Kristin Sainani

Teaching professor
Stanford University

Kristin Sainani is associate teaching professor of epidemiology and population health at Stanford University in California.

From this contributor

Spectrum

By Spectrum

14 March 2023

5 min read

Photograph of a doctor taking notes on a toddler who is playing with their mother.

Journal Club: Meta-analysis oversells popular autism screen

The Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT) accurately flags autistic toddlers, a new systematic review and meta-analysis suggests, contrary to past evidence that the tool’s validity varies depending on a child’s age and traits. Experts weigh in on the discrepancy.

Spectrum

Journal Club: Meta-analysis oversells popular autism screen

By Spectrum

14 March 2023 | 5 min read

Spectrum

By Kristin Sainani

28 February 2022

3 min read

Flawed methods undermine study on undiagnosed autism and suicide

The researchers attempted to retroactively identify signs of autism in people who died by suicide, but their analysis is not convincing.

Spectrum

Flawed methods undermine study on undiagnosed autism and suicide

By Kristin Sainani

28 February 2022 | 3 min read

Spectrum

By Kristin Sainani

1 February 2022

4 min read

Study links screen time to autism, but problems abound

The paper relied on parent-reported data and adjusted for few potentially confounding variables.

Spectrum

Study links screen time to autism, but problems abound

By Kristin Sainani

1 February 2022 | 4 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

This paper changed my life

By Sidarta Ribeiro

14 July 2026

4 min read

Illustration of birdsong, bird brain, and DNA.

This paper changed my life: Embracing an early model for naturalistic neuroscience

A 1992 PNAS paper showed how birdsong upregulates the expression of an immediate early gene in bird forebrains. The work revealed to Ribeiro the importance of studying molecular responses in naturalistic contexts.

This paper changed my life