Placenta

Recent articles

Illustration of a pregnant woman seated next to a large diagram of the brain featuring chromosomes, bacteria and other microbes.

The link between maternal infection and autism, explained

Having an infection during pregnancy is tied to a small increase in the chances of having an autistic child, but the connection may not be causal.

By Charles Q. Choi
13 December 2022 | 8 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

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
Research image showing copy number variants in prenatal cortical neurons.

Prenatal pruning of neurons with copy number variants; and more

Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the week of 2 November.

By Jill Adams
3 November 2026 | 2 min read

New Stanford initiative aims to build digital twin of human brain

The effort, funded by private donors, seeks to train the model on a trove of MRI and magnetoencephalography data that scientists plan to collect over the next five years—but questions about its scientific utility and feasibility remain.

By Natalia Mesa
2 November 2026 | 0 min watch