SAN DIEGO — Experts are raising the alarm on the resurgence of unproven claims related to the causes of autism. Unverified assertions about Tylenol® usage during pregnancy and vaccines administered to infants are leading to confusion for families and distrust in science.
Autism clinicians and researchers will be available to take questions about this very timely topic at Neuroscience 2025, the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience (SfN) and the world’s largest source of emerging news about brain science and health.
Autism is a complex condition with hundreds of genes contributing to how it is experienced by each person. Researchers recognize that environmental factors may cause certain genes to “turn on or off” and have made progress in identifying certain gene-environment interactions that affect symptoms. Meanwhile, decreased stigma, as well as new screening techniques and criteria, have led to more autism diagnoses, especially in adults and those from medically underserved communities. Top autism researchers frequently quoted in national media outlets will cover critical information for journalists.
Speakers will discuss:
•The genetic basis of autism, including environmental factors that may impact gene expression, and individualized gene editing therapies to treat the underlying causes of symptoms (Shafali Jeste, MD, University of California, Los Angeles)
•How greater public awareness, better detection, and other factors are leading to autism diagnoses for previously overlooked groups like adults, girls, and people of color (Suma Jacob, MD, PhD, University of California, Los Angeles)
•The troubling history of incorrectly blaming mothers and vaccines for autism development (Jed Elison, PhD, University of Minnesota)
“Scientific research has led to a greater understanding and acceptance of autism, but harmful rhetoric and political policies now threaten this progress,” says event moderator Holden Thorp, PhD, editor-in-chief of the Science family of journals, professor of chemistry at George Washington University, and autistic person. “The current U.S. administration’s attacks on science, particularly the peddling of misinformation about autism, need to be refuted with the best information and people we have available.”
For complete access to Neuroscience 2025 in-person and online, request media credentials. This event is hosted by SfN in partnership with SciLine, a free service for journalists and scientists based at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).
Tuesday, November 18, 2025
11 a.m.–noon PST
San Diego Convention Center, Room 15A, and online for registered media
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The Society for Neuroscience (SfN) is an organization of nearly 30,000 basic scientists and clinicians who study the brain and the nervous system.
SciLine is a free service for journalists and scientists based at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Editorially independent, nonpartisan, and funded by philanthropies, SciLine has the singular mission of enhancing the a