Amber Dance

Science writer and editor

Amber Dance is an award-winning freelance science writer and editor based in Southern California. She is a contributor at Knowable Magazine, program director for the New Horizons in Science briefings at the ScienceWriters annual conference for the Council for the Advancement of Science Writing, and a science writing instructor UCLA Extension. She is also a Fictionary StoryCoach Certified Editor.

From this contributor

Pregnancy

By Amber Dance

12 June 2026

5 min read

Maternity induces lasting gene-expression changes in mouse brains

The findings add to a small but growing body of research on neurological changes linked to pregnancy, birth and parenting.

Pregnancy

Maternity induces lasting gene-expression changes in mouse brains

By Amber Dance

12 June 2026 | 5 min read

Spectrum

By Amber Dance

26 March 2018

4 min read

mother and daughter sitting across a doctor

Levels of autism severity in diagnostic manual track with intelligence

A rating of high severity of autism from the DSM-5, the latest version of the “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders,” tracks with low intelligence scores.

Spectrum

Levels of autism severity in diagnostic manual track with intelligence

By Amber Dance

26 March 2018 | 4 min read

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8 July 2026

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Research image of proliferating neural cells.

Diverse autism genes derail common developmental pathways

Multiple genetic mouse models initially show delayed cortical development, but the animals’ molecular trajectories diverge within weeks after birth, a new study finds.

Spectrum

Diverse autism genes derail common developmental pathways

Multiple genetic mouse models initially show delayed cortical development, but the animals’ molecular trajectories diverge within weeks after birth, a new study finds.

By Holly Barker

8 July 2026 | 5 min read

Sex differences

By Lauren Schenkman

8 July 2026

5 min read