headshot of Jacob Vorstman

Jacob Vorstman

Professor
The Hospital for Sick Children

Jacob Vorstman is associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Toronto and director of the Autism Research Unit at the Hospital for Sick Children in Canada. Initially, his research focused on the psychiatric and genetic aspects of the 22q11.2 deletion. After obtaining his Ph.D. in 2008, he broadened the scope from 22q11.2 deletion syndrome to the study of genotype-phenotype relations in neurodevelopmental conditions — in particular, autism, intellectual disability and schizophrenia. His ambition is to further insights into the genetic architecture underlying these conditions as well as to improve methods to measure the associated phenotypes.

From this contributor

Explore more from The Transmitter

Research image of neuron organization in c elegans.

Worms help untangle brain structure/function mystery

The synaptic connectome of most animals bears little resemblance to functional brain maps, but it can still predict neuronal activity, according to two preprints that tackle the puzzle in C. elegans

By Holly Barker
29 August 2025 | 7 min read
Research image of microglia in organoids.

Microglia nurture young interneurons

The immune cells secrete a growth factor that “sets the supply of GABAergic interneurons in the developing brain.”

By Lauren Schenkman
28 August 2025 | 4 min read

Xaq Pitkow shares his principles for studying cognition in our imperfect brains and bodies

Pitkow discusses how evolution's messy constraints shape optimal brain algorithms, from Bayesian inference to ecological affordances.

By Paul Middlebrooks
27 August 2025 | 1 min read

privacy consent banner

Privacy Preference

We use cookies to provide you with the best online experience. By clicking “Accept All,” you help us understand how our site is used and enhance its performance. You can change your choice at any time. To learn more, please visit our Privacy Policy.