Public Talk on Autism Spectrum Disorders: From Bedside to Bench and Back by Anjali Rajadhyaksha, PhD Associate Professor of Neuroscience Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University

Public Talk on
Autism Spectrum Disorders: From Bedside to Bench and Back

by Anjali Rajadhyaksha, PhD
Associate Professor of Neuroscience
Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University

Thursday | 14th December 2017 | 4.00 pm – 5.30 pm

Organised by The International Centre Goa

Entry Free & Open to All

Anjali Rajadhyaksha is Associate Professor of Neuroscience at Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, and Director of the Weill Cornell Autism Research Program, a multi-institutional collaboration committed to understanding and treating autism. Dr. Rajadhyaksha is an expert molecular neurobiologist. During her postdoctoral
fellowship at Harvard Medical School, she became fascinated by how genetic predisposition and environmental insults lead to brain dysfunction and altered behavior, as observed in patients with psychiatric illness and childhood brain disorders.

Dr. Rajadhyaksha directs an active research program, currently focused on understanding the molecular mechanisms of autism and neuropsychiatric disorders. A better understanding of the brain will lead to new therapeutics for treating complex brain disorders such as mood-related conditions and autism. She has published extensively in the field of neuropsychiatric disorders, is heavily involved in training medical and graduate students, has spoken at multiple international conferences, and serves on the editorial board of scientific journals.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is one of the most common brain developmental conditions affecting children internationally. Over 25% of these individuals with ASD have a significant co-existing disorder such as seizures, severe cognitive impairment or bipolar illness, with these conditions worsening with age. The emotional and
financial costs of ASD are devastating. To date, the cause remains unknown and no effective diagnostic markers or pharmacological treatments exist. Given the cost to society and parents, the need for understanding the basic scientific mechanisms of ASD and their related disorders is crucial. Discovering brain pathways that are
altered in ASD can greatly aid in developing new therapeutics. In my talk I will present current research findings in patients and ongoing basic science efforts to unravel the pathology of ASD at the level of brain circuits and molecules.