Rachel Nuwer is a freelance science journalist who regularly contributes to The New York Times, Nature, Scientific American and more. Her latest book is “I Feel Love: MDMA and the Quest for Connection in a Fractured World.” She is also adjunct professor of science journalism at New York University.
Rachel Nuwer
Contributing writer
From this contributor
Lisa Croen: Autism’s first dedicated epidemiologist
Inspired by watching her autistic nephew grow up, Croen has also been an advocate for bolstering research and services for autistic adults.
Lisa Croen: Autism’s first dedicated epidemiologist
By
Rachel Nuwer
28 March 2022 | 9 min read
Finding strengths in autism
Autism comprises a set of difficulties, but growing evidence suggests that certain abilities also define the condition.
Meet the autistic scientists redefining autism research
Growing ranks of researchers on the spectrum are overcoming barriers — from neurotypical bias to sensory sensitivities — to shape autism science.
Meet the autistic scientists redefining autism research
By
Rachel Nuwer
10 June 2020 | 18 min read
Growing old with autism
For many autistic adults, the golden years are tarnished by poor health, poverty and, in some cases, homelessness. Their plight reveals huge gaps in care.
Mouse study links gene to some autism symptoms
Mice missing a gene called PTCHD1 in a deep-seated brain structure have autism-like symptoms that ease with treatment.
Explore more from The Transmitter
Is confidence a second thought—or part of the first one?
In some settings, neural circuits may calculate confidence in a decision simultaneously with the choice itself. That changes the types of questions researchers should ask.
Is confidence a second thought—or part of the first one?
In some settings, neural circuits may calculate confidence in a decision simultaneously with the choice itself. That changes the types of questions researchers should ask.
By
Ariel Zylberberg
5 October 2026 | 6 min read
What AI can learn from hunger
To enhance AI safety, take a lesson from biological brains; a small set of wants maintains durable control over a much larger cognitive system.
What AI can learn from hunger
To enhance AI safety, take a lesson from biological brains; a small set of wants maintains durable control over a much larger cognitive system.
By
Anthony Zador
5 October 2026 | 6 min read
New projectome captures ‘complex beast’ of serotonin system in mice
The whole-brain map—the first of its kind in a vertebrate—identifies five distinct neuron groups.
New projectome captures ‘complex beast’ of serotonin system in mice
The whole-brain map—the first of its kind in a vertebrate—identifies five distinct neuron groups.
By
Madeline Shaw
2 October 2026 | 0 min watch