Science and society

Recent articles

World map color-coded to visualize the impact of autism across the world, estimating the disability-adjusted life years by nation.

Functional connectivity; ASDQ screen; health burden of autism

Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the week of 6 January.

By Jill Adams
7 January 2025 | 2 min read
Research image of a mossy fiber terminal in the cerebellar granule cell layer.

Cerebellar SHANK3; telehealth coaching for caregivers; psychedelics

Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the last two weeks of December.

By Jill Adams
2 January 2025 | 2 min read
View out a window onto an open plaza in Krakow.

My hope for displaced Ukrainian children with autism, an update

The largest ongoing refugee crisis in Europe has overwhelmed humanitarian agencies. Meeting the needs of families affected by autism has not been a priority.

By Chrystina Dolyniuk
2 January 2025 | 6 min read
An illustration of a magnifying glass, checklists, and anonymous figures.

Spectrum 2024: Year in review

We round up our most notable autism stories of the past 12 months.

By Daisy Yuhas
23 December 2024 | 2 min read
Research image of mouse neurons.

DDX3X gene function; gender diversity; lithium

Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the week of 16 December.

By Jill Adams
17 December 2024 | 2 min read
Illustration of an open book with the pages creating a brain shape, and with a tassel resembling a DNA sequence.

Open-access neuroscience comes to the classroom: Q&A with Liz Kirby

Neuroscience textbooks can be prohibitively expensive for some undergraduate students. A new open-access alternative seeks to change that.

By Francisco J. Rivera Rosario
13 December 2024 | 6 min read
Research image of cerebellum damage in neonatal mice.

Genome folding; organelle changes; self-injury

Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the week of 9 December.

By Jill Adams
10 December 2024 | 2 min read
A stack of dollar bills floats above the outline of a keyhole.

Howard Hughes Medical Institute to limit eligible universities for Investigator Program in bid to spread the wealth

The next round of competition, slated for late 2025, will have a new focus, according to an HHMI spokesperson.

By Shaena Montanari
6 December 2024 | 2 min read
Black-and-white photograph of Bryan W Jones holding a camera and pointing it back at the photographer.

An eye for science: Q&A with Bryan W. Jones

The researcher explains how the beauty of the retina drew him into the vision field and why photography reminds him of the value of that work.

By Angie Voyles Askham
6 December 2024 | 7 min read
Illustration of an open journal featuring lines of text and small illustrations of eyes and mouths.

Anti-seizure medications in pregnancy; TBR1 gene; microglia

Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the week of 2 December.

By Jill Adams
3 December 2024 | 1 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

Colorful illustration of a latticework of proteins.

Cracking the code of the extracellular matrix

Despite evidence for a role in plasticity and other crucial functions, many neuroscientists still view these proteins as “brain goop.” The field needs technical advances and a shift in scientific thinking to move beyond this outdated perspective.

By Anna Victoria Molofsky
17 January 2025 | 5 min read
A repeated DNA strand extends farther from the left side of the image with each iteration.

Huntington’s disease gene variants past a certain size poison select cells

The findings—providing “the next step in the whole pathway”—help explain the disease’s late onset and offer hope that it has an extended therapeutic window.

By Angie Voyles Askham
16 January 2025 | 6 min read
Research image highlighting different brain regions.

X marks the spot in search for autism variants

Genetic variants on the X chromosome, including those in the gene DDX53, contribute to autism’s gender imbalance, two new studies suggest.

By Holly Barker
16 January 2025 | 6 min read