In this UNC Science Short video, we feature the work of Mark Zylka’s lab, which the Angelman Syndrome Foundation has awarded $200,000 to investigate CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technology as the basis for a cure to Angelman Syndrome, a rare but … Read more

Much of the concern about agricultural pesticides has centered on runoff, when chemicals are washed into our waterways.  But what about the pesticides that stay on the plants? What happens when humans ingest them? Mark Zylka, PhD, and his research … Read more

Jim Evans, MD, PhD, was quoted in The Scientist on the potential of a North Carolina-based company charging a licensing fee to scientists who want to sequence the gene HOMER1, which has been linked to autism. Last year Burlington-based healthcare diagnostics … Read more

At the annual Triangle Business Journal Health Care Heroes awards dinner, three UNC School of Medicine faculty were honored, as well as four other UNC Health Care employees. Heath care and business leaders gathered last week at Prestonwood Country Club … Read more

Led by Kara Hume at the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, the National Clearinghouse on Autism Evidence and Practice is a continually updated resource of evidence-based best practices and online instruction.   The new National Clearinghouse on Autism Evidence … Read more

Autism Speaks, Spectrum, and the NIH singled out innovative work from Joseph Piven’s research team as top studies advancing the field of autism research in 2017.   CHAPEL HILL, NC – Three UNC School of Medicine autism research studies led … Read more

Autism Speaks science staff and advisers review the 2017 studies that most powerfully advanced understanding, treatment and support for people on the autism spectrum.  Research from UNC faculty Heather Hazlett, Joe Piven, Mark Shen, and Robert Emerson are among the notable … Read more

Blossom Damania and Mark Zylka have been recognized by the world’s largest general scientific society for their contributions to the fields of biological and medical sciences. The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) has named two UNC School … Read more

Tracy Hampton, PhD Article Information JAMA. 2017;318(13):1211-1212. doi:10.1001/jama.2017.13706   Infants at high familial risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) do not typically exhibit symptoms in their first year of life, but new research indicates that magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may reveal signs of … Read more

As the embryonic brain develops, an incredibly complex cascade of cellular events occur, starting with progenitors – the originating cells that generate neurons and spur proper cortex development. If this cascade malfunctions – if one tiny protein doesn’t do its … Read more