Abstract

Wednesday 24th Feb, 9pm for 9:15 start Nihon Room Wine and Nibbles Free for members, £1 for non-members

Autism affects males much more often than females. The explanation for this must either lie in diagnostic practice, hormones, or genetics, or a mix of all three. In this talk, Simon Baron-Cohen will summarize work from his lab from three lines of investigation:

(1) The role of foetal testosterone in later social and communication development, and in the development of autistic traits. (2) The evidence for hormone dysregulation in autism. (3) The association between candidate genes that regulate testosterone, and autism.

These three lines of research suggest foetal testosterone is a key factor underlying social development and may play a part in autism. The discussion ties these different lines of evidence together.

Simon Baron-Cohen is Professor of Developmental Psychopathology in the Departments of Psychiatry and Experimental Psychology, a Fellow of Trinity, and Director of the Autism Research Centre here in Cambridge.