Hume Akahori Stroud, Ph.D., Harvard Medical School, hopes to identify the genetic mechanisms behind Rett Syndrome, an X chromosome-linked autism spectrum disorder that can cause serious cognitive impairments, usually in girls. Rett Syndrome stems from mutations in the protein MeCP2, levels of which typically increase throughout development and is part of chromatin, the structure that bundles DNA. Dr. Stroud will use a combination of biochemistry, genetics, and genomics tests to study how MeCP2 functions in normal cells. He hopes that understanding the protein’s normal functions will help clarify how disruptions of MeCP2 lead to Rett Syndrome.