UI researchers contributed to a study that used DNA from 43,000 autistic individuals and their families to discover 60 genes that are commonly inherited by people with autism. The study was led by researchers at Columbia University, and the UI team worked to recruit people to the study and analyze data from other institutions.

University of Iowa researchers recently contributed to a study published on Aug. 18, in Nature Genetics that discovered 60 new genes associated with the autism spectrum. 

Of the genes identified in the study, five have never previously been associated with neurodevelopment. 

The study was led by researchers at the University of Columbia and involved researchers from over 30 universities, including the University of Iowa. 

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Jake Michaelson, a UI associate professor across multiple departments, including psychiatry, biomedical engineering, communication sciences and disorders, and neuroscience, was the primary investigator for the UI in this study.

Michaelson and his team contributed to the study by recruiting patients to SPARK, Simons Powering Autism Research, a research group that works to advance the understanding of genetics in relation to autism. His team also provided analysis of the data collected by other institutions. 

“We’re one of the few groups that both recruits people, but also analyzes the data because most other groups just…