Tue, Dec 02 2008
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Published March 18, 2008 11:02 am - Former Oskaloosa student-athlete working to find causes of autism By WES KAPPELMAN The Oskaloosa Herald OSKALOOSA — An Oskaloosa native is making strides in autism research, showing that a mother’s antibodies may be attacking a developing fetus’ brain. Loren Martin, 32, an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology at Azusa Pacific University, has been researching how the brain works since his undergraduate studies. “I was really interested in the brain early on,” Martin said. Martin was the lead author of a study that examined whether a mother’s antibodies could influence whether a child will become autistic. The study, titled “Stereotypies and hyperactivity in rhesus monkeys exposed to IgG from mothers of children with autism,” was recently published in the science journal Brain, Behavior, and Immunity. Martin’s mom, Maria Martin, who runs Mahaska Hearing Aid, said she had known her son would become a doctor since he was 10. “Loren has always been an overachiever, and he’s always been a perfectionist in his work,” Maria Martin said. Loren was a straight-A student throughout high school. Although he was the valedictorian of the class of 1994, he preferred Friday nights on the football field to preparing for exams. “He loved football,” Maria Martin said. During his senior year of high school, he was named first-team all-district and won the coveted Benz Award. The team went 3-6, which was an improvement from the winless season the year before. In the 1994 yearbook, Martin is quoted saying, “Yes, I think we won respect. We won three games and had several other games that were close.” A few years later, Coach Jerry Staton took the Indians to a state title. Martin said football provided him with much needed discipline and added balance to his studies. The advanced courses at Oskaloosa High School helped him prepare for college. He said the heritage class taught by Mrs. Staton and Mr. Burrows was a good course that helped foster an interest in gaining more knowledge, and advanced chemistry with John Heslinga had a profound impact on his interest in science. “It was an excellent course,” Martin said. He took his interests to Olivet Nazarene University in Kankakee, Ill., where he studied psychology. He played his freshman year, but then decided to focus on his studies and other aspects of college life. During his sophomore year in college, he worked on a therapy team to help a 3-year-old boy with autism. The group of student therapists provided treatment to teach the boy how to communicate and socialize under the supervision of a licensed therapist. 
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