Michele Solis is a freelance writer based in Seattle, Washington.
Michele Solis
Freelance Writer
SFARI
From this contributor
Molecular mechanisms: Autism protein connects neurons
An autism-linked protein called CASPR2 promotes the development of dendrites, the bushy structures atop neurons that receive signals from other neurons, according to a study published 30 October in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Lowering CASPR2 levels leads to sparse dendrites and few synapses, the junctions between neurons.
Molecular mechanisms: Autism protein connects neurons
By
Michele Solis
28 November 2012 | 2 min read
Molecular mechanisms: Stress pathway dysregulated in autism
Two studies report abnormalities in the system that mediates the body’s response to stress in two mouse models of autism-related diseases: Angelman syndrome and Rett syndrome. The results were published in the April issue of Human Molecular Genetics.
Molecular mechanisms: Stress pathway dysregulated in autism
By
Michele Solis
27 April 2012 | 2 min read
Molecular mechanisms: Autism gene tied to neuronal wiring
An autism-linked protein helps wire neurons together, according to two studies published in late September.
Molecular mechanisms: Autism gene tied to neuronal wiring
By
Michele Solis
21 October 2011 | 2 min read
Molecular mechanisms: MeCP2 loss ups signal strength
A study using action potentials, the electrical impulses that trigger signaling, shows that neurons lacking MeCP2, the Rett syndrome protein, have stronger neuronal signals compared with controls, according to a study published in the July Journal of Neurophysiology.
Molecular mechanisms: MeCP2 loss ups signal strength
By
Michele Solis
3 August 2011 | 2 min read
Molecular mechanisms: Neuroligin-4 induces synapses in a dish
Neuroligin-4, a protein associated with autism, is located at synapses — the junctions between neurons — that inhibit signals in the brain, according to a study published in February in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The protein can also single-handedly induce neurons derived from human stem cells to form synapses, according to another study in the same issue.
Molecular mechanisms: Neuroligin-4 induces synapses in a dish
By
Michele Solis
23 March 2011 | 2 min read
Explore more from The Transmitter
Autism-linked genes alter sleep behavior, and more
Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the week of 13 April.
Autism-linked genes alter sleep behavior, and more
Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the week of 13 April.
By
Jill Adams
14 April 2026 | 2 min read
This paper changed my life: Erin Calipari ponders the nuances of rewarding and aversive stimuli
A 1960s study by Kelleher and Morse found that lever pressing in squirrel monkeys depended not on whether they received a reward or shock, but on the rules of the task. This taught Calipari to think deeply about factors that influence how behavior is generated and maintained.
This paper changed my life: Erin Calipari ponders the nuances of rewarding and aversive stimuli
A 1960s study by Kelleher and Morse found that lever pressing in squirrel monkeys depended not on whether they received a reward or shock, but on the rules of the task. This taught Calipari to think deeply about factors that influence how behavior is generated and maintained.
By
Erin Calipari
14 April 2026 | 5 min read
Why neural foundation models work, and what they might—and might not—teach us about the brain
These models can partly generalize across species, brain regions and tasks, suggesting that a set of machine-learnable rules govern neural population activity. But will we be able to understand them?
Why neural foundation models work, and what they might—and might not—teach us about the brain
These models can partly generalize across species, brain regions and tasks, suggesting that a set of machine-learnable rules govern neural population activity. But will we be able to understand them?
By
Juan Gallego
13 April 2026 | 8 min read