Montserrat Olivares, Ph.D.

Research

I will explore why boys are more vulnerable than girls to autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Males are diagnosed with ASD four times more often than females—even when the individuals carry the same genetic mutations. But little is known about whether this sex difference derives from factors within the affected neurons or from external factors, such as sex hormones. To tease apart these possibilities, I will use a technique developed in the Baldwin lab to generate female mice with chromosomally male neurons—and vice versa. Then, using techniques in cell and molecular biology, neuronal imaging, and behavioral analyses, I will examine whether female neurons with ASD mutations are more likely to produce behavioral symptoms in a male mouse—and whether male ASD neurons can be “reprogrammed” by a female environment. These findings will shed light on brain development and behavior and could point toward sex-specific interventions for ASD and related conditions.