Aparna Shankar, PhD
Post-doctoral Fellow
A Study on the Gut Microbiota in Autistic Children- AMetagenomic Approach
Autism Spectrum Disorders are a group of neurodevelopmental disorders defined by impairments in communication, social skills and prerequisite learning behaviour. Autistic symptoms become evident during the first 5 years of life which renders childcare difficult and pose greater economic burden on healthcare facilities in developing countries. About one-third of autistic children suffer from gastrointestinal disorders including abdominal pain, gastroesophageal reflux, diarrhoea, chronic constipation and flatulence. My study focuses on comparing the gut microbiotic profile of autistic children against the healthy controls through metagenome and metabolome analyses. The data obtained from the study will be regarded as baseline information for the development of microbial transfer and probiotic therapies to intervene irritable bowel syndrome and autism spectrum disorders in future.
