WTB 2011

Recent articles

Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Space cadets

People with autism are better able to visualize objects rotating in space — perhaps because their brains are wired differently than healthy controls.

By Deborah Rudacille
18 April 2011 | 2 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Maternal stress alters behavior of generations

Early trauma alters both behavior and gene expression in three generations of mice, suggesting that epigenetic changes may contribute to 'hidden heritability' in neuropsychiatric disorders.

By Deborah Rudacille
18 April 2011 | 5 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Specialized neurons help explore circuit defects in autism

A powerful cell that dampens electrical signaling in the brain could help unravel the disrupted brain wiring seen in people with autism, according to results presented yesterday at the Wiring the Brain meeting in Ireland.

By Deborah Rudacille
14 April 2011 | 4 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

Illustration of cake with genetic code inside.

The genome offers a recipe, not a blueprint, for the brain

During brain development, genes set the rules and turn the knobs; self-organization does much of the rest.

By Ila Fiete
2 November 2026 | 8 min read
Illustration of four faces of a rhesus macaque transitioning from opaque to transparent.

Autism research involving monkeys contends with uphill battle

Macaques and marmosets recapitulate the condition’s core traits better than mice can, but funding uncertainty and challenges at primate centers in the United States could make this work difficult to continue.

By Diana Kwon
2 November 2026 | 8 min read
A measuring cup with a whirlpool in it.

When is self-organization a mechanism in brain development?

Retinal waves offer a powerful example of a self-organizing system that can build structure without external guidance. The field would do well to embrace such phenomena more broadly as a type of mechanistic explanation.

By P. Robin Hiesinger
2 November 2026 | 6 min read