Annette Estes

Director and Susan and Richard Fade Endowed Chair
University of Washington Autism Center

Annette M. Estes is director and Susan and Richard Fade Endowed Chair of the University of Washington Autism Center in Seattle.

From this contributor

Person sleeping with EEG electrodes attached to head
Spectrum Microphone

Losing sleep: How researchers miss a key contributor to autism

By Annette Estes, Lucia Peixoto
16 July 2020 | 5 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

Mother mouse and her offspring.
Pregnancy

Maternity induces lasting gene-expression changes in mouse brains

The findings add to a small but growing body of research on neurological changes linked to pregnancy, birth and parenting.

By Amber Dance
12 June 2026 | 5 min read
Map of socioeconomic opportunity in the United States next to visualizations of functional connectivity and structure in sensory and motor cortices.
Brain imaging

IQ’s link to brain structure, function in children may be a mirage

A child’s socioeconomic status, screen time and amount of sleep all show stronger associations with measures of brain structure and function, according to an imaging study of nearly 12,000 9- to 10-year-olds.

By Natalia Mesa
11 June 2026 | 5 min read
Photo collage of Tempest McDonald.
When autistic kids grow up Microphone

When autistic kids grow up, Chapter 2: “You need to go to college”

With just a high school equivalency degree and struggling as a single mother, Tempest McDonald is forced to shift her priorities.

By Brady Huggett
11 June 2026 | 28 min listen