Shafaq Zia is a science journalist and a graduate student in the Graduate Program in Science Writing at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Previously, she was a reporting intern at STAT, covering the COVID-19 pandemic and the latest research in health technology.
Shafaq Zia
From this contributor
Spotted around the web: COVID-19 during pregnancy, sleep problems, eugenics
Here is a roundup of news and research for the week of 6 June.
Spotted around the web: COVID-19 during pregnancy, sleep problems, eugenics
By
Jill Adams, Angie Voyles Askham, Peter Hess, Shafaq Zia
10 June 2022 | 3 min read
New resource tracks genetic variations in Han Chinese populations
An online database called NyuWa catalogs genetic variations among nearly 3,000 individuals and provides a comprehensive reference genome for the Han people.
New resource tracks genetic variations in Han Chinese populations
By
Shafaq Zia
9 December 2021 | 3 min read
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What Trump’s psychedelics executive order means for basic neuroscience
The order provides a potential path to remove some psychedelic drugs from the strictest regulatory category, yet it “may not be the breakthrough the basic research community has been looking for,” says neuroscientist Shawn Lockery.
What Trump’s psychedelics executive order means for basic neuroscience
The order provides a potential path to remove some psychedelic drugs from the strictest regulatory category, yet it “may not be the breakthrough the basic research community has been looking for,” says neuroscientist Shawn Lockery.
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Calli McMurray
24 April 2026 | 4 min read
Switching neural code may solve ongoing face-recognition debate
Face patch cells in macaque monkeys initially respond to images of any object but rapidly transition to attend to faces exclusively, a new study finds.
Switching neural code may solve ongoing face-recognition debate
Face patch cells in macaque monkeys initially respond to images of any object but rapidly transition to attend to faces exclusively, a new study finds.
By
Holly Barker
23 April 2026 | 5 min read
Liset de la Prida explains how neuron subtypes may control the activity of large neural populations, from manifolds to ripples
De la Prida's work analyzing the varieties of sharp wave ripples in the hippocampus led to her discovery that specific types of neurons control the properties of neural manifolds.
Liset de la Prida explains how neuron subtypes may control the activity of large neural populations, from manifolds to ripples
De la Prida's work analyzing the varieties of sharp wave ripples in the hippocampus led to her discovery that specific types of neurons control the properties of neural manifolds.
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Paul Middlebrooks
22 April 2026 | 104 min listen