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
Allen Institute sets sights on treatments for five brain diseases
The Brain Health Accelerator program aims to harness single-cell transcriptomics and cell-type-specific genetic tools to develop treatments for Alzheimer’s, Huntington’s and Parkinson’s diseases, Lewy body dementia and ALS.
Allen Institute sets sights on treatments for five brain diseases
The Brain Health Accelerator program aims to harness single-cell transcriptomics and cell-type-specific genetic tools to develop treatments for Alzheimer’s, Huntington’s and Parkinson’s diseases, Lewy body dementia and ALS.
By
Calli McMurray
2 June 2026 | 5 min read
Learning why spiny mice play well with others
Aubrey Kelly studies the gregarious mammal to explore how the brain controls complex social behaviors “akin to friendship.”
Learning why spiny mice play well with others
Aubrey Kelly studies the gregarious mammal to explore how the brain controls complex social behaviors “akin to friendship.”
By
Hannah Thomasy
2 June 2026 | 5 min read
Autism-linked genes expressed in thalamus make an impact, and more
Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the week of 1 June.
Autism-linked genes expressed in thalamus make an impact, and more
Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the week of 1 June.
By
Jill Adams
2 June 2026 | 2 min read