"NYC Hospital Studying Gender And Autism"
April 2nd is World Autism Awareness Day, and while the disorder remains shrouded in mystery, the Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai is working with siblings in hopes of shedding light on the condition. 10-year-old Scottie Muller was diagnosed with autism when he was a toddler, and his little sister plays a big role in virtually every aspect of his life. What looks like simple play time is actually a working study for researchers trying to unravel the mysteries of autism, a condition four times more prevalent in boys than in girls. That factor was a catalyst for the Autism Sisters Project. The Autism Science Foundation launched the project in hopes of breaking new ground in understanding gender differences in autism but also hopes of a breakthrough. “If we are able to identify a female protective effect that will give us a really promising avenue for drug discovery and the idea of developing treatments,” said Paige Siper, PhD, assistant professor of psychiatry and chief psychologist at the Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
- Paige M. Siper, PhD, Assistant Professor, Psychiatry, Chief Psychologist, The Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai