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Headlines 15 might interact with genes to alter brain development and vulnerability. Our research group works in close collaboration with that of Professor Ellenbroek in the School of Psychology at Victoria University, as well as chemists and bioinformatics scientists from Victoria and neighbouring research institutes. Using rodent models that display ASD-like behaviours, we are trying to understand the molecular pathways that regulate and cause changes in the brain associated with ASD. This research is helping us to better understand the underlying mechanisms of developing ASD and where to target therapies. Using molecular cell biological approaches and behavioural studies, we have homed in on a cellular pathway that regulates the extent of connections made between neurons as being altered in ASD. In conjunction with our chemistry collaborators we plan to investigate whether the activity of one of the key enzymes in the pathway can be targeted with therapeutic drugs. Dr Darren Day is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Biological Sciences at Victoria University of Wellington. He completed his PhD in biochemistry and microbiology at Southampton University, UK, then moved to the University of Auckland for postdoctoral research in molecular biology and molecular diagnostics. He then took a position at Cornell University Medical College, New York, where he researched human molecular genetics. At Victoria his primary research interest is investigating the link between infections during pregnancy, serotonin signaling and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). He is the recipient of two recent Neurological Foundation grants to better understand the role of serotonins in neurological disorders. Bryony Thorne is a doctoral student in the School of Biological Sciences at Victoria University of Wellington. In 2020 she received a three year scholarship worth $121,518 from the Neurological Foundation. Her research seeks to understand the connection between serotonin and mitochondrial function in the development of neuropsychiatric disorders and to explore whether these pathways are associated with the sex differences in these disorders, with women more likely to suffer from depression and men more likely to die by suicide. With increasing incidences and ineffective treatments, an improved understanding of these disorders is necessary to improve outcomes for those affected. Dr Darren Day Bryony Thorne