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
Acetaminophen effects on developing brain organoids; and more
Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the week of 12 October.
Acetaminophen effects on developing brain organoids; and more
Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the week of 12 October.
By
Jill Adams
13 October 2026 | 1 min read
Private initiative makes ‘historic’ investment in autism research
Aligning Research to Impact Autism has committed more than $450 million to build a new multidisciplinary research network to uncover the roots of profound autism and develop treatments.
Private initiative makes ‘historic’ investment in autism research
Aligning Research to Impact Autism has committed more than $450 million to build a new multidisciplinary research network to uncover the roots of profound autism and develop treatments.
By
Madeline Shaw
13 October 2026 | 4 min read
The neural code at 100
In two 1926 articles, Edgar Douglas Adrian revealed that neurons communicate through trains of spikes.
The neural code at 100
In two 1926 articles, Edgar Douglas Adrian revealed that neurons communicate through trains of spikes.
By
Matteo Carandini
12 October 2026 | 8 min read