task. This taught Calipari to think deeply about factors that influence how behavior is generated and maintained.

By Erin Calipari
14 April 2026 | 5 min read
Illustration of a sheet of paper with a topography map-like pattern on it.

Why neural foundation models work, and what they might—and might not—teach us about the brain

These models can partly generalize across species, brain regions and tasks, suggesting that a set of machine-learnable rules govern neural population activity. But will we be able to understand them?

By Juan Gallego
13 April 2026 | 8 min read