Autism risk genes are shared across ancestries, research reveals

A major study co-led by researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and published in Nature Medicine demonstrates that genes associated with autism risk are largely consistent across people of different ancestries. The research, based on one of the largest genomic studies of Latin American individuals to date, provides strong evidence that autism's genetic architecture does not significantly vary between populations. These findings underscore the critical importance of expanding genetic research beyond individuals of European ancestry to ensure more inclusive and comprehensive understanding of autism across all communities. The results have important implications for genetic counseling and diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder in diverse populations.