Elissa Ball is a former data analysis intern for Spectrum. Prior to coming here, she worked in the Yonkers Public Library and as a tutor for Kaplan Test Prep. She earned a bachelor’s degree in anthropology, with a minor in mechanical engineering, from the University of Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia.
Elissa Ball
From this contributor
Why autism training for police isn’t enough
Inconsistent and underfunded training programs may hurt more than they help, experts say.
Why autism training for police isn’t enough
By
Elissa Ball, Jaclyn Jeffrey-Wilensky
26 November 2020 | 16 min read
Autistic and non-autistic youth get different healthcare as they age
Young people with autism receive more mental health services, more consistent primary care and less gynecological or urgent care than their neurotypical peers.
Autistic and non-autistic youth get different healthcare as they age
By
Elissa Ball
23 September 2020 | 3 min read
Almost one-third of autistic children in the United States live in poverty
Children younger than age 5 and Black and Hispanic children on the spectrum experience the most financial hardships.
Almost one-third of autistic children in the United States live in poverty
By
Elissa Ball
19 August 2020 | 1 min read
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Prefrontal cortex has three transcriptomic acts across human lifespan, new atlas suggests
Various genes show distinct exits and entrances with age in the open-source dataset, the largest of its kind to date.
Prefrontal cortex has three transcriptomic acts across human lifespan, new atlas suggests
Various genes show distinct exits and entrances with age in the open-source dataset, the largest of its kind to date.
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Siddhant Pusdekar
23 September 2026 | 5 min read
Microglia scoop out garbage from inside neurons
Through a newly identified process called skoupocytosis, neurons recruit the immune cells to remove cellular waste they find hard to deal with themselves.
Microglia scoop out garbage from inside neurons
Through a newly identified process called skoupocytosis, neurons recruit the immune cells to remove cellular waste they find hard to deal with themselves.
By
Siddhant Pusdekar
23 September 2026 | 0 min watch
How neuromorphic computing could improve AI
Mihai Petrovici explains what neuromorphic computing is and how it can speed up and reduce energy consumption in artificial intelligence and brain simulations.
How neuromorphic computing could improve AI
Mihai Petrovici explains what neuromorphic computing is and how it can speed up and reduce energy consumption in artificial intelligence and brain simulations.
By
Gaute Einevoll
23 September 2026 | 102 min listen