IMFAR 2014

Recent articles

Rats with mutant SHANK genes show autism-like behaviors

Researchers have engineered two new rats with mutations in a family of genes that function at neuronal junctions, they reported today at the 2014 International Meeting for Autism Research in Atlanta.

By Jessica Wright
16 February 2017 | 4 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Takeaways from IMFAR 2014

A focus on adults with autism and on junior researchers in the field were two of the themes at the 2014 International Meeting for Autism Research in Atlanta, Georgia.

By Greg Boustead
22 May 2014 | 6 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Distinct differences mark male, female autism brains

Male and female preschoolers with autism have distinct sets of brain regions that distinguish them from typically developing controls, according to unpublished research presented Saturday at the 2014 International Meeting for Autism Research in Atlanta.

By Jessica Wright
20 May 2014 | 3 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Autism gene may be key to discovering new candidates

CHD8, a gene that has emerged as one of the strongest risk factors for autism, regulates the expression of more than half of a set of 'high-confidence' risk genes for the disorder. The unpublished data were presented Saturday at the 2014 International Meeting for Autism Research in Atlanta.

By Jessica Wright
19 May 2014 | 2 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Autism development may be obscured by parents’ memory

Parents may notice a loss of skills in their children as it is happening, but do not recall it clearly later on. The unpublished research, presented yesterday at the 2014 International Meeting for Autism Research in Atlanta, hints at a fatal flaw in diagnostic tools for autism that rely on parents’ memory.

By Jessica Wright
17 May 2014 | 4 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Some infants at risk of autism show improvements at 9 months

Some infant siblings of children with autism initially behave like children with the disorder, but show improvements in their social skills around 9 months of age. The unpublished research, presented yesterday at the 2014 International Meeting for Autism Research in Atlanta, suggests that these children possess a “resilience” that keeps them from developing autism. 

By Jessica Wright
17 May 2014 | 3 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Adults with autism may have high burden of health problems

Adults with autism may suffer from various health problems, ranging from psychiatric conditions to motor symptoms that resemble Parkinson’s disease, according to two studies presented Thursday at the 2014 International Meeting for Autism Research in Atlanta.

By Jessica Wright
17 May 2014 | 6 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Autism-linked chromosomal region regulates brain size

The genes in 16p11.2, the autism-linked region on chromosome 16, may directly affect brain size early in development, according to unpublished research presented Thursday at the 2014 International Meeting for Autism Research in Atlanta.

By Jessica Wright
16 May 2014 | 3 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Reactions from IMFAR 2014

Daily updates and reactions from attendees at the 2014 International Meeting for Autism Research in Atlanta, Georgia.

By Greg Boustead
16 May 2014 | 9 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

Research image of the mouse dentate gyrus.

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
Research image of myelinated axons.

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.

By Paul Middlebrooks
11 February 2026 | 1 min read

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