Author Archives: Jessica

Researchers at the Seaver Autism Center, led by Dr. Alex Kolevzon, have begun a clinical trial to evaluate insulin-like growth factor in children who have SHANK3 deficiency, a known cause of autism spectrum disorder. Click here to read the press … Continue reading →

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that the prevalence of autism spectrum disorders has increased to 1 in 88 children. Click here to learn more.

Help us Learn More about Early Autism Diagnoses The Seaver Autism Center at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine is collaborating with Columbia University as well as the Autism Science Foundation to better identify barriers to early diagnosis of autism … Continue reading →

“Please join the Phelan-McDermid Syndrome Foundation for a conversation with Joseph Buxbaum, PhD, and Alex Kolevzon, MD. We’ll discuss the basic science and clinical research projects that are underway at the Seaver Autism Center at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine … Continue reading →

At the recent Society for Neuroscience meeting in Washington, D.C., Dr. Joseph Buxbaum presented the first rat model lacking a copy of the Shank3 gene. This is a very important step in Shank3 research, as rat models provide benefits that … Continue reading →

At the recent International Congress of Human Genetics in Montreal, Canada, Dr. Joseph Buxbaum presented findings indicating that insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) leads to improvements in brain functioning in mice lacking a copy of the Shank3 gene. In 2012, Dr. … Continue reading →

A new study shows that SHANK3 is also involved in Alzheimer’s disease and shows the important role Zinc plays in the function of SHANK3. To read the full text of this study, please click http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21939532. To view all posts, click … Continue reading →

The New York Times recently published an article about the transition into adulthood for people with ASD. The article details the experiences of one young man as he entered the work force. (Read the full article here: Autistic and Seeking … Continue reading →

Congratulations to Alex Kolevzon, Clinical Director of the Seaver Autism Center, and Sandeep Soorya, (husband of Latha Soorya, Chief Psychologist of the Seaver Center), who placed 23rd in the Relay Team Division at the Nautica New York City Triathlon! Half … Continue reading →

Researchers at the Cytogenetics Laboratory, Scientific Institute E. Medea in Bosisio Parini, Italy have completed a study using 22q13 deletions as a model for examining the mechanisms behind terminal deletions. This study confirms that the major neurological features of Phelan-McDermid … Continue reading →