Autism Science Foundation Weekly Science Report

Latest Episodes:

Somebody’s got to do it….it should someone from the autism community. May 04, 2026

Show notes

In November, there will be many Congressional seats open. Wouldn’t it be great if it was someone with firsthand knowledge of the experiences of autism families and understood what they were facing? In NJ, that is happening. Dr. Samuel Wang, autism researcher and autism sibling, is running for Congress. Today’s podcast interviews Dr. Wang, why …

Continue reading "Somebody’s got to do it….it should someone from the autism community."

Why is paramecetol safety so perplexing? Apr 19, 2026

Show notes

Another study on acetaminophen (known as paramecetol in Denmark) on probability of having a child with autism, this one with over 1.5 million pregnant women, 31k who were exposed to acetaminophen. The HHS Secretary is calling it “garbage in and garbage out” because it showed no link, but in fact, it is a strong study …

Continue reading "Why is paramecetol safety so perplexing?"

The Mitochondria in a Minute Apr 06, 2026

Show notes

The word “mitochondrial deficits” gets thrown around a lot as a cause of autism, but what does this really mean? This week we interview Dr. Carisa Sirois from the University of Wisconsin, who recently published a review of how the mitochondria are involved in neurodevelopmental disorders. The ways mitochondria are involved in ASD are not …

Continue reading "The Mitochondria in a Minute"

Updates from I-ACC, late prematurity and language development Mar 22, 2026

Show notes

What is the Independent Autism Coordinating Committee and why did it meet? This week’s podcast discusses the need and the agenda of Thursday’s meeting. In addition, more research showing that epidemiologists should consider different features of autism together with prevalence numbers because they may differ across the spectrum. Finally, different types of language development are …

Continue reading "Updates from I-ACC, late prematurity and language development"

Rare Disease Week, the FDA, mortality in autism, trajectories and subcategories Mar 08, 2026

Show notes

This week’s podcast summarizes some highlights in scientific research and includes a recognition of Rare Disease Week and actions taken by the FDA to ease the criteria for evaluating genetic therapies for rare genetic disorders, the best study to date on the mortality in autism, genetic prediction of outcome in individuals with a diagnosis, and …

Continue reading "Rare Disease Week, the FDA, mortality in autism, trajectories and subcategories"

Health Care for Autistic Individuals During Transition Age Feb 23, 2026

Show notes

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 …

Continue reading "Health Care for Autistic Individuals During Transition Age"

Genetic pathways leading to autism Feb 09, 2026

Show notes

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 …

Continue reading "Genetic pathways leading to autism"

Wildfires, air pollution, autism and the EPA response Jan 25, 2026

Show notes

Air pollution, specifically one part of air pollution called PM 2.5 (named for the size of the crud in the air pollution) has been linked to autism. It’s also been tied to cancer, heart disease, asthma, obesity, and premature births. Air pollution typically comes from industrial sources and car exhaust, but it can also be …

Continue reading "Wildfires, air pollution, autism and the EPA response"

For this podcast, trans means transdiagnostic Jan 12, 2026

Show notes

On this week’s podcast, we present new research summarizing how autism is part of a larger spectrum of neuropsychiatric disorders and issues. There are issues that people with autism experience that are not unique to autism; they are seen in people with ADHD, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and depression. This is what is meant by “transdiagnostic”. …

Continue reading "For this podcast, trans means transdiagnostic"

The 2025 Year in Review Dec 29, 2025

Show notes

This year was a VERY eventful year for autism. If you want to hear a highlight of the good news, the great science that was discovered and the ideas developed to help families with autism, listen to this podcast or read the summary here: https://autismsciencefoundation.org/2025-year-in-review/. In summary: more precise subtypes of autism have been discovered …

Continue reading "The 2025 Year in Review"

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Autism Science Foundation Weekly Science Report

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected