Spectrum

We offer in-depth news and insights on the latest developments in autism research. Our goal is to inspire new partnerships and viewpoints on the topic. We carefully review the ongoing flow of autism studies, spotlighting the most significant ones. Our well-researched news articles provide context and explain the implications of each discovery. We also consult with experts in the field to share their thoughts on emerging trends and debates in autism research. Spectrum started in 2008 as the News & Opinion section of SFARI.org. In the summer of 2015, we established ourselves as an independent online platform. Over the years, we have tried different article formats and included many different voices, but our dedication to providing precise and unbiased coverage of autism research has remained constant. We welcome you to join the important conversation.

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Cathleen O’Grady

Mar 7, 2024 | spectrumnews.org | Cathleen O’Grady

Cathleen O’Grady is a freelance science journalist based in Scotland. Her work has appeared in The Atlantic, Hakai, National Geographic and Science, among others. She covers behavioral and life sciences, research integrity and science policy.
Gina Jiménez

Feb 15, 2024 | spectrumnews.org | Gina Jimenez

Gina Jiménez is a health reporter and The Transmitter’s news reporting intern. She has written for Kaiser Health News, Scientific American and Slate, among other publications. She holds an M.A. in journalism from New York University’s Science, Health and Environmental Reporting Program.
Gray-matter volume; 3q29 deletion syndrome; random eye movements

Jan 23, 2024 | spectrumnews.org | Jill Adams

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FORCE learning and finding an out with David Sussillo

Dec 1, 2023 | spectrumnews.org | Brady Huggett

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Neuroscientists weigh carbon costs of attending annual meeting

Nov 5, 2023 | spectrumnews.org | Angie Voyles Askham |Shaena Montanari

Later this week, tens of thousands of neuroscientists plan to take to the skies, roads and rails as part of an annual journey to the Society for Neuroscience (SfN) meeting. But the travel associated with the event can generate an estimated 54,000 to 69,600 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents, according to a paper published in eNeuro in September. At the high end, that’s equivalent to the annual carbon emissions from the energy use of about 8,800 homes in the United States.
Diabetes in autism; lack of evidence for dietary therapies; autism in Korea

Nov 3, 2023 | spectrumnews.org | Jill Adams

Skip to main content WEEK OF October 30th Autistic adults are more likely to have diabetes than non-autistic adults are, according to a study of private insurance claims in the United States.
Neuroscientist has two papers retracted, three corrected

Nov 1, 2023 | spectrumnews.org | Rebecca Sohn

A Michigan neuroscientist has retracted two papers and corrected three others. All of the retraction or correction notices, which appeared across five journals between January 2022 and September 2023, mention duplicated images of some kind. Both retracted papers and one corrected paper investigated the effects of dietary supplements on brain cells in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease. The other two papers explored the effects of mesenchymal stem cells in a rat model of traumatic brain injury.
Elissa Welle

Nov 1, 2023 | spectrumnews.org | Elissa Welle

Elissa Welle is a reporter for Spectrum, where she covers basic neuroscience research. She has previously written for Reuters, The Chronicle of Higher Education, Nature and STAT, among other publications. Elissa has an M.S. in science journalism from the University of California, Santa Cruz, a Ph.D. in neural engineering from the University of Michigan and a B.S. in bioengineering from Cornell University. You can email her at [email protected] or find her on Twitter @elissawelle.
Sensing touch, the immigrant life and Ardem Patapoutian

Nov 1, 2023 | spectrumnews.org | Brady Huggett

Ardem Patapoutian is a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator and professor of neuroscience at the Scripps Institute in La Jolla, California. In his episode of “Synaptic,” he talks about the scary incident that prompted his emigration from Lebanon to the United States, his time at the University of California, Los Angeles, and how winning the Nobel Prize was liberating both in and outside the lab. Read the transcript here.
New template streamlines sharing clinical trial results

Oct 31, 2023 | spectrumnews.org | Calli McMurray

Welcome to the October issue of Going on Trial, a monthly newsletter covering clinical trials and drug development for autism and related conditions. This month, we highlight a new template for sharing clinical trial results with participants and their families and catch up on news from an ongoing trial of a gene therapy for Rett syndrome. Clinical trial communication:Researchers often take years to share results from a completed clinical trial — if they ever share those results at all.