About the speaker:
Judy Van de Water, PhD, joined the faculty in the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of California, Davis in 1999. In 2000, she also joined the faculty of the newly formed UC Davis M.I.N.D. Institute when she began her research on the immunobiology of autism. Dr. Van de Water’s laboratory pursues research programs pertaining to autoimmune and clinical immune-based disorders including the biological aspects of autism spectrum disorders. The application of Dr. Van de Water’s immunopathology background has been instrumental in the dissection of the immune anomalies noted in some individuals with autism, and in the differentiation of various autism behavioral phenotypes at a biological level. Most notable of these is the investigation of the maternal immune system as it relates to autism spectrum disorders, with particular emphasis on the presence of highly specific maternal autoantibodies to fetal brain proteins. Dr. Van de Water’s seminal work in this area has led to a highly specific biomarker of autism risk as well as three patents leading to the commercialization of this technology. Dr. Van de Water is currently the Director of the NIEHS funded Center for Children’s Environmental Health at UC Davis, investigating potential environmental risk factors contributing to the incidence and severity of childhood autism.
Take the knowledge quiz
Can’t see the quiz below? Take it online HERE
Animal study adds to evidence of link between pyrethroids and autism
A new animal study adds to evidence that prenatal exposure to common insecticides called pyrethroids may increase the likelihood of a child developing autism or another neurodevelopmental disorder. Melissa Curtis and colleagues,
Prenatal exposure to cannabis may increase likelihood of autism
Cannabis use during pregnancy may alter placental and fetal DNA methylation (the process of turning genes “on” and “off”) in ways that increase the likelihood of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or
Gestational Influences and Autism
Dr. Judy Van de Water, Ph.D., explores the role of gestational factors in the development of autism. She explains how maternal immune activation, antibody patterns, and immune markers play significant roles in neurodevelopment
Could treating moms’ periodontal disease lower odds of autism?
Mothers who receive periodontal treatment during pregnancy may reduce the odds of their children developing autism spectrum disorders (ASD), according to a new study. Carl Bose and colleagues collected data on 306
Two studies indicate that autoantibodies in maternal blood may provide diagnostic clues in autism
Certain patterns of proteins in the blood of pregnant women may help to predict one type of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children, according to two new studies. Both studies focused
Pregnancy spacing may affect odds of ASD
Mothers of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) may reduce their odds of having another child with ASD if they time a second pregnancy to occur 2.5 to 3 years after