Zachary Williams

M.D./Ph.D. student
Vanderbilt University

Zack Williams is an M.D./Ph.D. student at Vanderbilt University, in Nashville, Tennessee, currently pursuing a joint Ph.D. in neuroscience and hearing and speech sciences. His research focuses on the development and evaluation of psychological measures for use in adults on the autism spectrum. He is particularly interested in the assessment of co-occurring psychiatric and psychosomatic disorders in autistic adults and the development of evidence-based treatments for these conditions.

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Illustration of worm on top of a purple rock with neurons in the background.

The three-banded panther worm is rewriting the story of brain evolution

The animal has a brain structure all its own, according to a 2026 preprint. The finding hints that brains could have evolved centralization before regionalization.

By Sarah DeWeerdt
4 November 2026 | 7 min read

Does cognition happen in brain areas or between them?

Michael Cole explains how "brain flows" are the fundamental units of brain function and cognition.

By Paul Middlebrooks
4 November 2026 | 1 min read
Brain Flows book cover

‘Brain Flows: How Network Dynamics Compose the Human Mind,’ an excerpt

In his new book, published today, Michael W. Cole examines how the movement of neuronal activity between neuronal populations shapes free will, intelligence and creativity. In this excerpt from Chapter 1, Cole explores why activity flows could unify efforts to map brain functions and connectivity.

By Michael W. Cole
3 November 2026 | 9 min read