ABOUT

Liliana Ruta

I graduated in Medicine and Surgery and then specialized in Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry at the University of Catania, Italy.

As child neuropsychiatrist I have clinical experience in early diagnosis, follow-up and treatments of a broad spectrum of neurodevelopmental disorders, including psychiatric conditions, neurological disorders, genetic syndromes and congenital metabolic diseases.

In 2006 I started my PhD in Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry at the University of Catania, Sicily, and spent the year of 2007 as visiting researcher at the ARC, focusing on sex differences in psychological and cognitive profile in autism spectrum conditions (ASC) and the underlying hormonal profiles and molecular signatures.

Since then, I further developed my interest and expertise in neuroendocrinology of ASC.

In Sicily I investigated the clinical, hormonal and molecular profile at puberty in Sicilian children with ASC, validating the Italian Autism Spectrum Quotient, Empathy Quotient and Systemizing Quotient and conducting a cross-cultural confirmation of the broader autism phenotype.

Since January 2011 I am Research Associate at the ARC, and I’m currently managing the assessment phase of the Quantitative Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (Q-CHAT) study. I continue to contribute to the ARC research projects related to hormones and biomarkers in people with and without ASC.