Best SearchLight Podcasts (2026)

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 …

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Acts 23 - Part 2 25:58

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1h ago25:58

25:58

By Jon Courson

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Acts 23 - Part 1 25:58

34m ago25:58

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By Jon Courson

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Be Of Good Cheer - Part 2 - Acts 23:6-11 25:58

7d ago25:58

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By Jon Courson

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Be Of Good Cheer - Part 1 - Acts 23:6-11 25:58

1d ago25:58

25:58

By Jon Courson

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Speak No Evil - Part 2 - Acts 23:1-5 25:58

3d ago25:58

25:58

By Jon Courson

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Speak No Evil - Part 1 - Acts 23:1-5 25:58

4d ago25:58

25:58

By Jon Courson

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Acts 22 - Part 3 25:58

7d ago25:58

25:58

By Jon Courson

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Acts 22 - Part 2 25:58

8d ago25:58

25:58

By Jon Courson

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Acts 22 - Part 1 25:58

9d ago25:58

25:58

By Jon Courson

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Acts 21 - Part 3 25:58

10d ago25:58

25:58

By Jon Courson

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Acts 21 - Part 2 25:58

11d ago25:58

25:58

By Jon Courson

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The Immune Taboo 14:21

11d ago14:21

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The immune system is critically involved in autism. Of course, there are still a lot of questions to answer, particularly whether dysregulation of the immune system is the cause or a consequence of autism among others. But it is not studied enough. This week’s podcast includes new studies that examine the role of the immune system in autism, and ou…

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Acts 21 - Part 1 25:58

14d ago25:58

25:58

By Jon Courson

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Burning Out Or Burning Bright - Part 3 - Acts 21:10-13 25:58

15d ago25:58

25:58

By Jon Courson

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Burning Out Or Burning Bright - Part 2 - Acts 21:10-13 25:58

16d ago25:58

25:58

By Jon Courson

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Burning Out Or Burning Bright - Part 1 - Acts 21:10-13 25:58

17d ago25:58

25:58

By Jon Courson

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Go With The Flow - Part 2 - Acts 21:8-15 25:58

18d ago25:58

25:58

By Jon Courson

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Go With The Flow - Part 1 - Acts 21:8-15 25:58

21d ago25:58

25:58

By Jon Courson

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The different flavors of early intervention 44:28

25d ago44:28

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You may have heard terms in early intervention like “NDBI” or “Early Start Denver Model” and wondered if there was a difference in efficacy behind all these flavors of toddler interventions. On this week’s podcast, we speak to Dr. Giacomo Vivanti from @DrexelAutism, who combined data from 4 of these interventions across 700 children to see if they …

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The importance of cognitive ability in autism traits, and how to measure it in those with IDD

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Everyone knows cognitive ability is critical for understanding autism, however, how does it affect developmental trajectories of autism traits, and can it be accurately measured in those with severe intellectual disabilities? We discuss. Plus, more evidence that tylenol doees not cause autism. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41207796 https://www.aa…

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Can COVID cause autism? 15:54

2M ago15:54

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This week, a new study suggests a causal link not between Tylenol, but to COVID, which can cause a fever. There is clearly more research needed, but the findings are consistent with research on the link between maternal illness and autism. Also, it’s well known that genetics plays a role in how symptoms of autism emerge and present. Can genetics al…

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Smarter Speech: How Q-Voice Is Changing AAC for Families and Therapists with Lana Marcucio 42:56

2M ago42:56

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Lana is a mom, software developer, and fierce advocate who created Q-Voice, an AAC system built out of love, frustration, and deep understanding. When her daughter Quinn struggled to connect through traditional speech apps, Lana and her husband decided to build something better—something intuitive, visual, and human. In this episode, we talk about:…

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A lesson on leucovorin 52:27

2M ago52:27

52:27

Two pediatricians, a child neurologist and a child psychiatrist walk into the ASF weekly science podcast to discuss the safety, efficacy and appropriateness of leucovorin, the drug that the HHS is fast tracking through the FDA approval process. Does it work? Is it safe? What should I do or know when I talk to my doctor? Here is a link to the statem…

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Why Genetic Testing Matters: The Case for Genetic Testing and the Start Genetic Movement - with Geraldine Bliss 46:37

2M ago46:37

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In this episode of Once Upon a Gene, host Effie Parks welcomes Geraldine Bliss — rare mom, co-founder of CureSHANK, and the powerhouse behind Start Genetic, a new movement empowering families to take control of their genetic testing journey. Geraldine shares her decades-long experience as mom to Charles, a 27-year-old living with Phelan-McDermid sy…

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Have you heard the good news? 26:57

3M ago26:57

26:57

By Autism Science Foundation

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Mini Brains in a Dish: Organoids and the Future of Personalized Rare Disease Medicine 38:28

3M ago38:28

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In this episode of Once Upon a Gene, Effie sits down with Dr. Maya Gosztylafrom Brainstorm Therapeutics to explore one of the most exciting frontiers in rare disease research - organoids. These “mini brains in a dish” are clusters of real human brain cells grown from a child’s stem cells. They’re giving researchers and families new ways to study di…

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20. Ransomware Landscape Update: More Groups, More Victims 50:04

3M ago50:04

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In this episode of The Dark Dive we check in on the ransomware landscape, following major developments identified by the Searchlight Cyber threat intelligence team. Luke Donovan, Head of Threat Intelligence at Searchlight Cyber, shares trends that his team has identified from the dark web in 2025 including: an escalation in the number of ransomware…

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Happy Birthday Simons Searchlight! 44:09

3M ago44:09

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By Autism Science Foundation

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Let’s Talk Tylenol 16:11

4M ago16:11

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This week the @WSJ reported that the upcoming MAHA report will include acetaminophen (also known as Tylenol in the United States, although it is used all over the world) use during pregnancy as a cause of autism. Acetaminophen is used in about 7.5 % of pregnant women. This is one of many environmental exposures that had previously been investigated…

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Healing in the Mess: Storytelling, Friendship & Finding Love - Author of The Unlikely Village of Eden, Emma Nadler 53:58

4M ago53:58

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This episode of Once Upon a Gene is a little like a cafeteria tray - pick what feeds you and leave what doesn't. Chatting with the zesty, vivacious, and wildly insightful Emma Nadler - psychotherapist, author of The Unlikely Village of Eden, rare mom, and truth teller. Emma has a way of cracking you open with honesty and tenderness, then making you…

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15 Years of Simons Searchlight: Dr. Wendy Chung on How Families Shape Rare Disease Research and Spark Aha Moments - with Wendy Chung 23:46

4M ago23:46

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In this conversation, Wendy Chung discusses the evolution of understanding genetic conditions, particularly in relation to autism, and the role of Simons Searchlight in patient advocacy. She emphasizes the importance of community support, global inclusion, and the hope for future therapies. The conversation highlights the significance of family con…

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This one’s for the girls 45:19

4M ago45:19

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This week, Drs. Casey Burrows from @UMN and Shuting Zheng from @UTexas discuss a new paper looking at sex differences in autism features from 20-40 months of age. A new analysis done with data from the Baby Siblings Research Consortium concludes that, early in life, girls with autism show differences in some autism features (like joint attention) c…

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Autism and diseases of the aging brain 12:18

5M ago12:18

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As the autistic brain ages, is it more vulnerable to other brain disorders? Recent scientific discoveries in Parkinson’s Disease and Alzheimer’s Disease show that there may be an underlying mechanism between these diseases and autism. However diagnosing someone with autism with an additional brain disorder, especially dementia, can be difficult. Th…

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What labels should be used to describe autism? 23:09

5M ago23:09

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This week’s podcast includes summaries from two new scientific studies (with comments from one of the studies’ authors @SimonsFoundation and @princetonPPH) about that tackle grouping and labeling the differences across the spectrum into meaningful subtypes. Both provide scientific evidence, including behavioral and biological data, that support the…

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19. A Deep Dive Into The LockBit Data Leaks 40:38

5M ago40:38

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On May 7th, 2025 the notorious ransomware group LockBit’s dark web leak site displayed an unusual message: “Don’t do crime, crime is bad xoxo from Prague”. Alongside this text was the link to an archive file, containing data that appeared to have been stolen from the LockBit ransomware group itself. In this month's episode of The Dark Dive, members…

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The Science of Autism BrainNet 53:00

6M ago53:00

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This week’s ASF weekly science podcast features Dr. David Amaral, who directs the Autism BrainNet. The Autism BrainNet is a program that organizes the collection of post-mortem brain tissue and then distributes it to autism researchers worldwide to better understand the brains of people with autism. He discusses major scientific discoveries about t…

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14: Into the Light 47:50

6M ago47:50

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"They always tell someone". That's what Former homicide detective Ron Iddles told Sue Cole; that killers always tell at least one person what they've done. Sue issues an emotional plea for that person to come forward and say what they know about the man she believes murdered her sister, Gwen Grover. Sue has won in the courts, exposed the Queensland…

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Helping science tell a story 54:59

6M ago54:59

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This week’s podcast includes Storyform Science founders H. Adam Steinberg and Holly Kerby, both scientists who now help other scientists use storytelling to convey the importance of their findings to a broad community. Anyone can do it, and it is so important to help communicate to the public, convince policymakers to listen and granters to fund re…

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18. ASM in the Age of CTEM 56:28

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This month's episode of The Dark Dive revisits the topic of Attack Surface Management. In particular, how it relates to a relatively new cybersecurity term, CTEM: Continuous Threat Exposure Management. In a lively discussion, guests Michael Gianarakis and Ben Jones help define CTEM, a security process that has quickly gained traction thanks to bein…

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Genetic therapies in store for neurodevelopmental disorders 44:38

7M ago44:38

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Gene therapies have been in the news lately. They are being used to help individuals who have a genetic variant linked to a disorder or disease, including but not limited to: spinal muscular atrophy, carbamoyl phosphate synthetase 1 (CPS1) deficiency, diabetes and some types of cancers. What is the promise in rare genetic forms of neurodevelopmenta…

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A Rare Collection - Rare Disease Storytelling with Kyle Bryant, Jennifer Siedman, Liz Morris and Ashley Fortney Point 24:32

7M ago24:32

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ONCE UPON A GENE - EPISODE 100 A Rare Collection- Because of You with Kyle Bryant, Jennifer Siedman, Liz Morris, and Ashley Fortney Point There's power in storytelling- for the listener and the storyteller. A Rare Collection is a monthly series featuring people from the rare disease community, sharing a story with a common theme. Kyle Bryant, Jenni…

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Finding Joy in the Journey: A Guide for Parents of Medically Complex Kids with Amber Pierson & Chelsea Kuhn 42:47

7M ago42:47

42:47

Discount Code for 20% off: ONCEUPONAGENE Chelsea and Amber of Lemon Cake—two fellow rare moms on a mission—pop in to remind you that even when seizures, meltdowns, and endless therapies feel like they’re winning, there’s still room for belly laughs, tiny victories, and yes, a slice of cake. I had so much fun chatting with these bright lights as the…

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What we learn from linking data 18:28

7M ago18:28

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The NIH has launched the new Autism Data Science Initiative: https://dpcpsi.nih.gov/autism-data-science-initiative/funding-opportunities#section1, which brings questions about why linking different data sets is important. It can be done without including personal identifying information, and it should be done following ethical guidelines. If done c…

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17. Hacktivism 46:43

8M ago46:43

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This month's episode of The Dark Dive tackles the thorny issue of hacktivism: hackers that are driven by ideological - rather than financial - motivations. Threat intelligence experts Luke Donovan and Vlad join the podcast to discuss how hacktivism has evolved from the "digital utopia" era, to the anti-establishment antics of Anonymous, to the stat…

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From Beast Games Champ to Rare Disease Warrior: Jeff Allen’s 365-Mile Ruck for His Son’s Creatine Transporter Deficiency 33:12

8M ago33:12

33:12

In this episode, Jeffrey Allen, a passionate advocate for rare disease awareness and a dedicated father to Lucas, who has creatine transporter deficiency. (CTD is also referred to as SLC6A8 Deficiency, CRTR, and X-linked Creatine Transporter Deficiency.Mutations in the SLC6A8 gene result in CTD.While patients with CTD have the necessary AGAT and GA…

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News from the International Society for Autism Research Meeting, 2025 16:56

8M ago16:56

16:56

This year’s International Society of Autism Research Meeting was filled with great presentations about causes, diagnosis, interventions, mechanisms, supports, understanding sex differences and different populations of those with autism. But not everyone could fly to Seattle to attend. This week’s podcast provides a short summary of just some of the…