In this project, Karen Parker and her colleagues aim to determine whether the lower vasopressin levels that were observed in the cerebrospinal fluid of adult monkeys with naturally occurring social deficits are also found in “at-risk” infant monkeys. They also plan to test whether these infants exhibit poor social cognition abilities in multiple domains relevant to autism. The identification of biomarkers at an early developmental stage is a critical next step towards early pharmacological intervention in “at-risk” young monkeys, and ultimately, young children at risk for social challenges.