Student:​ Ansa Zakriya

Research Title: The Effects of Glutamate and GABA on Autism Spectrum Disorder: The
Mysteries of the Brain

Purpose: To identify a possible etiology for Autism through the imbalancement of excitatory
and inhibitory neurotransmitters on the development of the patient’s brain.

Expected Product or Outcomes: The information obtained by the the paper will provide a
foundation for further research to branch off of. This research will be presented and shared in
order to teach others the importance of Autism. The research process is shared with the public
through a website, including the final paper. As the information is spread awareness of the topic
increases, and research on autism will expand aswell.

Novelty of Product: Importance of this research is evident as it will increase awareness of an

intricate disease. A variety of causations could all lead to Autism, however, this research focuses
on the neurological imparities leading to the disorder. The research will help researchers
understand how autism may be developed and how treatments can be produced.

Audience: ​The intended audience of this research includes AP biology students to further their
knowledge on neurological diseases and researchers studying in the field of autism.

Process:
1. Collected information on neurology, neurotransmitters, and Autism Spectrum disorders
through scientific articles and data.
2. Use resources from multiple colleges in order to continue finding scholarly articles and
books.
3. Presented information obtained from readings to Smart Speaking.
4. Found an advisor, Jonathan Pevsner, PhD, and maintained contact with them throughout
the year. They provided resources and lectures in order to further the research.
5. Produced a final paper including all of the research aspects: Glutamate, GABA,
Excitatory-Inhibitory imbalances, Autism Spectrum Disorder.
6. Analyzed experiments related to differing concentrations of Glutamate and GABA in the
brain.