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KIST Hosts International Autism Symposium (2018.12.01)
- Date : 2019-01-16
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KIST Hosts International Autism Symposium
On November 30, at its headquarters in Seoul, the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) hosted an international symposium on autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) that saw attendance from around 100 people, including brain scientists specializing in ASDs.
ASDs are developmental disorders that prevent children from engaging in interactive relationships and forming emotional bonds, thereby cutting them off from all other people. KIST’s Brain Science Institute held the symposium to share information on the causes and symptoms of ASDs, as well as the latest breakthroughs regarding treatment. Presenters explained the newest trends in ASDs-related research, in addition to discussing analytical and numerical methods.
Among the presenters were notable neural experts from around the world, including Dr. Toru Takumi (RIKEN, Japan), Dr. Zilong Qiu (Chinese Academy of Sciences, China), Prof. Rusty Gage (Salk Institute for Biological Studies, USA), and Prof. Xin Jin (Salk Institute for Biological Studies, USA), while Korean experts such as Prof. Eunjoon Kim (KAIST/IBS) also took part by presenting their latest findings.
Dr. Oh Uhtaek, director-general of KIST’s Brain Science Institute, stated that, “Despite the growing number of people being diagnosed with ASDs, there is a lack of deep, systematic research investment devoted to it. My hope is that this symposium will provide a stepping stone for international information exchanges and research collaboration on ASDs.”
KIST’s Brain Science Institute began performing ASDs research in 2017, devoting itself to the study of how ASDs affects neural circuitry, as well as to the development of new forms of treatment.