Dr Alexandros Tsompanidis

I am a PhD student in the Autism Research Centre, supervised by Professor Simon Baron-Cohen. My research aims to understand how the endocrine environment can affect the developing brain and lead to neurodevelopmental conditions, such as autism. In particular, I am interested in the role of steroid hormones, which facilitate sexual differentiation but also regulate many aspects of brain growth. To better understand this, I am also investigating how clinical conditions (such as polycystic ovaries syndrome) or specific organs (e.g. the placenta) interact with the mother and fetus in cases of autism. My background is in Clinical Medicine and Human Genetics.