Welcome to the O' Ryan Lab Research Notes!
For anyone who hasn't come across our work before, we are a team of postgraduate students and researchers in the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology at the University of Cape Town. Our group is led by Dr Colleen O' Ryan, and we have been studying the molecular biology of autism for the past eight years. If you would like to meet the team or learn more about our work, you can find some background info here.
Like most research groups, our work is usually published in academic journals that are aimed at other scientists in our discipline. But molecular research can sometimes seem like a totally different language, even for those of us working in the field! Our research is so often done in collaboration with members of the autistic community and their families, teachers or clinicians - so we really want to share the outputs with all of you in a way that is more accessible.
Enter the O' Ryan Lab Research Notes.
This series of blog posts aims to break down aspects of our work into digestible fragments and translate highly niche molecular material into descriptive, diagrammatic and (hopefully) engaging narratives. But this is not just about molecular biology - to the great relief of many of you, I am sure. As much as we are always keen to share our enthusiasm for the molecular details, this is also about creating a level playing field for meaningful collaboration between science and the community it intends to serve.
Autism research lies at the intersection of many different fields of study, all of which are facing a need to adapt to changing conceptualizations of autism within a complicated sociological context. We are increasingly recognizing that the tangible impact of our work is equal only to the degree to which it is adequately communicated - and that the historical context of our field speaks for us unless we do. At the same time, our work has made us acutely aware of the lack of access to diagnoses, resources or accommodations for autistic individuals in South Africa. These challenges are only compounded by the high rates of stigmatization and discrimination that still surround the diagnosis. So we know how important it is to find a way to translate our research into outputs that are tangible, useful and transformative for the autistic community.
Over the coming months, this blog series will share some of the behind-the-scenes of developing an integrative framework for molecular autism research in South Africa. Hopefully, this platform can also function as a way to facilitate this collaboration, towards molecular research that reflects the personal experiences, concerns and hopes of autistic individuals. So, to anyone who has found themselves here, welcome to the journey - and feel free to critique fairly, discuss freely and fire off questions as you go!