0:00
/

Illustration by
Richard A. Chance
The sleep/wake cycle and autism with Ashura Buckley
The NIH neurologist talks about her research, her family and how mental health labels can be limiting.
By
Brady Huggett
1 July 2023 | 1 min read
Ashura Buckley is director of the Sleep and Neurodevelopment Core in the Office of the Clinical Director at the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health in Bethesda, Maryland. Her research focuses on sleep and autism, and the basics of the sleep/wake cycle. In this episode of “Synaptic,” she discusses the need to consider different perspectives when doing science, the connection between sleep and mental health, and the sacrifices her mother made for the family.
Read the transcript.
Recommended reading

Timothy Ryan on his pivotal switch from studying particle physics to decoding synaptic transmission
By
Brady Huggett
1 October 2024 | 70 min listen
Explore more from The Transmitter

What infant fMRI is revealing about the developing mind
By
Calli McMurray
20 March 2025 | 12 min read

Molecular changes after MECP2 loss may drive Rett syndrome traits
By
Chloe Williams
20 March 2025 | 5 min read

Learning scientific rigor: Q&A with Konrad Kording and Hao Ye
By
Calli McMurray
19 March 2025 | 6 min read
Cite this article: