Her project focuses on autism, the most common neurodevelopmental disorder with onset in early childhood. The project will characterize how different splicing of three related genes, each important for proper brain function, could affect brain function and result in behavioral features seen in autism. Knowledge gained from this project will contribute to the discovery of genetic risk factors for autism and development of new therapeutic interventions. Dr. Talebizadeh’s collaborative research program also includes researchers from the University of Kansas Medical Center.