Autism spectrum disorders are among the most common heritable disorders known, though for reasons unknown, four times as many males as females are affected with autism. To investigate genetic causes for this sexual dimorphism, we are using genome-wide genetic data to make comparisons between males and females in order to distinguish various genetic models and to identify sex-specific genetic susceptibility loci. If we can determine what protects females from developing autism, that information could lead not only to biological insights, but potentially to reduction of male risk.
Past work:
- Can the "female protective effect" liability threshold model explain sex differences in autism spectrum disorder? Dougherty JD, Marrus N, Maloney SE, Yip B, Sandin S, Turner TN, Selmanovic D, Kroll KL, Gutmann DH, Constantino JN, Weiss LA. Neuron. 2022 Oct 19. (PMID: 35868305 external site (opens in a new window) )
- Sex-heterogeneous SNPs disproportionately influence gene expression and health. Traglia M, Bout M, Weiss LA. PLos Genet. 2022 May 5. (PMID: 35511767 external site (opens in a new window) )
- Genetic mechanisms leading to sex differences across common diseases and anthropometric traits. Traglia M, Bseiso D, Gusev A, Adviento B, Park DS, Mefford JA, Zaitlen N, Weiss LA. Genetics. 2016 Dec 14. (PMID: 27974502 external site (opens in a new window) )
- Pleiotropic mechanisms indicated for sex differences in autism. Mitra I, Tsang K, Ladd-Acosta C, Croen LA, Aldinger KA, Hendren RL, Traglia M, Lavillaureix A, Zaitlen N, Oldham MC, Levitt P, Nelson S, Amaral DG, Herz-Picciotto I, Fallin MD, Weiss LA. PLoS Genetics. 2016 Nov 15. (PMID: 27846226 external site (opens in a new window) )