Autistic researchers
Year in Review: Spectrum’s best in 2023
Here are five must-reads from our coverage of autism research over the past 12 months.
![Three groups of people meet and mix at a crossroads.](https://www.thetransmitter.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/1200-transmitter-best-of-news-1024x683.webp)
Year in Review: Spectrum’s best in 2023
Here are five must-reads from our coverage of autism research over the past 12 months.
Autism in Adulthood gets its first impact factor
The 4-year-old journal focuses on research that aims to improve the lives of autistic adults.
![An illustration of a hand pointing a finger at a stack of papers.](https://www.thetransmitter.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/ImapctScoreJournal-autism-844.jpg)
Autism in Adulthood gets its first impact factor
The 4-year-old journal focuses on research that aims to improve the lives of autistic adults.
Weaponized heterogeneity only harms the most vulnerable autistic people
Focusing on aspects of autistic experience that we all share may lead more quickly to our shared goal of improved outcomes for all autistic people.
![Photograph of a woman in a dim room looking out her window.](https://www.thetransmitter.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/844-autism-heterogeneity-harms-vulnerable.jpg)
Weaponized heterogeneity only harms the most vulnerable autistic people
Focusing on aspects of autistic experience that we all share may lead more quickly to our shared goal of improved outcomes for all autistic people.
Broadening the autism spectrum: Q&A with Oluwatobi Abubakare
Too often, people outside the margins of what’s considered classic autism are left out of research agendas, Abubakare says.
![A group of rectangles placed against a colorful background contains diverse colors and patterns.](https://www.thetransmitter.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/autism-spectrum-broaden-qa-abubakare-844.jpg)
Broadening the autism spectrum: Q&A with Oluwatobi Abubakare
Too often, people outside the margins of what’s considered classic autism are left out of research agendas, Abubakare says.
Noah Sasson: Connecting with the autistic community
Intentional interactions with autistic people led Sasson to refocus his research.
![Noah Sasson, a thin white man, stands in a courtyard with his hands in his pockets.](https://www.thetransmitter.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Noah-Sasson-autism-844.jpg)
Noah Sasson: Connecting with the autistic community
Intentional interactions with autistic people led Sasson to refocus his research.
Explore more from The Transmitter
New connectomes fly beyond the brain
Researchers are mapping the neurons in Drosophila’s ventral nerve cord, where the central nervous system meets the rest of the body.
![Research image of neurons in the fly’s ventral nerve cord.](https://www.thetransmitter.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/lede-motormodules-1200-1024x692.webp)
New connectomes fly beyond the brain
Researchers are mapping the neurons in Drosophila’s ventral nerve cord, where the central nervous system meets the rest of the body.
Building an autism research registry: Q&A with Tony Charman
A purpose-built database of participants who have shared genomic and behavioral data could give clinical trials a boost, Charman says.
![Illustration of researchers talking to laypeople amidst strands of DNA.](https://www.thetransmitter.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/1200_Charman-1024x687.webp)
Building an autism research registry: Q&A with Tony Charman
A purpose-built database of participants who have shared genomic and behavioral data could give clinical trials a boost, Charman says.
Cerebellar circuit may convert expected pain relief into real thing
The newly identified circuit taps into the brain’s opioid system to provide a top-down form of pain relief.
![](https://www.thetransmitter.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/paincircuit-1200-1024x692.webp)
Cerebellar circuit may convert expected pain relief into real thing
The newly identified circuit taps into the brain’s opioid system to provide a top-down form of pain relief.