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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New projectome captures ‘complex beast’ of serotonin system in mice
The whole-brain map—the first of its kind in a vertebrate—identifies five distinct neuron groups.
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The whole-brain map—the first of its kind in a vertebrate—identifies five distinct neuron groups.
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Madeline Shaw
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Silent, motion-resistant fMRI expands scans in behaving mice
The method, called SORDINO, captures brain images in animals while they move and interact.
Silent, motion-resistant fMRI expands scans in behaving mice
The method, called SORDINO, captures brain images in animals while they move and interact.
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Diana Kwon
2 October 2026 | 5 min read
Autism-linked variants converge on two molecular patterns in mouse brains
Gene activity across 17 autism mouse models occurs in either of two opposing transcriptomic states, supporting the idea that diverse genetic changes may converge on a few recurring biological patterns.
Autism-linked variants converge on two molecular patterns in mouse brains
Gene activity across 17 autism mouse models occurs in either of two opposing transcriptomic states, supporting the idea that diverse genetic changes may converge on a few recurring biological patterns.
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Giorgia Guglielmi
1 October 2026 | 4 min read