Center for Autism Research & Treatment News Archive


UCLA CART 4th Annual Autism Symposium

UCLA CART 4th Annual Autism Symposium LIMITED SEATING -  REGISTER TODAY -  Friday, February 3, 2012  at UCLA NRB Auditorium   UCLA Center for Autism Research and Treatment (CART) 4th Annual Autism Research Symposium "Autism 2012 - Autism Spectrum Disorders: Research Update and Evidence-Based Treatment Models" This full-day continuing education symposium is for physicians, psychiatrists, psychologists, other health professionals, teachers, autism service providers, and any others interested in learning of the latest breakthroughs in research and treatment in autism spectrum disorders (ASD). (15 Dec 11)

Dr. Geschwind Elected to the Institute of Medicine

Two faculty members in the David Geffen School of Medicine – Daniel H. Geschwind, M.D., Ph.D., and Barbara Vickrey, M.D., M.P.H. – have been elected to membership in the Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the National Academy of Sciences. Membership in the Institute of Medicine is one of the highest honors conferred in the Health Sciences in the U.S. and internationally. Dr. Geschwind is the Gordon and Virginia MacDonald Distinguished Professor, departments of neurology, psychiatry and human genetics and director, program in neurogenetics and Center for Autism Research and Treatment, Semel Institute. His studies include the development of novel methods as well as applications to study the normal brain and its disorders using advanced genetic techniques. He has evaluated the genetic aspects of... (20 Oct 11)

UCLA geneticists report promising method for the treatment of autism

Research to develop a mouse model for autism and test new therapies that may hold benefits for human patients was covered Oct. 3 by Ivanhoe News, Oct. 2 by Noticias de la Ciencia y la Tecnología, Sept. 30 by a Nature Medicine blog and Med Page Today, Fox News and My Health Daily, and Sept. (2 Oct 11) http://www.examiner.com/health-in-los-angeles/ucla-geneticists-report-promising-...

'Autistic' mice created – and treated

New Scientist and MyHealthNewsDaily.com reported Sept. 29; Medscape Today reported Sept. 26; and PsychCentral reported Sept. 25 on a Neuron study by Dr. Daniel Geschwind discovering that a key signaling pathway plays an important role in a common form of early-onset dementia, and may offer a potential target for treatment. (28 Sep 11) http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn20984-autistic-mice-created--and-treated.h...

CART Autism Affinity Distinguished Lecture Series 2011-2012

All are welcome!  Lectures are held in the Gonda 1st floor conference room (#1357) at 9-10AM on the 1st (or 2nd) Friday each month, from October through June, and are free and open to the public.  No reservations are needed.  See attached flyer for more details and a list of our distinguished lecturers.  This Autism Affinity Group lecture series is supported in part by the Semel Institute and the Brain Research Institute. (16 Sep 11)

Siblings Autism Risk Much Higher Than Thought

CBS’ “Early Show” aired an Aug. 15 segment and KNBC-Channel 4 broadcast a report Aug. 15 and Aug. 16 on new research suggesting that a baby born into a family with an older autistic sibling has a 19 times higher chance of also developing autism.  Ted Hutman, an assistant professor of psychiatry and principal investigator for the site at the Center for Autism Research and Treatment within UCLA’s Semel Institute, was interviewed about the findings and their significance for parents.   A CBS NewsPath story on the study also aired on more than 130 CBS affiliate stations nationwide.   (14 Aug 11) http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/08/15/earlyshow/living/parenting/main2009234...

Genes, autism and brain structure

Medscape Medical News and BioNews (U.K.) reported May 31, Prensa Libre (Guatemala) reported May 29, Digital Journal reported May 28, Ivanhoe News, De Pers (Netherlands) and 35 NBC-TV affiliates reported May 27, and Europa Press (Madrid), JPNN (Jakarta) and Mass Device report (30 May 11) http://www.bionews.org.uk/page_95415.asp

Autism changes molecular structure of the brain, UCLA study finds

For decades, autism researchers have faced a baffling riddle: how to unravel a disorder that leaves no known physical trace as it develops in the brain. Now a UCLA study is the first to reveal how the disorder makes its mark at the molecular level, resulting in an autistic brain that differs dramatically in structure from a healthy one. Published May 25 in the advance online edition of Nature, the findings provide new insight into how genes and proteins go awry in autism to alter the mind. The discovery also identifies a new line of attack for researchers, who currently face a vast array of potential fronts for tackling the neurological disease and identifying its diverse causes. (25 May 11)