Autism BrainNet has launched its newly redesigned website. The updated platform has an improved look and feel and new navigation features for a more pleasant, effective and informative user experience.

New data were recently added to SFARI Gene. This data release included the addition of new genes associated with autism risk, new curated references of copy number variations associated with autism and new mouse models of autism.

A number of SFARI Investigators, collaborators and Simons Foundation scientists will present their latest research findings at the American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) 2020 Virtual Meeting, which will be held October 27–30.

A new collaboration between SFARI and the Nancy Lurie Marks Family Foundation will generate hundreds of induced pluripotent stem cells from individuals with autism and related neurodevelopmental conditions. These cell lines will become available to researchers starting next year.

Kimberly Huber, Joel Richter and colleagues showed that FMRP deficiency in mice leads to changes in a key histone modification across the genome, with subsequent effects on alternative splicing of many ASD risk genes.

Benjamin Blencowe and colleagues defined the functional roles of microexons in genes encoding translation initiation factors, linking them to altered translation, synaptic plasticity and behavior.

Louis Reichardt, who has served as director of SFARI since 2013, finished his tenure here on September 28. John Spiro has been appointed interim director of SFARI until a new director is appointed.

This issue of the SFARI newsletter includes: (1) SFARI 2020 Bridge to Independence fellows announced, (2) New rat models available to study autism spectrum disorder, (3) On rat models: A SFARI Conversation with Investigators Peter Kind and Loren Frank, (4) SFARI Gene: New data release, (5) Reminder about SFARI’s acknowledgment policy, (6) SFARI Spring 2020 science meeting goes online, (7) Highlights of SFARI-funded research, (8) SFARI Supplement to Enhance Equity and Diversity (SEED) — Request for applications, (9) Past lecture: Emmanuel Mignot, “Phenotyping Sleep”.

Peter Kind and Loren Frank discuss their work using SFARI’s genetic rat models and their views on how these models will aid autism research.

Eric Morrow, Stephen Sheinkopf and colleagues reported the characteristics of the first 1,000 participants in the RI-CART study, a population-based cohort of individuals with autism in Rhode Island.