19552 GW Mag 26_Final_singles - Flipbook - Page 6
Briefcase
Study Compares Autism
and Learning Strategies
PHD CANDIDATES
SPRINT FOR
SPEED-THESIS CONTEST
Gabriela Rosenblau discussed her research with CCAS Dean Paul Wahlbeck.
NEW RESEARCH LED BY GABRIELA
Rosenblau, associate professor of
cognitive neuroscience and director
of the CCAS Cognitive Neuroscience
Doctoral Program, and her PhD
student Shannon Cahalan, has yielded
unexpected insights into how autistic
and non-autistic people learn about
one another’s preferences. The study,
published in Nature Mental Health,
indicates that both groups rely on
similar learning strategies; however, key
differences may make understanding
autistic peers more complex.
The study examined whether autistic
and non-autistic adolescents apply
different types of social knowledge
and learning strategies when inferring
the preferences of others. It revealed
that autistic participants exhibited
greater variability in their personal
preferences for foods and activities than
their non-autistic peers, underscoring
the heterogeneity of this population
and the limitations of inferring
individual preferences from
group-level patterns.
In addition, both autistic adolescents
and non-autistic adults were less
accurate at predicting the preferences
of autistic adolescents, and relied on
similar learning strategies to make
their predictions and used additional
feedback to update their predictions.
As autistic severity increased, however,
learning rates and the ability to update
preference predictions based on
feedback was lower.
ASHLEY BASTIN, A PHD CANDIDATE
in biological sciences and Harlan Trust
Graduate Scholar, won first place and
the People’s Choice award at GW’s
eighth annual Three Minute Thesis
Competition. The high-speed contest
distills years of scholarship into 180
seconds, challenging students to
swiftly summarize their research in
language that is both engaging and
appropriate to a non-specialist audience.
At stake are cash prizes and a spot in
a national competition.
Bastin’s project, “Trained to Destroy:
Uncovering the Causes of HIV-Associated
Dementias,” is investigating whether
an HIV protein called Nef might be key
to targeting dementia-related brain
inflammation. “My hope is that this
work eventually translates into
treatments and preventative measures
that help to better the lives of those
living with [the disorder] around the
world,” she said.
3MT Winner Ashley Bastin
6 | www.columbian.gwu.edu
