I suppose it is obvious why so much of my time is devoted to research reaching down to basic mechanisms. On the one hand, I am desperate to improve the situation for my patients, many of whom are reminders of my brother. I didn't think possible before our first use of Prozac in autism shortly after its release in 1988. I had parents discuss it around the same time or before professionals were considering it. The riskiest thing for a physician-scientist to do is translational research, especially when it is from the bedside to the bench.
Basic science has a much more appealing longitudinal logic.
Clinical science has relevance. As much as both are pioneering, translational research often requires almost autistic perseverance. However, eventually the bridge has to be crossed. Our laboratory has worked on neurochemisty, neuroimmunology, neuroendocrinology, neuroimaging, and neurogenetics of autism. The reason for our current focus on genetics is that the data, not impressions, show it to be the most powerful influence in the etiology of autism.