Amy Esler is associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis.
![](https://www.thetransmitter.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/show-image.jpg)
Amy Esler
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
University of Minnesota
From this contributor
Why we need a mouse version of a diagnostic test for autism
Researchers have developed behavioral measures that can accurately diagnose autism in people; these lessons can and should be applied to mice.
![scientist looks through binoculars showing a boy on one side, and a mouse on the other.](https://www.thetransmitter.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Spectrum_SpecialReport_Mice_ADOS_Roughs_FINAL.jpg)
Why we need a mouse version of a diagnostic test for autism
Adjusting diagnostic tests for the DSM-5
As clinicians adopt the new criteria for autism, the many tests now used to diagnose the disorder may need to be modified, says Amy Esler.
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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.