Webinar: How Many Autisms are There? Grouping Traits to Reveal Different Genetic Programs
Date Published: March 26, 2026
Autism looks different from person to person, and understanding why is key to improving care and support. In this recorded webinar, Natalie Sauerwald, Ph.D., describes how detailed clinical and genetic data from the SPARK cohort were used to identify distinct groups of autistic individuals and the genetic patterns associated with each.
Who is Natalie Sauerwald?
Natalie Sauerwald, Ph.D., is an Associate Research Scientist at the Center for Computational Biology at the Flatiron Institute. Her work centers on developing computational methods to analyze large-scale genomic data and better understand the biological mechanisms underlying human health. She trained in mathematics before earning a Ph.D. in computational biology, bringing a strong quantitative foundation to her research. Her group at the Flatiron Institute has worked extensively on the genetics of autism, developing analytic methods to clarify how genetic variation contributes to autism risk and biology.