Erika Check Hayden is an award-winning, San Francisco-based science and technology reporter. She writes for Nature, and on a freelance basis for a variety of publications, and is a lecturer in the University of California, Santa Cruz Science Communication Program.
Erika Check Hayden
Freelance writer
From this contributor
For studies, size matters: Let us count the ways
In autism research, as in other fields, small sample sizes can lead to false findings. The size of the sample needed for statistical significance depends on the type of study.
For studies, size matters: Let us count the ways
By
Erika Check Hayden
17 October 2018 | 6 min read
Preprint server bioRxiv gets boost from Facebook billionaire
The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative has pledged to provide financial support for bioRxiv, a website where researchers can share manuscripts before peer review.
Preprint server bioRxiv gets boost from Facebook billionaire
By
Erika Check Hayden
28 April 2017 | 5 min read
Book review: ‘Rigor Mortis’ reveals rampant sloppiness in science
In his new book, journalist Richard Harris writes that lack of reproducibility in research poses a serious threat to science.
Book review: ‘Rigor Mortis’ reveals rampant sloppiness in science
By
Erika Check Hayden
4 April 2017 | 5 min read
Rising star: Somer Bishop fine-tunes autism diagnosis
Somer Bishop is launching a revolution in autism diagnosis, creating faster, more precise tools that speed research and better capture the full spectrum of autism symptoms.
Rising star: Somer Bishop fine-tunes autism diagnosis
By
Erika Check Hayden
28 April 2016 | 8 min read
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Going against the gut: Q&A with Kevin Mitchell on the autism-microbiome theory
A new review of 15 years of studies on the connection between the microbiome and autism reveals widespread statistical and conceptual errors.
Going against the gut: Q&A with Kevin Mitchell on the autism-microbiome theory
A new review of 15 years of studies on the connection between the microbiome and autism reveals widespread statistical and conceptual errors.
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Lauren Schenkman
13 November 2025 | 7 min read
Timing tweak turns trashed fMRI scans into treasure
Leveraging start-up “dummy scans,” which are typically discarded in imaging analyses, can shorten an experiment’s length and make data collection more efficient, a new study reveals.
Timing tweak turns trashed fMRI scans into treasure
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Perimenopause: An important—and understudied—transition for the brain
Many well-known perimenopause symptoms arise in the brain, but we still know little about the specific mechanisms at play. More research—in both animals and humans—is essential.
Perimenopause: An important—and understudied—transition for the brain
Many well-known perimenopause symptoms arise in the brain, but we still know little about the specific mechanisms at play. More research—in both animals and humans—is essential.
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Marija Kundakovic
12 November 2025 | 6 min read