Thursday 2 November 7.30pm (1 hour with Q&A)

• The long-term benefits for Autistic young people who receive ORS funding support for health and education.
• Cutting-edge research: gut microbiome transfers to relieve gut issues for Autistic people. A world first trial here in Auckland! For many people who are Autistic they experience often debilitating gut pain and other distressing gut issues. Researchers are hoping to ease this using gut microbiome transfers in a new study.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER!

Dr Nick Bowden will be speaking about his research on the impact of health and education-based supports for autistic young people.  (Pictured below left). He will present the findings of study showing that while Autistic students are suspended and stood down at higher rates than non-autistic students, those with high need education-based funding support (ORS), have substantially lower rates of suspensions. His talk will also highlight the potential for more future research into this area to better support the autism community.

Nick is a Research Fellow at the Department of Women’s and Children’s Health within the Dunedin School of Medicine at the University of Otago.

Director of the Liggins Institute Professor Justin O’Sullivan (pictured below middle) will be speaking about the very latest of what we know about the genetics of autism through his team’s research. Researchers have known that genes contribute to autism since the 1970’s. More recently scientists have been able to use new technologies to examine the role that these genes play more closely in autism.

Justin has a PhD in molecular microbiology from the University of Otago and joined the University of Auckland Waipapa Taumata Rau as a Senior Research Fellow at the Liggins Institute in 2012. He was recently appointed Director of the Liggins Institute in July 2023.

Professor Wayne Cutfield (pictured below right) will be speaking on the gut microbiome and the benefits of gut microbiome transfer for those with autism and also suffering with gut issues.  The gut microbiome refers to the collection of microorganisms including bacteria that naturally live in our gut. These bacteria help us to digest and extract nutrients from food.  Gut microbiome transfer is an emerging therapy for microbiome restoration that involves the transfer of gut microbiome from healthy donors to people with a disordered gut microbiome. Gut microbiome transfer is currently being tested as a treatment in a range of conditions.

Wayne is a Professor of paediatric endocrinology at the Liggins Institute, a practicing paediatric endocrinologist at Starship Children’s Hospital as well as the Director of A Better Start, one of 11 government funded National Science Challenges.

If you have questions? We look forward to joining us on Thursday the 2nd November 2023, and we welcome your questions. You are welcome to submit them ahead of time if you feel more comfortable. When you register, you will receive the email address with the details of the email address you can send your questions through to, you will also be able to send your questions via the questions option throughout the webinar. 

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER | Webinar ID 938 5840 0025

Click here to learn more about the Gut Bug’s in Autism Study that’s being conducted at the Liggins Institute in Auckland.  

Visit the Autism New Zealand website

Visit the Altogether Autism website