Arts

Recent articles

Black-and-white photograph of Bryan W Jones holding a camera and pointing it back at the photographer.

An eye for science: Q&A with Bryan W. Jones

The researcher explains how the beauty of the retina drew him into the vision field and why photography reminds him of the value of that work.

By Angie Voyles Askham
6 December 2024 | 7 min read
Illustrated portrait of Kanaka Rajan.

How neuroscience comics add KA-POW! to the field: Q&A with Kanaka Rajan

The artistic approach can help explain complex ideas frame by frame without diluting the science, Rajan says.

By Olivia Gieger
9 October 2024 | 7 min read
Young researcher sitting in the grass holding a pillow shaped like a fish.

Seeing research through a new lens: Q&A with Pei Yuan Zhang

When she’s not in the lab, the cognitive scientist films documentaries that challenge her love of data and order.

By Olivia Gieger
20 September 2024 | 7 min read
Closeup of jelly on forceps, black background.

The Transmitter Launch: An early-career researcher’s extracurriculars capture beauty in the lab

Doctoral student Thomas Barlow uses photography to illuminate research spaces and show people what scientists do.

By Angie Voyles Askham, Rebecca Horne
8 March 2024 | 4 min read
The band Pavlov's Dogz on stage

When the conference doors close, these scientists rock out

A Pavlov’s Dogz show has become tradition at the annual Society for Neuroscience meeting.

By Angie Voyles Askham
21 November 2023 | 6 min read
Illustration of hybrid objects: part light bulb, part lab vial, some in blue and some in red to signify null and replicated results.

Null and Noteworthy: Reinforcing rigor; medication medley

This month’s newsletter highlights findings on the use of three medication types during pregnancy.

By Emily Harris
14 December 2022 | 4 min read
Ilustration shows a young women with pillows, pies and records flying around her.

Book Review: An autistic writer recounts the fun and futility of trying to fit in

In “I Overcame My Autism and All I Got Was This Lousy Anxiety Disorder,” Sarah Kurchak weaves together jagged honesty, funny anecdotes and occasionally painful doses of self-awareness.

By Sara Luterman
13 October 2020 | 4 min read
The knight Perceval leaves his mother in extreme distress, oblivious to his effect, as he rides into the distance.

The perils of suggesting famous historical figures had autism

Looking for signs of autism in characters from history and literature can offer insight into society’s changing perceptions through time — but it can also increase the risk of stigma against people with the condition.

By Terje Falck-Ytter, Sofia Loden
22 September 2020 | 7 min read
Pen and ink drawings by a father and daughter in a. sketchbook

On the same page: Divorce, drawing, and parenting an autistic child

Shared sketch books chart a father-daughter relationship over time and provide a valuable outlet for self-regulating emotions.

By Rebecca Horne
28 July 2020 | 6 min read

Photographer captures intimate scenes of daily life with autism

An award-winning photography series offers a close look at one autistic person coming of age in New York City.

By Rebecca Horne
23 December 2019 | 6 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

Pixelated human brain scans showing the distribution of mitochondria.

Mitochondrial ‘landscape’ shifts across human brain

Evolutionarily newer regions sport mitochondria with a higher capacity for energy production than older regions, according to the first detailed map of the organelles in a tissue slice, adding to mounting evidence that the brain features a metabolic gradient.

By Claudia López Lloreda
25 April 2025 | 6 min read
A clinician holds a clipboard while someone else sits on a couch.

Expediting clinical trials for profound autism: Q&A with Matthew State

Aligning Research to Impact Autism, a new initiative funded by the Sergey Brin Family Foundation, wants to bring basic science discoveries to the clinic faster.

By Lauren Schenkman
24 April 2025 | 8 min read
Illustration of astrocytes in a petri dish.

This paper changed my life: Shane Liddelow on two papers that upended astrocyte research

A game-changing cell culture method developed in Ben Barres’ lab completely transformed the way we study astrocytes and helped me build a career studying their reactive substates.

By Shane Liddelow
23 April 2025 | 6 min read