Michael Marshall is a freelance science journalist based in the United Kingdom. He writes about life sciences and the environment. He has a B.A. and an M.Phil. in natural sciences from the University of Cambridge and an M.Sc. in science communication from Imperial College London. Marshall was a staff journalist at New Scientist and at BBC Earth before going freelance in 2017. His work has since appeared in Nature, BBC Future and The Telegraph, among others. His first book, on the origin of life on Earth, is slated to be published in 2020.
Michael Marshall
From this contributor
Autistic children’s sleep problems linked to behavioral regulation issues
Young autistic children with sleep troubles tend to have difficulty regulating their behavior later in childhood.
Autistic children’s sleep problems linked to behavioral regulation issues
By
Michael Marshall
5 July 2021 | 4 min read
Remote diagnosis, support could aid families during lockdown
Cut off from clients by the pandemic, clinicians are turning to video conferencing and other technologies to diagnose children with autism.
Remote diagnosis, support could aid families during lockdown
By
Michael Marshall
27 April 2020 | 4 min read
Autism’s relationship to head size, explained
Some people with autism have an unusually large head. What causes the enlargement? And does it have any bearing on outcome?
Autism’s relationship to head size, explained
By
Michael Marshall
9 April 2020 | 6 min read
U.K. government faces lawsuit over mistreatment of autistic people
Following a series of scandals in the United Kingdom over people with autism being held against their will and mistreated in hospitals, a watchdog group has issued a legal challenge to the government.
U.K. government faces lawsuit over mistreatment of autistic people
By
Michael Marshall
23 March 2020 | 4 min read
Preprints of autism research, explained
Over the past decade, biologists have increasingly been posting their research results on preprint servers, ahead of the results' publication in traditional scientific journals.
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Prevalence of profound autism declines with new definition
The updated, more precise definition used in a CDC study includes adaptive scores.
Prevalence of profound autism declines with new definition
The updated, more precise definition used in a CDC study includes adaptive scores.
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22 October 2026 | 5 min read
Is it time for neuroscience to shift its focus from a computational mind to a navigating mind?
Andrea Hiott explains her navigational approach to the mind, and why now is the time to embrace seemingly paradoxical findings in neuroscience.
Is it time for neuroscience to shift its focus from a computational mind to a navigating mind?
Andrea Hiott explains her navigational approach to the mind, and why now is the time to embrace seemingly paradoxical findings in neuroscience.
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Paul Middlebrooks
21 October 2026 | 1 min read
Human brain organoids come of age—but still have room to grow
The U.S. government has touted organoids as an alternative to animals for studying the brain. The model has improved since its debut in 2013, but scientists are still working to overcome key limitations: immaturity, consistency and the lack of vascularization.
Human brain organoids come of age—but still have room to grow
The U.S. government has touted organoids as an alternative to animals for studying the brain. The model has improved since its debut in 2013, but scientists are still working to overcome key limitations: immaturity, consistency and the lack of vascularization.
By
Claudia López Lloreda
21 October 2026 | 9 min read