Ingfei Chen is a writer and editor in Northern California who likes telling stories about medicine, science and the environment. Her articles have published in The New York Times, Science, KQED Mindshift, Scientific American and Smithsonian, among others.
Ingfei Chen
Freelance writer
From this contributor
What baby siblings can teach us about autism
Studies of infants at risk for autism have not yielded a test to predict who will eventually be diagnosed. But they have transformed our understanding of the condition.
The gene hunters
Criss-crossing the globe on a quest for unusual DNA, researchers have discovered a rare mutation that promises insights into both epilepsy and autism — and points to a treatment.
Wide awake: Why children with autism struggle with sleep
Half of children who have autism have trouble falling or staying asleep, which may make their symptoms worse. Scientists are just beginning to explore what goes wrong in the midnight hour.
Wide awake: Why children with autism struggle with sleep
By
Ingfei Chen
7 October 2015 | 15 min read
Explore more from The Transmitter
Romain Brette reveals fundamental flaws in commonly assumed neuroscience concepts
His new book, “The Brain, In Theory,” offers alternatives to many of the computer science frameworks currently driving theoretical neuroscience.
Romain Brette reveals fundamental flaws in commonly assumed neuroscience concepts
His new book, “The Brain, In Theory,” offers alternatives to many of the computer science frameworks currently driving theoretical neuroscience.
By
Paul Middlebrooks
8 April 2026 | 131 min listen
Arboreal deer mice reveal neural roots of dexterity
The rodents offered researchers an opportunity to link genetically driven changes in corticospinal abundance and morphology to climbing cachet.
Arboreal deer mice reveal neural roots of dexterity
The rodents offered researchers an opportunity to link genetically driven changes in corticospinal abundance and morphology to climbing cachet.
By
Siddhant Pusdekar
8 April 2026 | 0 min watch
Single-gene systems-level effects, and more
Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the week of 6 April.
Single-gene systems-level effects, and more
Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the week of 6 April.
By
Jill Adams
7 April 2026 | 2 min read