Posts by Former NIMH Director Thomas Insel about Autism

Dr. Insel discusses how the Precision Medicine Initiative will create a new kind of patient-driven research, which is similar to how innovative companies have created a new share economy based on trust.

In his blog, Dr. Insel talks about on new NIMH grants that will support research on services for people of all ages with autism.

In this blog, Dr. Insel describes the results of two new genetics studies and why they are milestones in our understanding of the genetics of autism and schizophrenia.

Dr. Insel describes new scientific findings on autism, including new CDC prevalence data, being reported just as Autism Awareness Month begins.

Dr. Insel explains the importance of post-mortem brain donation to research and how the new NIH NeuroBioBank initiative will support research on human brain tissue.

The discovery that mutations unique to an individual are common in the brain changes, and complicates, the search for genes underlying brain disorders.

Dr. Insel explains the nuances of the term, “serious mental illness.”

Dr. Insel describes how different perspectives separate the communities interested in autism, and suggests the common ground that would provide an avenue to move forward.

Dr. Insel highlights key recent findings in research on autism spectrum disorders.

Numerous provocative advances in neuroscience were reported during the summer of 2012.

Dr. Insel discusses how new research may help tie together seemingly disparate findings in genetic vs environmental risk factors in autism spectrum disorders.

Dr. Insel discusses the CDC's latest report on autism prevalence.

Dr. Insel discusses the connection between mental disorders and infection in light of pediatric neuropsychiatric disorders PANS and PANDAS.

Dr. Insel talks about how basic research can lead to potential treatments.

Dr. Insel shares NIMH’s Top 10 Research Advances for 2011.

New studies published this Spring provide new insights into the molecular basis of autism, involving the interplay of genetic risk and environmental exposure.

An emerging research technology using Induced pluripotent stem cells holds promise as a window into the developing brain in mental illness.

Today, the start of Autism Awareness Month, inspires us to focus on the highlights of our research progress, and look ahead to further strengthening our investigative efforts.

10 breakthroughs and events of 2010 which are changing the way we approach mental disorders.

May is Mental Health Month and this year NIMH teams up with SAMHSA to celebrate and promote Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day on May 6th. Dr. Insel talks about how mental illnesses are the chronic diseases of the young.

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) has made a substantial commitment to research designed to discover autism’s causes and improve diagnosis and treatment. Not only has NIMH become the lead institute for autism research at NIH, we have become the largest single source of funding for autism research in the country.

On October 5, 2009, researchers with the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and Massachusetts General Hospital published a new estimate of the prevalence of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) among children in the United States. Published online ahead of print in Pediatrics, the new estimate that roughly 1 in 90 U.S. children ages 3–17 were given an ASD diagnosis in 2007 is significantly higher than previous reports.