THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR AUTISM RESEARCH NAMES
DR. DAVID AMARAL OF UC DAVIS MIND INSTITUTE
AS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OF FLAGSHIP JOURNAL, AUTISM RESEARCH

WEST HARTFORD, CT – The International Society for Autism Research (INSAR) and its publishing partner Wiley today announced that Dr. David G. Amaral, Ph.D., director of research at the UC Davis MIND Institute has been named the new editor-in-chief of Autism Research, its peer-reviewed journal promoting advances in autism spectrum disorder science. Dr. Amaral will succeed Anthony J. Bailey, MD, the journal’s first editor-in-chief, who will step down at the end of March after nearly six years in the position.

“We thank Dr. Bailey, who has done an outstanding job as founding editor-in-chief, developing Autism Research into one of the premier journals for publishing articles on autism spectrum and related disorders,” said Dr. Francesca Happé, president of INSAR. “Under Dr. Amaral’s leadership, we are certain that Autism Research will continue to be a vital source of information for both the scientific community and stakeholders alike, featuring the most important papers in the field of autism.”

Dr. Amaral was president of INSAR from 2009-2010 and played a central role in launching the first International Meeting for Autism Research (IMFAR) in 2001 that preceded the founding of INSAR. He has significant experience as a journal editor. With Menno Witter, he started the journal Hippocampus and acted as co-editor-in-chief for nearly a decade. He was also editor-in-chief of the IBRO journal Neuroscience, which underwent a modernization under his leadership.

"I look forward to the challenge of continuing the good work of Dr. Bailey and to enhancing the efficiency and usefulness of the journal for the autism research community,” said Dr. Amaral. “We are increasing the number of associate editors to deepen our coverage of all areas of modern research on autism spectrum and related disorders. I’m delighted to have recruited a stellar group of associate editors who will have substantial discretion in handling the review process in their topic areas."

"We will also be increasing the number of reviews published by the journal -- some will be of the standard comprehensive type, and others I have nicknamed ‘101’ reviews to provide a basic overview of topics that are of interest to a large portion of the autism community," added Dr. Amaral.

The new team of associate editors and their areas of interest include:
 

Autism Research publishes six issues a year in electronic format.  The online edition is an automatic benefit of INSAR membership.   For more information about the Journal  or go to the Journal website. 

About The International Society for Autism Research (INSAR)

The International Society for Autism Research (INSAR) is a scientific and professional organization devoted to advancing knowledge about autism spectrum disorders. INSAR was formed in 2001 and is governed by an elected, volunteer Board of Directors that oversees all functions of the Society. Various committees assist the Board in carrying out the Society’s mission. Visit www.autism-insar.org for more information.

INSAR offers annual membership in three categories.  Membership benefits and application process details can be found in the Membership section of the website. The Society holds an annual scientific meeting, the International Meeting for Autism Research (IMFAR). Information about past and future IMFAR meetings can be found in the IMFAR Annual Meeting section of the website. INSAR has contracted with John Wiley and Sons, Inc, to publish the Society's research journal, Autism Research. An online subscription to the journal is just one benefit of INSAR membership. INSAR is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization.