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
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Jill Adams
21 April 2026 | 2 min read
Frameshift: How Mia Thomaidou tapped a fellowship to connect neuroscience to criminal justice
As a fellow at the Dana Foundation, she merged two familiar passions and discovered a new one: science philanthropy.
Frameshift: How Mia Thomaidou tapped a fellowship to connect neuroscience to criminal justice
As a fellow at the Dana Foundation, she merged two familiar passions and discovered a new one: science philanthropy.
By
Katie Moisse
21 April 2026 | 6 min read
To understand decision-making, we need to truly challenge lab animals
Complex, multidimensional tasks that unfold over time could reveal how different brain areas work together to support decisions.
To understand decision-making, we need to truly challenge lab animals
Complex, multidimensional tasks that unfold over time could reveal how different brain areas work together to support decisions.
By
Chand Chandrasekaran
20 April 2026 | 6 min read