The gene known as FMR1, Fragile X Mental Retardation Protein, is a main contender for the spotlight in medical research of today. There are three specific disorders, called Fragile X-associated Disorders, that are caused by permutations of this gene and two of those disorders are studied at the University of California Davis Medical Center (UCDMC) located in Sacramento, CA. The two kinds of Fragile X-associated Disorders are discussed as well as final thoughts on the UC Davis internship. The first of these disorders is Fragile X Syndrome and is the best known cause of the disorder known as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) or simply autism. Approximately 1 in 88 children in the United States are affected by ASD. Those who suffer from ASD show signs such as delayed speech development, difficulties with social interactions, disrupted immune responses, and multiple other symptoms that range across the spectrum. This disorder is studied extensively at the Medical Investigation of Neu...