![](https://www.thetransmitter.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/arking_cropped.jpg)
Dan Arking
Associate Professor
Johns Hopkins University
From this contributor
Analyses of gene activity may yield clues to roots of autism
Network analyses of gene expression patterns may point to key molecular pathways that autism alters and suggest new ways of treating the condition.
![](https://www.thetransmitter.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/20160629GeneExpression1120.jpg)
Analyses of gene activity may yield clues to roots of autism
Postmortem brains crucial for autism research
Postmortem brains from individuals with autism allow researchers to look at patterns of gene expression in different cell types, and to understand the interplay among neurons and neural circuits, says Dan Arking.
![](https://www.thetransmitter.org/wp-content/uploads/image-archive/images/viewpoint/PostmortemBrainsarticle.jpg)
Postmortem brains crucial for autism research
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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.