Spectrum 10K

Spectrum 10K is a paused study of autistic people intended to be the largest of its kind in the United Kingdom. The name refers to the autism spectrum and the putative number of subjects. Led by Simon Baron-Cohen under the aegis of the Autism Research Centre (ARC), the study (an outgrowth of the defunct Human Genome Project) included researchers at the University of Cambridge, the Wellcome Sanger Institute, and the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA).[1] Participants (including adults and minors with parental consent) were asked to contribute their DNA samples via swabs of saliva,[2] as well as information on their overall mental and physical health. Overall, 10,000 autistic people and their families were to be involved in the study, which aimed to study genetic and environmental factors contributing to autism and co-occurring conditions.[3]

  1. ^ "10,000 autistic people to take part in the UK's largest study of autism". University of Cambridge. August 24, 2021.
  2. ^ "ARC Volunteers - Spectrum 10K". parent.spectrum10k.org.
  3. ^ Sanderson, Katharine (27 September 2021). "High-profile autism genetics project paused amid backlash". Nature. 598 (7879): 17–18. Bibcode:2021Natur.598...17S. doi:10.1038/d41586-021-02602-7. PMID 34580484. S2CID 238202946.