Shweta Karikehalli


Shweta Karikehalli is an environmental and science journalist based in New York City. Prior to joining _Spectrum_, Shweta was an editorial fellow at _Audubon_ magazine and worked for the _Daily Orange_, Syracuse University’s award-winning independent newspaper, as a copy editor and reporter. She has an M.A. in magazine, newspaper and online journalism from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and a B.S. in conservation biology from the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry.

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Digital model of a fly next to a digital model of a nematode.

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The sphinx, with a worm’s brain and a fly’s body, illustrates the potential pitfalls of using deep-learning techniques to model biological processes.

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Astrocytes in a mouse brain.

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These glial cells are increasingly linked to neurodevelopmental conditions and the regulation of social behaviors and anxiety.

By The Transmitter
2 April 2026 | 2 min read