Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects communication and social behavior. Researchers at the McGovern Institute use a range of approaches to understand the biological and genetic basis of ASD.
![Neurons in mouse brain expressing SAPAP-4.](https://mcgovern.mit.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/autism2_1920x1080.jpg)
![Neurons in the mouse brain expressing SAPAP-4.](https://mcgovern.mit.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/autism_640x960.jpg)
Autism Spectrum Disorder
![Polina Anikeeva in her lab.](https://mcgovern.mit.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/1920x1080-anikeeva2023.jpg)
Featured Researcher
Polina Anikeeva
Polina Anikeeva works at the intersection of materials science, electronics, and neurobiology to improve our understanding of brain-body communication.
> 50%
Sleep disturbances are seen in more than half of US children diagnosed with autism.
SOURCE: Richdale et al.