ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

On Wednesday, Nov. 20, Autism Speaks U – Fordham University hosted a discussion panel featuring researchers and faculty members from Yale University School of Medicine and Albert Einstein College of Medicine.  The panelists discussed their current research and medical practices in the context of autism and developmental conditions and subsequently offered the audience an opportunity to ask questions to further their knowledge of autism.

The panel included Dr. George Anderson, senior research scientist in the Child Study Center and research scientist in laboratory medicine at Yale School of Medicine.  Anderson studies neurobiology of childhood neuropsychiatric disorders, including autism. Dr. Harvey Kliman, research scientist in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Yale University School of Medicine, also presented at the panel. Kliman studies the placenta to predict autism and genetic abnormalities. Dr. Lisa Schulman, associate professor of clinical pediatrics at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, also presented at the panel. Schulman studies developmental pediatrics and specializes in early diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

By hosting the panel, Autism Speaks U – Fordham Univ. hoped to further its mission of spreading awareness about autism throughout the Fordham community.

“We intended to educate the community at Fordham University about autism,” Nicole Kirsch, FCRH ’14, co-president of Autism Speaks U – Fordham Univ., said. “We also wanted to raise awareness for Autism Speaks U and potentially gain new general members.”

The event also helped raise donations toward autism research.

“One of our missions is to raise funds that are donated to Autism Speaks and used for autism research,” Kirsch said. “It was really interesting to have researchers from outside of Autism Speaks presenting their work in this field right at Fordham. It showed how many individuals are working on different aspects of this condition.”

Autism Speaks U – Fordham Univ. was happy with the turnout and positive response toward the panel.

“We were extremely satisfied with the turnout of the panel,” Kirsch said. “The panel was held during the Pre-Health Symposium course, so there were many of those students along with many other interested students and professors.”

Students who attended the event believe they learned a great deal about autism research as a result of the speakers’ discussion of their research.

“The panel was great and all the speakers did an excellent job,” Jamie Toto, FCRH ’16, said. “The research that Dr. Kliman does studying the placenta is amazing, and it taught me a lot about a study that I have never heard of being done before.”