It has become increasingly clear that the diverse developmental symptoms associated with autism spectrum disorders are a complex product of biological determinants and environmental factors. Accordingly, efforts to promptly identify autistic individuals and provide treatments that can improve their quality of life will require a concerted effort from experts working in diverse areas of basic and clinical research.

The 23rd Annual International Symposium of the Hunter College Center for Gene Structure and Function, held in New York on 15 January, 2010, brought together leaders in fields ranging from cell biology and neuroscience to developmental psychology and public health, with the common aim of describing ongoing progress – and yet-unmet challenges – in building a comprehensive picture of autism. Although the talks were divided into two distinct sections, one focused primarily at the cellular and molecular level and the other at the diagnostic and therapeutic level, all the presentations were nevertheless linked by the recognition that true breakthroughs in understanding and controlling the negative impact of this family of developmental disorders will ultimately require parallel progress in both areas.

Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences
Autism: Integrating Genes, Brain, and Behavior Genes, brain, and behavior: development gone awry in autism? <pdf>