Meng-Chuan Lai is associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Toronto in Canada.
Meng-Chuan Lai
Assistant professor
University of Toronto
From this contributor
Quashing sex bias in autism research calls for participant rainbow
Autism researchers must attend to the need for sex and gender diversity in study design as a rule rather than as an exception.
Quashing sex bias in autism research calls for participant rainbow
By
Meng-Chuan Lai
25 September 2018 | 6 min read
Brains of girls, boys may mark distinct paths to autism
Differences between the brains of men and women with autism may help explain why men are more susceptible to the condition and women appear to be protected from it.
Brains of girls, boys may mark distinct paths to autism
By
Meng-Chuan Lai
19 October 2015 | 7 min read
Mind the gender gap
Autism may be male-biased in prevalence, but our understanding of it should not be, argues Meng-Chuan Lai.
Explore more from The Transmitter
Microglia implicated in infantile amnesia
The glial cells could explain the link between maternal immune activation and autism-like behaviors in mice, but methodological challenges prompt questions about the new evidence.
Microglia implicated in infantile amnesia
The glial cells could explain the link between maternal immune activation and autism-like behaviors in mice, but methodological challenges prompt questions about the new evidence.
By
Lauren Schneider
12 February 2026 | 5 min read
Oligodendrocytes need mechanical cues to myelinate axons correctly
Without the mechanosensor TMEM63A, the cells cannot deposit the appropriate amount of insulation, according to a new study.
Oligodendrocytes need mechanical cues to myelinate axons correctly
Without the mechanosensor TMEM63A, the cells cannot deposit the appropriate amount of insulation, according to a new study.
By
Calli McMurray
11 February 2026 | 5 min read
Modern AI is simply no match for the complexity likely required for harboring consciousness, says Jaan Aru
He argues that our brain’s computations are of a completely different nature than any artificial intelligence because they take place across many spatial and temporal scales and are inextricably entwined with biological materials.
Modern AI is simply no match for the complexity likely required for harboring consciousness, says Jaan Aru
He argues that our brain’s computations are of a completely different nature than any artificial intelligence because they take place across many spatial and temporal scales and are inextricably entwined with biological materials.
By
Paul Middlebrooks
11 February 2026 | 1 min read