Professor Peter Kind is Professor of Developmental Neuroscience at the Centre for Integrative Physiology, the University of Edinburgh. Normal brain development depends upon brain cells (neurones) talking to each other at specialised sites called synapses. Disorders that affect this communication process include Fragile X Syndrome and Autism Spectrum Disorder. This talk will reveal how the development of neuronal communication at synapses is altered in Fragile X Syndrome (FXS). We will also examine how basic research into the role of genetics has led to the development of new medicines for treating FXS and hopefully will result in treatment possibilities for some forms of autism. This lecture is part of the Medical Detectives, a series of public lectures that show how keen detective work is still essential for 21st century doctors: http://www.ed.ac.uk/news/events/medical-detectives/ Recorded on Thursday 20 October 2011 in the Anatomy Lecture Theatre at the University of Edinburgh.