Autism (Audio)

Understanding the causes of autism matters for families, public health, and public trust in science. Jonathan Sebat, Ph.D., UC San Diego, explains what research actually shows about the causes of autism and how scientists separate strong evidence from misleading correlations. Sebat examines genetics, de novo mutations, twin studies, developmental regression, and the interplay of genes and environment, helping clarify why autism cannot be reduced to a single trigger. He also addresses why rising diagnoses do not necessarily reflect a simple rise in symptoms and why better research design is essential when studying environmental influences. This work helps explain what science does and does not support and points toward a more rigorous understanding of autism. Series: "Autism Tree Project Annual Neuroscience Conference" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 41177]

Autism research affects how autistic people and families receive support, care, and opportunities to participate in daily life. A panel with autistic, family, clinical, and research perspectives discusses the world of autism research and how it can better serve the people it is meant to support. The program examines quality of life priorities, co-occurring conditions, accessible study design, community trust, fair compensation, and the need to include people often left out of research. Panelists also consider how researchers can communicate more clearly, involve autistic people and families earlier, and move beyond theory toward work with real-world value. Their perspectives help clarify why autism research must be shaped by the needs, experiences, and priorities of autistic people and families. Series: "Autism Tree Project Annual Neuroscience Conference" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 41176]

Brain aging and neurological disease are hard to study because living human brain tissue is difficult to access. Alysson Muotri, Ph.D., UC San Diego, explains how brain organoids sent to space can model accelerated aging, reveal changes in neural networks, and help test potential treatments for brain disorders. Muotri examines space-induced senescence, fragmented network activity linked to dementia and Alzheimer’s patterns, and Rett syndrome findings showing inflammation tied to endogenous retroviruses and response to antiretroviral drugs in preclinical models. He also explores using brain organoids in space to screen neuroprotective compounds, including candidates identified from Amazon plants. This work helps explain how space biology can speed research on autism, Rett syndrome, Alzheimer’s disease, and other neurological conditions, and points toward new ways to test therapies on Earth. Series: "Stem Cell Channel" [Health and Medicine] [Science] [Show ID: 41475]

Families with disabled students often face extra out-of-pocket costs—costs they wouldn’t have if their child weren’t disabled—to secure the same education other students receive for free, yet tax relief for those expenses is limited and unclear. Garret Hoff, J.D., argues that Internal Revenue Code Section 213 and its interpretations reflect a time when disabled people were not viewed as worth public money to educate, leaving families with arbitrary distinctions under the medical expense deduction. Hoff recommends the IRS revise Treasury Regulation 1.213-1(e)(1)(v)(a) to recognize a broader reading of Section 213, and he urges Congress to amend Section 529A, created by the ABLE Act, to lift contribution limits and make contributions tax deductible so families can fund qualified disability expenses through ABLE accounts. Hoff adds that lasting access and justice require cultural change, not only tax revisions. Series: "Autism Tree Project Annual Neuroscience Conference" [Public Affairs] [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 41178]

Join Chancellor May as he meets a couple of UC Davis researchers and the people who have been impacted by their positive work on the UC Davis Health campus.

Joseph Tuscano, M.D., oncologist at the UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, receives federal funding to look for less toxic therapies for treating cancer such as immunotherapy. And Christine Nordahl, director of the Autism Phenome Project at the UC Davis MIND Institute, focuses on understanding how the brain develops during early childhood in children with neurodevelopmental conditions such as autism. Both researchers rely on federal funding to continue their life-saving and vital work. Series: "UC Davis News" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 41064]