Cheryl Platzman Weinstock is an award–winning journalist who reports about health and science research and its impact on society. Her investigative pieces have brought attention to mental health, medical ethics issues and the medical research gender gap. She also writes for the Metro desk of The New York Times.
Cheryl Platzman Weinstock
From this contributor
The deep emotional ties between depression and autism
Autistic people are four times as likely to experience depression over the course of their lives as their neurotypical peers. Yet researchers know little about why, or how best to help.
The deep emotional ties between depression and autism
By
Cheryl Platzman Weinstock
31 July 2019 | 14 min read
The hidden danger of suicide in autism
Many people with autism entertain thoughts of suicide and yet show few obvious signs of their distress. Some scientists are identifying risks — and solutions — unique to autistic individuals.
The hidden danger of suicide in autism
By
Cheryl Platzman Weinstock
8 August 2018 | 16 min read
Explore more from The Transmitter
Michael Shadlen explains how theory of mind ushers nonconscious thoughts into consciousness
All of our thoughts, mostly nonconscious, are interrogations of the world, Shadlen says. The opportunity to report our answers to ourselves or others brings a thought into conscious awareness.
Michael Shadlen explains how theory of mind ushers nonconscious thoughts into consciousness
All of our thoughts, mostly nonconscious, are interrogations of the world, Shadlen says. The opportunity to report our answers to ourselves or others brings a thought into conscious awareness.
By
Paul Middlebrooks
28 January 2026 | 1 min read
‘Peer review is our strength’: Q&A with Walter Koroshetz, former NINDS director
In his first week off the job, the former National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke director urges U.S. scientists to remain optimistic about the future of neuroscience research, even if the executive branch “may not value what we do.”
‘Peer review is our strength’: Q&A with Walter Koroshetz, former NINDS director
In his first week off the job, the former National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke director urges U.S. scientists to remain optimistic about the future of neuroscience research, even if the executive branch “may not value what we do.”
By
Angie Voyles Askham
27 January 2026 | 7 min read
Viral remnant in chimpanzees silences brain gene humans still use
The retroviral insert appears to inadvertently switch off a gene involved in brain development.
Viral remnant in chimpanzees silences brain gene humans still use
The retroviral insert appears to inadvertently switch off a gene involved in brain development.
By
Siddhant Pusdekar
27 January 2026 | 5 min read