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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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It’s kind of a non-transgenic transgenic. — KUAN HONG WANG, PROFESSOR OF NEUROSCIENCE, UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER MEDICAL CENTER

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WHAT WE ARE READING
“The FDA’s Leucovorin Approval—A Departure From Evidentiary Standards”
By DANIEL G. AARON et al IN JAMA
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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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Research image of fish.

Pangenomic approaches to the genetics of autism, and more

Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the week of 2 February.

By Jill Adams
3 February 2026 | 2 min read
Progenitors cells in the medial ganglionic eminence become increasingly organized during development as rows of brain imaging progress from top to bottom.

‘Tour de force’ study flags fount of interneurons in human brain

The newly discovered cell type might point to the origins of the inhibitory imbalance linked to autism and other conditions.

By Holly Barker
29 January 2026 | 4 min read
Brain scans showing people with autism have a thinner cortex in many brain regions than do people with ADHD, but greater measures of cortical curvature.

FDA website no longer warns against bogus autism therapies, and more

Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the week of 26 January.

By Jill Adams
27 January 2026 | 2 min read
Marmoset brain slices.

Prenatal viral injections prime primate brain for study

The approach makes it possible to deploy tools such as CRISPR and optogenetics across the monkey brain before birth.

By Angie Voyles Askham
22 January 2026 | 5 min read
Pyramidal neurons in the mouse hippocampus.

Sensory profiles in autism, and more

Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the week of 19 January.

By Jill Adams
20 January 2026 | 2 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

Oligodendrocytes need mechanical cues to myelinate axons correctly

Without the mechanosensor TMEM63A, the cells cannot deposit the appropriate amount of insulation, according to a new study.

By Calli McMurray
11 February 2026 | 5 min read

Modern AI is simply no match for the complexity likely required for harboring consciousness, says Jaan Aru

He argues that our brain’s computations are of a completely different nature than any artificial intelligence because they take place across many spatial and temporal scales and are inextricably entwined with biological materials.

By Paul Middlebrooks
11 February 2026 | 1 min read
Research image of neuronal proteins in mice.

Aging neurons outsource garbage disposal, clog microglia

Degradation-resistant proteins pass from neurons to glial cells in a process that may spread protein clumps around the brain, according to a study in mice.

By Holly Barker
10 February 2026 | 4 min read

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