Best Spectrum Autism Research News Podcasts (2025)

Around 30 minutes of imaging per person seems to be the "sweet spot" for linking functional connectivity differences to traits in an accurate and cost-effective way.

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Hitting city streets to record rat behaviors: Q&A with Emily Mackevicius, Ralph Peterson 7:03

Play Pause

3d ago7:03

7:03

Capturing the rodents' vocalizations and movements in the wild offers an opportunity to study naturalistic behaviors in a complex urban environment, Mackevicius and Peterson say.

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Deleting data or stopping its collection will erase years of valuable brain research 9:19

5d ago9:19

9:19

An explosion in open-neuroscience datasets has created a new generation of researchers with expertise in data science. But new federal restrictions in the United States put their research programs in jeopardy.

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Exclusive: Harvard University lays off fly database team 5:11

10d ago5:11

5:11

The layoffs jeopardize this resource, which has served more than 4,000 labs for about three decades.

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This paper changed my life: Abigail Person on birdsong, feed-forward circuits and convergent computations 6:02

11d ago6:02

6:02

By isolating specific neuron types involved in zebra finch birdsong, this 2002 Nature paper from Michael Fee and colleagues revealed elegant neural mechanisms controlling the timing of natural learned behavior.

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The challenge of defining a neural population 8:55

12d ago8:55

8:55

Our current approach is largely arbitrary. We need new methods for grouping cells, ideally by their dynamics.

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Oxytocin prompts prairie voles to oust outsiders, fortifying their friendships 8:13

14d ago8:13

8:13

The "love hormone" drives the neurobiology behind platonic bonds in animals usually studied for their romantic attachments.

1
Contested paper on vaccines, autism in rats retracted by journal 5:07

16d ago5:07

5:07

The editor-in-chief cited "inconsistencies in the number of subjects" as the reason for the retraction.

1
Body state, sensory signals commingle in mouse whisker cortex 5:52

17d ago5:52

5:52

The new study challenges a long-held view that the barrel cortex exclusively encodes sensory signals from the whiskers.

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Neural population-based approaches have opened new windows into neural computations and behavior 8:28

19d ago8:28

8:28

Neural manifold properties can help us understand how animal brains deal with complex information, execute flexible behaviors and reuse common computations.

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Poor image quality introduces systematic bias into large neuroimaging datasets 6:44

23d ago6:44

6:44

Analyses that include low-quality MRI data underestimate cortical thickness and overestimate cortical surface area, according to new findings from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study.

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Eye puffs prompt separable sensory, affective brain responses in mice, people 8:16

25d ago8:16

8:16

Post-puff brain state might not be an emotion, some researchers caution, but the protocol provides a cross-species approach to study emotions.

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What U.S. science stands to lose without international graduate students and postdoctoral researchers 7:21

26d ago7:21

7:21

Neuroscience in other countries will strengthen—at the United States’ expense—as rising visa restrictions and rejections block many international students from enrolling at U.S. institutions and dissuade others from applying.

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New dopamine sensor powers three-color imaging in live animals 4:55

29d ago4:55

4:55

The tool leverages a previously unused segment of the color spectrum to track the neurotransmitter and can be used with two additional sensors to monitor other neurochemicals at different wavelengths.

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Cell 'antennae' link autism, congenital heart disease 4:24

30d ago4:24

4:24

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.

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How to build a truly global computational neuroscience community 8:47

1M ago8:47

8:47

Computational sciences offer an opportunity to increase global access to, and participation in, neuroscience. Neuromatch’s inclusive, scalable model for community building shows how to realize this promise.

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This paper changed my life: Victoria Abraira on a tasty link between circuits and behavior 4:52

1M ago4:52

4:52

The findings from Charles Zuker’s lab put the taste system on the map, revealing that some fundamental principles of behavior are hardwired.

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Breaking the jar: Why NeuroAI needs embodiment 11:09

1M ago11:09

11:09

Brain function is inexorably shaped by the body. Embracing this fact will benefit computational models of real brain function, as well as the design of artificial neural networks.

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Four autism subtypes map onto distinct genes, traits 5:57

1M ago5:57

5:57

An analysis of more than 5,000 autistic children and their siblings underscores the idea that autism can be understood as multiple conditions with distinct trajectories.

1
Systems and circuit neuroscience need an evolutionary perspective 7:12

1M ago7:12

7:12

To identify fundamental neuroscientific principles that generalize across species, neuroscientists must frame their research through an evolutionary lens.

1
NIH proposal sows concerns over future of animal research, unnecessary costs 6:15

1M ago6:15

6:15

The new NIH policy calls for greater incorporation of new approach methodologies in all future Notices of Funding Opportunities related to animal model systems.

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Fear and loathing on study section: Reviewing grant proposals while the system is burning 8:57

1M ago8:57

8:57

As grants are canceled, delayed and subject to general uncertainty, participating in study sections can feel futile. But it’s more important than ever.

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Neuropeptides reprogram social roles in leafcutter ants 6:50

1M ago6:50

6:50

The mechanisms that control the labor roles of ants may also be conserved in naked mole rats, a new study shows.

Spectrum Autism Research News Podcasts

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Audio research news

The Transmitter

1
The Mom Care Coach- Nutrition, Movement, Sleep, Mindset

Victoria Matea: Transformation Life Coach and Certified Health Coach and Autism Mom

1
The Skinner Report

Sara Litvak & Anna Bullard

1
The spectrum goes multidimensional in search of autism subtypes 9:29

1
Adult human cortex does not 'reorganize' after amputation 7:38

1
Longer fMRI brain scans boost reliability-but only to a point 5:51

1
Hitting city streets to record rat behaviors: Q&A with Emily Mackevicius, Ralph Peterson 7:03

1
Deleting data or stopping its collection will erase years of valuable brain research 9:19

1
Exclusive: Harvard University lays off fly database team 5:11

1
This paper changed my life: Abigail Person on birdsong, feed-forward circuits and convergent computations 6:02

1
The challenge of defining a neural population 8:55

1
Oxytocin prompts prairie voles to oust outsiders, fortifying their friendships 8:13

1
Contested paper on vaccines, autism in rats retracted by journal 5:07

1
Body state, sensory signals commingle in mouse whisker cortex 5:52

1
Neural population-based approaches have opened new windows into neural computations and behavior 8:28

1
Poor image quality introduces systematic bias into large neuroimaging datasets 6:44

1
Eye puffs prompt separable sensory, affective brain responses in mice, people 8:16

1
What U.S. science stands to lose without international graduate students and postdoctoral researchers 7:21

1
New dopamine sensor powers three-color imaging in live animals 4:55

1
Cell 'antennae' link autism, congenital heart disease 4:24

1
How to build a truly global computational neuroscience community 8:47

1
This paper changed my life: Victoria Abraira on a tasty link between circuits and behavior 4:52

1
Breaking the jar: Why NeuroAI needs embodiment 11:09

1
Four autism subtypes map onto distinct genes, traits 5:57

1
Systems and circuit neuroscience need an evolutionary perspective 7:12

1
NIH proposal sows concerns over future of animal research, unnecessary costs 6:15

1
Fear and loathing on study section: Reviewing grant proposals while the system is burning 8:57

1
Neuropeptides reprogram social roles in leafcutter ants 6:50