Jon Brock is a former autism researcher who is now a science writer, medical grant writer and co-founder of Frankl Open Science.
Jon Brock
Research fellow
Macquarie University
From this contributor
Virtual reality yields clues to social difficulties in autism
Assessing social ability in adults with autism requires controlled tests involving real-time social interactions. Virtual reality makes this possible.
Virtual reality yields clues to social difficulties in autism
Quest for autism biomarkers faces steep statistical challenges
Finding a difference between people with and without autism is only the first step toward identifying a clinically useful marker of the condition.
The elusive essence of autism
Researchers must make heterogeneity in autism the object of their investigation, rather than treating it as an excuse for inconsistent results or an inconvenience in their quest to understand the disorder’s essence, argues Jon Brock.
Registered reports
The more researchers poke around, the more likely they are to find a significant effect — and the more likely that the effect they end up reporting is just a fluke. A new kind of journal article, the 'registered report,' may address this problem, says Jon Brock.
Six questions for connectivity theory research
'Underconnectivity' is considered one of the best-supported theories for the neural basis of autism. But many questions remain unanswered, says Jon Brock.
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This paper changed my life: Ishmail Abdus-Saboor on balancing the study of pain and pleasure
A 2013 Nature paper from David Anderson’s lab revealed a group of sensory neurons involved in pleasurable touch and led Abdus-Saboor down a new research path.
This paper changed my life: Ishmail Abdus-Saboor on balancing the study of pain and pleasure
A 2013 Nature paper from David Anderson’s lab revealed a group of sensory neurons involved in pleasurable touch and led Abdus-Saboor down a new research path.
Sex bias in autism drops as age at diagnosis rises
The disparity begins to level out after age 10, raising questions about why so many autistic girls go undiagnosed earlier in childhood.
Sex bias in autism drops as age at diagnosis rises
The disparity begins to level out after age 10, raising questions about why so many autistic girls go undiagnosed earlier in childhood.
Microglia implicated in infantile amnesia
The glial cells could explain the link between maternal immune activation and autism-like behaviors in mice.
Microglia implicated in infantile amnesia
The glial cells could explain the link between maternal immune activation and autism-like behaviors in mice.