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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The immune-conflict between dam and fetus could help explain sex differences in neurodevelopmental conditions.
Post-infection immune conflict alters fetal development in some male mice
The immune-conflict between dam and fetus could help explain sex differences in neurodevelopmental conditions.
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Viviane Callier
26 February 2026 | 5 min read
Three ecological psychologists on the right and wrong ways to use the field’s principles in neuroscience
Matthieu de Wit, Luis H. Favela and Vicente Raja weigh in on the recent trend of neuroscientists importing concepts from ecological psychology, the study of how an organism’s interactions with its environment explain perception and action.
Three ecological psychologists on the right and wrong ways to use the field’s principles in neuroscience
Matthieu de Wit, Luis H. Favela and Vicente Raja weigh in on the recent trend of neuroscientists importing concepts from ecological psychology, the study of how an organism’s interactions with its environment explain perception and action.
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Paul Middlebrooks
25 February 2026 | 1 min read
Is there a neuroscientist in the House?
Sam Wang, a neuroscientist running for the U.S. House of Representatives, has been considering American democracy for decades.
Is there a neuroscientist in the House?
Sam Wang, a neuroscientist running for the U.S. House of Representatives, has been considering American democracy for decades.
By
Lauren Schenkman
25 February 2026 | 7 min read