A Study of Brain Proteins Spurs Optimism for Autism Treatments
Researchers hope their findings could help inform future therapies for people with severe autism.
By Carl Zimmer and Azeen Ghorayshi
Autism-linked variants rewire protein networks
The myriad proteins tied to autism cluster in previously unrecognized ways that can be disrupted by specific variants in the proteins.
By Claudia Lopez Lloreda
Transitions in development—an interview with Helen Willsey
Helen was interviewed in the August 2026 issue of Development where she discussed her career trajectory and work-life balance.
UCSF Wins 7 Prestigious NIH Awards for High-Impact Work
Each year, the National Institutes of Health gives out awards through its Common Fund that recognize exceptionally promising research. This year, UC San Francisco scientists won seven of these prestigious awards.
By Laura Kurtzman
Cell ‘antennae’ link autism, congenital heart disease
Variants in genes tied to both conditions derail the formation of cilia, the tiny hair-like structure found on almost every cell in the body, a new study finds.
By Lauren Schenkman
Many autism-linked proteins influence hair-like cilia on human brain cells
The finding may help explain autism’s association with multiple co-occurring conditions that involve cilia defects.
By Charles Q. Choi
Frogs, genes, and cellular antennae: Unlocking the biology of autism
Using frogs as a model organism, CZ Biohub SF Investigator Helen Willsey is revealing surprising connections between autism and hair-like structures on the surfaces of our cells.
By Lindzi Wessel and Shafaq Zia
Autism-linked perturbations converge on cell skeleton and RNA-binding proteins
The findings solidify the idea that autism-linked mutations affect brain activity by way of several key shared mechanisms.
By Giorgia Guglielmi
How Helen Willsey broke new ground, frogs in hand
A young researcher faces down the skeptics.
By Grace Huckins
Autism-linked chromatin regulators may moonlight as microtubule influencers
Five autism-linked genes widely known as chromatin regulators appear to also shape the cell’s internal skeleton.
By Alla Katsnelson
Autism and the cell’s antennae
Many autism-linked genes are somehow tied to cilia, the tiny hair-like sensors that stud a cell’s surface. But the question remains whether, and how, cilia differences contribute to the condition.
By Giorgia Guglielmi
Spectrum’s 40 under 40
In 2022, we asked our profile subjects and sources to flag rising stars in their labs or among their former students. The result is this list of 40 young researchers who are working on autism-related science across the globe.