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Spectrum is the go-to destination for the latest news and analysis about autism research and a springboard for scientists and clinicians to forge collaborations that deepen our understanding of autism.

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I bet people who are afraid of public speaking, their astrocytes have got calcium through the roof. — MARC FREEMAN, DIRECTOR OF THE VOLLUM INSTITUTE, OREGON HEALTH & SCIENCE UNIVERSITY

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Stay current with the latest advancements in autism research.

Richard Frye.
Spectrum

Exclusive: Who is Richard Frye, the neurologist who researches and advocates for leucovorin as an autism treatment?

Frye has led two placebo-controlled trials of the folate supplement in autistic people; the first was suspended by regulators, and the other has yet to be published.

By Brendan Borrell
1 October 2025 | 11 min read
Amina Abubakar, dressed in yellow, stands outside and looks into the camera lens.
Spectrum Microphone

Amina Abubakar translates autism research and care for Kenya

First an educator and now an internationally recognized researcher, the Kenyan psychologist is changing autism science and services in sub-Saharan Africa.

By Ruth Kadide Keah
29 May 2025 | 7 min read
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Mouse brain slices.

Cortical evolution, ZBTB18, and more

Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the week of 30 March.

By Jill Adams
31 March 2026 | 2 min read
Research image of zebrafish brains.

Infant Brain Imaging Study findings, and more

Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the week of 23 March.

By Jill Adams
24 March 2026 | 2 min read
Illustration of an open journal featuring lines of text and small illustrations of eyes and mouths.

Leucovorin, long-read sequencing, and more

Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the week of 16 March.

By Jill Adams
17 March 2026 | 2 min read
Data visualization from a genome-wide association study.

Revised statistical bar extracts less-common variants from autism genetics studies

Adjusting genetic analyses could help plug autism’s heritability gap, according to a new preprint.

By Holly Barker
12 March 2026 | 4 min read
Research figure depicting variation across the alpha subunit of the Nav1.2 sodium channel.

Portfolio of SCN2A gene variants, and more

Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the week of 9 March.

By Jill Adams
10 March 2026 | 2 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

Book cover of The Brain, In Theory by Romain Brette.

‘The Brain, In Theory,’ an excerpt

In his new book, Brette pushes back against theories that describe the brain as a “biological computer.” In this excerpt from Chapter 4, he challenges equating brain evolution with programming, and the universality of neural network models.

By Romain Brette
7 April 2026 | 5 min read
Kieth Hengen looks through a small window, aligning his face with a fancy moustache sticker and rolling his eyes comically to the side.

Computational neuroscientist Keith Hengen explains his work through illustrations

The images help him communicate the “big-picture ideas” behind the mathematical principles of neuronal networks.

By Helena Kudiabor
7 April 2026 | 4 min read

What a bird’s-eye view of half a million papers reveals about neuroscience

New research uses artificial-intellligence-driven bibliometrics to map the structural organization of neuroscience across 25 years. The field it reveals is at once thriving and theoretically adrift.

By Mac Shine
6 April 2026 | 36 min watch