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Inspiring stories and practical advice for neuroscientists

Illustration of a brain and screens of computer code.

Should neuroscientists ‘vibe code’?

Researchers are developing software entirely through natural language conversations with advanced large language models. The trend is transforming how research gets done—but it also presents new challenges for evaluating the outcomes.

By Benjamin Dichter
25 August 2025 | 9 min listen
Silhouette of a student in the stacks of a library.

What U.S. science stands to lose without international graduate students and postdoctoral researchers

Neuroscience in other countries will strengthen—at the United States’ expense—as rising visa restrictions and rejections block many international students from enrolling at U.S. institutions and dissuade others from applying.

By Joshua R. Sanes
28 July 2025 | 7 min listen
Illustration of people collaborating in different locations.

How to build a truly global computational neuroscience community

Computational sciences offer an opportunity to increase global access to, and participation in, neuroscience. Neuromatch’s inclusive, scalable model for community building shows how to realize this promise.

By Megan Peters, Bradley Roberts
23 July 2025 | 9 min listen
A group of researchers reading while institutions crumble in the background, and giant mice appear on the horizon.

Fear and loathing on study section: Reviewing grant proposals while the system is burning

As grants are canceled, delayed and subject to general uncertainty, participating in study sections can feel futile. But it’s more important than ever.

By John Tuthill
14 July 2025 | 9 min listen
AI-generated, blueprint-like illustration of a classroom.

Many students want to learn to use artificial intelligence responsibly. But their professors are struggling to meet that need.

Effectively teaching students how to employ AI in their writing assignments requires clear guidelines—and detailed, case-specific examples.

By Tim Requarth
23 June 2025 | 8 min listen
An opaque cube is repeated multiple times to create the appearance of overlapping cubes.

Sounding the alarm on pseudoreplication: Q&A with Constantinos Eleftheriou and Peter Kind

Most studies of neurological disorders in mice erroneously treat multiple samples from a single animal as independent replicates, according to a new analysis. But scientists and journals can take steps to curb this practice.

By Lauren Schenkman
12 June 2025 | 6 min read
A figure in a lab coat walks between rows of giant books.

On the importance of reading (just not too much)

The real fun of being a neuroscientist, and maybe the key to asking and answering new questions, is to think big and take intellectual risks.

By Sheena Josselyn
9 June 2025 | 9 min listen
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
A student in a cap and gown sits alone in a row of folding chairs in front of a large brick building.

Neuroscience Ph.D. programs adjust admissions in response to U.S. funding uncertainty

Some departments plan to shrink class sizes by 25 to 40 percent, and others may inadvertently accept more students than they can afford, according to the leaders of 21 top U.S. programs.

By Claudia López Lloreda, Calli McMurray
3 March 2025 | 7 min read
Computer-generated image of a waveform.

Keeping it personal: How to preserve your voice when using AI

To harness the workmanlike prose of artificial intelligence while maintaining a recognizable style, use it as an analyzer rather than as a writer.

By Tim Requarth
3 March 2025 | 12 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

Bringing neuroscience to rural Mexico: In conversation with Mónica López-Hidalgo

By offering education and translating scientific terms into Indigenous languages, López-Hidalgo’s outreach program, Neurociencias Para Todos, provides schoolteachers with tools to bring neuroscience to their communities.

By Ashley Juavinett
1 September 2025 | 5 min read

Llevando la neurociencia al México rural: En conversación Mónica López-Hidalgo

A través de la educación y traducción de términos científicos en lenguas indígenas, el programa Neurociencias Para Todos provee de herramientas a maestros para llevar la neurociencia a sus comunidades.

By Ashley Juavinett
1 September 2025 | 6 min read
Research image of neuron organization in c elegans.

Worms help untangle brain structure/function mystery

The synaptic connectome of most animals bears little resemblance to functional brain maps, but it can still predict neuronal activity, according to two preprints that tackle the puzzle in C. elegans

By Holly Barker
29 August 2025 | 7 min read

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