Nora Bradford is a lecturer in the Critical Writing Program at the University of Pennsylvania. She completed a Ph.D. in cognitive science at the University of California, Irvine and a B.S. in neuroscience, psychology and philosophy at the University of Chicago. Bradford has previously written freelance articles for Spectrum.
Nora Bradford
Lecturer, Critical Writing Program
University of Pennsylvania
From this contributor
‘Friction-maxxing’ in school: Students should read primary literature, not AI summaries
Trainees need to learn how to identify a neuroscience paper’s major takeaways and integrate them into their understanding. This skill doesn’t come from outsourcing the work to large language models.
‘Friction-maxxing’ in school: Students should read primary literature, not AI summaries
By
Nora Bradford
26 March 2026 | 5 min read
Epigenome edits unmute MECP2 in Rett-like neurons
The approach removes methyl tags from the gene and shields it from other silencing factors without changing the gene itself, raising hopes for a new treatment.
Epigenome edits unmute MECP2 in Rett-like neurons
By
Nora Bradford
16 February 2023 | 5 min read
Common and rare autism-linked variants share functional effects
Within the 16p region of the genome, the two types of variants similarly decrease neuronal gene expression — an effect that may reflect their spatial relationship.
Common and rare autism-linked variants share functional effects
By
Nora Bradford
1 December 2022 | 4 min read
Auditory cortex may develop early in autism
A well-studied brain response to sound appears earlier than usual in young children with autism.
Auditory cortex may develop early in autism
By
Nora Bradford
16 September 2022 | 3 min read
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Writing science that humans and machines can read
Large language models are now routinely used to search, summarize and synthesize the literature at scales impossible for any individual researcher—yet scientific publishing has not adapted to that reality.
Writing science that humans and machines can read
Large language models are now routinely used to search, summarize and synthesize the literature at scales impossible for any individual researcher—yet scientific publishing has not adapted to that reality.
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Rachel Parkinson
15 June 2026 | 7 min read
Maternity induces lasting gene-expression changes in mouse brains
The findings add to a small but growing body of research on neurological changes linked to pregnancy, birth and parenting.
Maternity induces lasting gene-expression changes in mouse brains
The findings add to a small but growing body of research on neurological changes linked to pregnancy, birth and parenting.
By
Amber Dance
12 June 2026 | 5 min read
IQ’s link to brain structure, function in children may be a mirage
A child’s socioeconomic status, screen time and amount of sleep all show stronger associations with measures of brain structure and function, according to an imaging study of nearly 12,000 9- to 10-year-olds.
IQ’s link to brain structure, function in children may be a mirage
A child’s socioeconomic status, screen time and amount of sleep all show stronger associations with measures of brain structure and function, according to an imaging study of nearly 12,000 9- to 10-year-olds.
By
Natalia Mesa
11 June 2026 | 5 min read