Health Care for Autistic Individuals During Transition Age

This week we talk to Dr. Emily Hotez from UCLA, (and a sibling to an autistic adult) who has focused her research on reducing stigma and marginalization, which will ultimately improve research participation to increase scientifically valid options for families. She also works on a nationwide project to improve health outcomes in autistic individuals, from birth through adulthood. Her new project focuses on chronic stress on physical health in adolescents with autism. She explains the focus of her research, the study and why it is important, and other work she is doing to improve health care in those with a diagnosis and their family members. You can read more about her study here: https://uclasharelab.org/

Genetic pathways leading to autism

A landmark study that uses brain organoids from different people with different genes associated with autism showed that the different genes act as roads that go on different journeys to the same destination. This will be an enormously important discovery for identifying targets to treat different autism symptoms across different genetic causes of autism and understand the diversity of symptoms. Also, the new Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee was announced and there is not much breadth of perspectives.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-10047-5