Niko McCarty was Spectrum’s data reporter from 2021 to 2022. He has an M.A. from New York University’s Science, Health and Environmental Reporting Program. He also has an M.Res. in systems and synthetic biology from Imperial College London, where he was a Fulbright Scholar, and an M.Sc. in bioengineering from the California Institute of Technology. His prior research focused on engineered microbial communities and building CRISPR-Cas technologies.
Niko McCarty
Former data reporter
Spectrum
From this contributor
Neuroscience journal retracts 13 papers at once
The papers were flagged by a method that has now been called into question.
DNA unwinder tied to social behaviors in mice, zebrafish
Blocking the enzyme, called TOP2A, in embryos makes the animals less inclined to seek companionship later in life.
DNA unwinder tied to social behaviors in mice, zebrafish
By
Niko McCarty
16 December 2022 | 4 min read
Microscopy mash-up quantifies, maps neural circuits
A new method that merges tissue expansion, light-sheet microscopy and automated image segmentation can reconstruct neural circuits in about a week.
Microscopy mash-up quantifies, maps neural circuits
By
Niko McCarty
7 December 2022 | 5 min read
Autism brain signature most pronounced in sensory areas
An analysis of 11 cortical regions shows anterior-to-posterior shifts in gene expression linked to autism.
Autism brain signature most pronounced in sensory areas
By
Niko McCarty
2 November 2022 | 6 min read
New tool transforms, compares dissimilar brain maps
The open-source software makes it possible to overlay disparate datasets and potentially accelerate hypothesis generation.
New tool transforms, compares dissimilar brain maps
By
Niko McCarty
1 November 2022 | 4 min read
Explore more from The Transmitter
Let’s teach neuroscientists how to be thoughtful and fair reviewers
Blanco-Suárez revamped the traditional journal club by developing a course in which students peer review preprints alongside the published papers that evolved from them.
Let’s teach neuroscientists how to be thoughtful and fair reviewers
Blanco-Suárez revamped the traditional journal club by developing a course in which students peer review preprints alongside the published papers that evolved from them.
By
Elena Blanco-Suárez
6 March 2026 | 6 min read
New autism committee positions itself as science-backed alternative to government group
The Independent Autism Coordinating Committee plans to meet at the same time as the U.S. federal Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee later this month—and offer its own research agenda.
New autism committee positions itself as science-backed alternative to government group
The Independent Autism Coordinating Committee plans to meet at the same time as the U.S. federal Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee later this month—and offer its own research agenda.
By
Angie Voyles Askham
5 March 2026 | 5 min read
Two neurobiologists win 2026 Brain Prize for discovering mechanics of touch
Research by Patrik Ernfors and David Ginty has delineated the diverse cell types of the somatosensory system and revealed how they detect and discriminate among different types of tactile information.
Two neurobiologists win 2026 Brain Prize for discovering mechanics of touch
Research by Patrik Ernfors and David Ginty has delineated the diverse cell types of the somatosensory system and revealed how they detect and discriminate among different types of tactile information.
By
Helena Kudiabor
5 March 2026 | 4 min read