Arnold Kriegstein will apply single-cell RNA sequencing technologies to brain tissue samples from individuals with Dup15q syndrome, a genetically defined type of ASD, as well as to cerebral organoids derived from Dup15q-induced pluripotent stem cells. The goal of the project is to identify which cell types are affected by ASD during development and how this impacts mature brain circuits.

Jun Huh will examine human-derived bacteria that can colonize the guts of pregnant mice to identify bacteria that can promote anti-inflammatory responses. Such factors could help to prevent the development of brain pathologies and behavioral phenotypes relevant to autism in offspring that can be triggered by uncontrolled inflammatory activity during pregnancy.