I was delighted to see the article about predicting autism from blood samples in the recent issue of the alumni magazine (“Success of Blood Test for Autism Affirmed,” Fall 2018). It is a great step forward in early detection of this disability. The recent article about Juergen Hahn’s research is encouraging.

I am the father of a 29-year-old with autism. I feel it is imperative we find the cause of autism before it becomes the disability of, not only a couple decades, but the century.

To this end I am in the process of running 3,000 miles to raise awareness and help fund research to find the cause of autism. I was in the Rensselaer Class of ’74 of the Hartford Graduate Center and am now 73 years old.

I am proud and delighted my alma mater is active in researching this disability. I hope Rensselaer continues significant research on early detection and eventually helping find the cause(s) of autism.

Please visit 3000MilesForAutism.org or my Facebook page for more information and to help achieve the goal of an autism-free world.

Robert “Nick” Nickerson ’74,
Chapel Hill, North Carolina