![](https://www.thetransmitter.org/wp-content/uploads/image-archive/images/authors/michaelehlers.jpg)
Michael Ehlers
Neuroscience Chief Scientific Officer
Pfizer
From this contributor
A cautionary tale for autism drug development
Poorly designed animal drug studies for motor disorders have led to spurious conclusions for the clinical trials that follow. This may be even more true for autism research, says Michael Ehlers.
SHANK mutations converge at neuronal junctions in autism
SHANK3, one of the strongest candidate genes for autism, has the potential to be a molecular entry point into understanding the synaptic, developmental and circuit origins of the disorder.
![](https://www.thetransmitter.org/wp-content/uploads/image-archive/images/images-2013-folder/images-viewpoint-2013/20131105viewpointehlersshank.jpg)
SHANK mutations converge at neuronal junctions in autism
Drug zone
Rodent and stem cell models remain challenging for developing psychiatric drugs, says Michael Ehlers, chief scientific officer of neuroscience at Pfizer.
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![](https://www.thetransmitter.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/paincircuit-1200-1024x692.webp)
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