This week, the autism research community gathered in Montreal for the meeting of the International Society for Autism Research (INSAR). A three-day scientific conference now in its eighteenth year, INSAR is the world’s largest international meeting of scientists and specialists to discuss the nature, causes, and treatment for autism.
According to a Spectrum News report, this year’s conference drew around 2,200 clinicians, scientists, and members of the autism community at Montreal’s Palais de Congres de Montreal conference center. The event will feature several keynote speakers, including American statistician Professor Kathryn Roeder, who will discuss autism genetics and brain development in autism, and Dr. Jason Lerch, who studies brain differences in mouse models of autism.
Researchers from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia presented the results of two innovative studies. The first focused on a virtual reality police safety model that could train young adults with autism on how to interact with police, and a study showing that developmental deceleration can be identified in children during primary care visits. The event will also feature presentations on the cerebellum, adult outcomes, and genetic discovery, as well as art, local training initiatives, and research as part of an Autism Festival held by members of the local autism community.
Sources: https://www.spectrumnews.org/news/reactions-insar-2019/