Director’s Message: July 2026

The Autism BrainNet team and invited researchers at the 2026 Autism BrainNet Meeting in Boston, MA

Once a year, the entire Autism BrainNet team meets in person to strengthen connections and learn new methods for brain research and tissue processing. This year’s meeting was held in Boston and focused on new areas of research that could benefit from studying donated human brain tissue after death.

Researchers from several institutions were invited to give talks about their work on the human brain. The first morning included three presentations about cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), the clear fluid that surrounds and protects the brain. These talks explored how CSF supports brain health and how problems in its production or how it flows out of the brain may be linked to neurological conditions, including autism.
There was also a presentation on new technologies for preserving and imaging the human brain. These tools may eventually be added to Autism BrainNet’s research methods.

The afternoon session addressed a more complex topic: self-injurious behaviors (SIB) in autism, such as head banging. Researchers also discussed whether repeated head injury over time could be related to a condition called chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), which is known to occur in some athletes, including football players.

The next morning focused on new three-dimensional imaging techniques using MRI scans of donated brains. These methods allow researchers to see detailed structures inside the brain without needing to cut it into slices, expanding what can be studied.

The Autism BrainNet team at the 2026 Autism BrainNet Meeting in Boston, MA

The final afternoon was a closed meeting for Autism BrainNet staff. The team discussed ways to make their operations more efficient and to better support scientists who use donated brain tissue for research.

Overall, team members shared that they found the meeting very valuable, both for the scientific learning and for the opportunity to connect in person with colleagues from Boston, New York, Montreal, Dallas, and Sacramento.