Education

Recent articles

Photograph of a cardinal with male-typical red feathers on one side and more drab, female-typical feathers on the other.

What birds can teach us about the ‘biological truth’ of sex

Part of our job as educators is to give students a deeper understanding of the true diversity of sex and gender in the natural world.

By Nicole M. Baran
22 April 2025 | 7 min read
Illustration of a scientist reaching toward a shelf of beakers in the shape of a speech bubble.

How to communicate the value of curiosity-driven research

The burden of proof is on us—researchers—to explain why what we do is valuable to society.

By Anthony Zador
4 March 2025 | 5 min read
Two scientists walk along interlocking rings.

Breaking the barrier between theorists and experimentalists

Many neuroscience students are steeped in an experiment-first style of thinking that leads to “random walk science.” Let’s not forget how theory can guide experiments toward deeper insights.

By Samuel Gershman
24 February 2025 | 6 min read
Against a background of American dollar bills, two hands gesture at a whiteboard that shows liquid flowing from one beacon into another.

How to teach students about science funding

As researchers reel over the uncertain state of U.S. federal funding, educating students on the business of science is more important than ever.

By Ashley Juavinett
19 February 2025 | 8 min read
Multiple people look together at a whiteboard in a lab.

Why practical summer courses in neuroscience matter

Among other reasons, this tradition helps researchers rekindle the unfettered joy that initially brought them to the field.

By John Tuthill
13 January 2025 | 7 min read
Stock photograph of a women and her young child at a clinician’s office.

A genetics-first clinic for catching developmental conditions early: Q&A with Jacob Vorstman

A new clinic is assessing children who have a genetic predisposition for autism and other neurodevelopmental conditions—sometimes before traits appear.

By Lauren Schenkman
15 August 2024 | 7 min read
Photograph of Ciona Kelly.

Building a global community: Q&A with Black In Neuro co-founder Clíona Kelly

As Black In Neuro Week 2024 continues through Sunday, Kelly explains how the organization expanded from its humble beginnings as a Slack channel to connect Black neuroscientists across the diaspora.

By Alaina G. Levine
2 August 2024 | 5 min read
Illustration of a scientist attempting to wrangle many forms of data at once: a pile of charts and graphs threatens to knock them off of their feet as they attempt to prop it up.

Neuroscience graduate students deserve comprehensive data-literacy education

Despite growing requirements around how to handle and share data, formal training is lacking.

By Letisha R. Wyatt
15 July 2024 | 6 min read
The silhouette of a head rises over a body of water.

Our planet stands on the brink of irreversible change. Neuroscientists need to do something about it.

When I launched my new lab at New York University in 2022, I decided to apply my expertise in computer vision to an urgent problem far outside the brain: climate change.

By Grace Lindsay
13 November 2023 | 6 min read
An illustration of Ashura Buckley

The sleep/wake cycle and autism with Ashura Buckley

The NIH neurologist talks about her research, her family and how mental health labels can be limiting.

By Brady Huggett
1 July 2023 | 72 min listen

Explore more from The Transmitter

Illustration of astrocytes in a petri dish.

This paper changed my life: Shane Liddelow on two papers that upended astrocyte research

A game-changing cell culture method developed in Ben Barres’ lab completely transformed the way we study astrocytes and helped me build a career studying their reactive substates.

By Shane Liddelow
23 April 2025 | 6 min read

Dean Buonomano explores the concept of time in neuroscience and physics

He outlines why he thinks integrated information theory is unscientific and discusses how timing is a fundamental computation in brains.

By Paul Middlebrooks
23 April 2025 | 111 min listen
Figure showing sleep archetypes in autistic children.

Rise in autism prevalence; and more

Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the week of 21 April.

By Jill Adams
22 April 2025 | 2 min read