Policy

Recent articles

Collage of black researchers, buildings at HBCUs and scientific equipment.

Building the future of neuroscience at HBCUs

Black In Neuro is launching a new program to help historically Black colleges and universities advance neuroscience research and education, focusing on cross-institutional collaboration, joint curriculum development and improved mentoring initiatives.

By Jheannelle Johnson
8 September 2025 | 8 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
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
Hundred dollar bill digitally cut into small pieces.

NIH cuts quash $323 million for neuroscience research and training

“I am frightened for the state of the future of our field if this isn't reversed rapidly,” says Joshua Gordon, professor of psychiatry at Columbia University and former director of the National Institute of Mental Health.

By Claudia López Lloreda
16 June 2025 | 8 min read
Distorted floppy discs.

NIH autism database announcement raises concerns among researchers

The U.S. National Institutes of Health announced a plan to pour $50 million into data science projects intended to investigate the condition’s causes, but the initiative’s short timeline and other atypicalities have prompted questions.

By Angie Voyles Askham
5 June 2025 | 5 min read
Amina Abubakar, dressed in yellow, stands outside and looks into the camera lens.

Amina Abubakar translates autism research and care for Kenya

First an educator and now an internationally recognized researcher, the Kenyan psychologist is changing autism science and services in sub-Saharan Africa.

By Ruth Kadide Keah
29 May 2025 | 8 min listen
Image of a connectome being split into two.

Multisite connectome teams lose federal funding as result of Harvard cuts

The teams aim to develop tools to scale up mouse connectomics in preparation for eventually mapping an entire human brain.

By Angie Voyles Askham
28 May 2025 | 5 min read
Silhouettes watch a figure standing in front of a huge human brain.

Neuroscience needs to empower early-career researchers, not fund moon shots

Large-scale projects run the risk of stifling scientific independence. Instead, let’s explore alternative mechanisms of collaboration.

By Dan Goodman
26 May 2025 | 7 min read
A disembodied hand holds a stamp over a messy stack of papers.

Exclusive: Layoffs revoked at U.S. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

After more than a month of uncertainty, 30 previously purged employees at the institute no longer face termination.

By Angie Voyles Askham, Sydney Wyatt
21 May 2025 | 3 min read
Photograph of the BRIDGE team and students visiting a laboratory.

Sharing Africa’s brain data: Q&A with Amadi Ihunwo

These data are “virtually mandatory” to advance neuroscience, says Ihunwo, a co-investigator of the Brain Research International Data Governance & Exchange (BRIDGE) initiative, which seeks to develop a global framework for sharing, using and protecting neuroscience data.

By Lauren Schenkman
20 May 2025 | 6 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

Michael Breakspear and Mac Shine explain how brain processing changes across neural population scales

Breakspear and Shine find a scale-free property of brain activity that is conserved across diverse species, suggesting that a universal principle of brain activity underlies cognition.

By Paul Middlebrooks
10 September 2025 | 1 min read
Research image of neural progenitor cells derived from people with 16p11.2 duplications and 16p11.2 deletions, which have cilia that are shorter or longer, respectively, than in controls.

Protein interactions important to SYNGAP1-related conditions; and more

Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the week of 8 September.

By Jill Adams
9 September 2025 | 2 min read
Sleep-control neurons glow cyan in the central nervous system of a fly.

Mitochondria set ‘ancient’ metabolic thermostat for sleep in flies, separate from circadian rhythms

During waking hours, a specialized set of sleep neurons in the fly brain accumulates reactive oxygen species, which eventually trigger sleep to clean up and repair the damage they do.

By Viviane Callier
9 September 2025 | 7 min listen

privacy consent banner

Privacy Preference

We use cookies to provide you with the best online experience. By clicking “Accept All,” you help us understand how our site is used and enhance its performance. You can change your choice at any time. To learn more, please visit our Privacy Policy.