We are pleased to announce that Dr. Elisa Hill Yardin from RMIT University, Australia will join Second Conjoint RIKEN – ISM 2026 as a speaker and give a presentation entitled “When Synapses Shape the Microbiome: Decoding the Gut–Brain Axis in Autism“.

The Emerging Role of the Gut-Brain-Microbiota Axis in Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Prof Elisa Hill-Yardin, a prominent neuroscientist at RMIT University in Melbourne and a member of Australia’s inaugural Profound Autism Advisory Committee. She has a notable history of advocacy, including campaigns that have resulted in legislative changes locally and internationally for people with autism and brain disorders. Prof. Hill-Yardin will present her research on how the gut-brain-microbiota axis influences gastrointestinal dysfunction in autism.

Her research has revealed that autism-associated variants in the synaptic gene neuroligin-3 don’t just alter brain connectivity; these changes fundamentally alter enteric nervous system function, modifying gut motility, mucosal barrier integrity, and immune cell behavior. Strikingly, mice expressing the neuroligin-3 R451C variant exhibit fecal microbial dysbiosis even in shared housing environments, providing evidence that the nervous system itself regulates gut microbial populations.

These findings point to a bidirectional loop where gene variants encoding synaptic proteins reshape the gut environment, altering microbial communities and neuro-immune signaling. Prof Hill-Yardin will discuss how these insights are informing new directions in personalized microbial therapies, microbiome engineering, and mucosal barrier optimization, in particular for individuals living with profound autism and other neurological conditions.

For more information about her talk: 
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The 2^nd RIKEN-ISM Conjoint Meeting
Tokyo Microbiota 2026
September 24-25, 2026 – The University of Tokyo, Japan
tokyo.microbiota-ism.com