Home Department: Human Biology
Supported by: Bio-X
Mentor: Karen Parker, Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences

A part of the Parker Lab’s research efforts is testing children with autism spectrum disorder (as well as typically developing children) for contagious yawning or laughter. Michael’s research will test whether children with autism spectrum disorder exhibit diminished contagious yawning and laughter responses, and how social neuropeptides oxytocin and vasopressin affect these contagion responses.

Poster presented at the Stanford Bio-X Interdisciplinary Initiatives Symposium on August 24, 2017:

Effect of Intranasal Oxytocin on Contagious Response to Yawning and Laughter in Children with Autism

Michael G. Mariscal¹, Sophie M. Rose¹, Robin A. Libove², Antonio Y. Hardan², Karen J. Parker²
[Departments of Human Biology¹ and Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences², Stanford University]