Emily Sohn is a freelance journalist in Minneapolis. She writes mainly about health, science, adventure and complex conservation questions. Her stories have appeared in Nature, the Washington Post, NPR, Aeon, bioGraphic and many other publications. See more at www.tidepoolsinc.com.
Emily Sohn
Contributing writer
From this contributor
Maiken Nedergaard’s power of disruption
The award-winning researcher’s discoveries have changed the way we think about the brain; that’s exactly what her critics dislike.
Maiken Nedergaard’s power of disruption
By
Emily Sohn
26 February 2024 | 26 min listen
Rising star: Ann Kennedy bridges gap between biology, computational theory
A theoretical neuroscientist, Kennedy uses a blend of computational modeling and real-world experiments to understand how brain activity shapes the behaviors of animals that model autism and other conditions.
Rising star: Ann Kennedy bridges gap between biology, computational theory
By
Emily Sohn
26 July 2022 | 5 min listen
Low standards corrode quality of popular autism therapy
Rapid growth and inadequate standards in the 'applied behavior analysis' industry may put vulnerable children in the hands of poorly prepared technicians.
Low standards corrode quality of popular autism therapy
By
Emily Sohn
28 October 2020 | 19 min listen
The blurred line between autism and intellectual disability
Doctors often conflate autism and intellectual disability, and no wonder: The biological distinction between them is murky. Scientific progress depends on knowing where the conditions intersect — and part ways.
The blurred line between autism and intellectual disability
By
Emily Sohn
15 April 2020 | 15 min read
How abuse mars the lives of autistic people
Many people with autism experience a triad of trauma: neglect at home, abuse from trusted adults and bullying at school or work.
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Exclusive: Recruitment issues jeopardize ambitious plan for human brain atlas
A lack of six new brain donors may stop the project from meeting its goal to pair molecular and cellular data with the functional organization of the cortex.
Exclusive: Recruitment issues jeopardize ambitious plan for human brain atlas
A lack of six new brain donors may stop the project from meeting its goal to pair molecular and cellular data with the functional organization of the cortex.
By
Calli McMurray
9 May 2025 | 6 min read
How pragmatism and passion drive Fred Volkmar—even after retirement
Whether looking back at his career highlights or forward to his latest projects, the psychiatrist is committed to supporting autistic people at every age.
How pragmatism and passion drive Fred Volkmar—even after retirement
Whether looking back at his career highlights or forward to his latest projects, the psychiatrist is committed to supporting autistic people at every age.
By
Claudia Wallis
8 May 2025 | 9 min read
The brain’s quiet conductor: How hidden cells fine-tune arousal
New research published today suggests that the pericoeruleus acts as a kind of micromanager of arousal, selectively inhibiting different subgroups of locus coeruleus neurons depending on the behavioral context.
The brain’s quiet conductor: How hidden cells fine-tune arousal
New research published today suggests that the pericoeruleus acts as a kind of micromanager of arousal, selectively inhibiting different subgroups of locus coeruleus neurons depending on the behavioral context.
By
Mac Shine
7 May 2025 | 59 min watch