Rahul Rao is a freelance science writer, graduate of New York University’s Science, Health and Environmental Reporting Program, and “Doctor Who” fan.
Rahul Rao
From this contributor
Web app tracks pupil size in people, mice
The app relies on artificial intelligence and could help researchers standardize studies of pupil differences in autistic people and in mouse models of autism.
New library catalogs the human gut microbiome
Researchers put hundreds of gut bacteria strains through their paces to chart the compounds each creates — and to help others explore the flora's potential contribution to autism.
New unified toolbox traces, analyzes neurons
‘SNT’ helps researchers sift through microscope images to reconstruct and analyze neurons and their connections.
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Largest leucovorin-autism trial retracted
A reanalysis of the data revealed errors and failed to replicate the results.
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NIH scraps policy that classified basic research in people as clinical trials
The policy aimed to increase the transparency of research in humans but created “a bureaucratic nightmare” for basic neuroscientists.
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3 February 2026 | 6 min read