Amedeo Tumolillo
Web Producer
Spectrum
From this contributor
What teenagers can teach scientists about autism
Examining the teenage years presents a major opportunity for understanding and treating autism.

What teenagers can teach scientists about autism
Why too many children with autism end up in foster care
The foster care system is becoming a critical component of care for children with autism.

Why too many children with autism end up in foster care
To partner with autism community, welcome dissenting opinions
Giving the autism community a voice in research means engaging in meaningful dialogue, not just making token gestures.

To partner with autism community, welcome dissenting opinions
‘Frozen’ offers glimpse of autism in girls
Elsa, the star of the movie “Frozen,” is the poster child for girls with autism.

‘Frozen’ offers glimpse of autism in girls
Questions for Maureen Durkin: Understanding autism’s rise
Autism is undoubtedly on the rise, but we may never be able to fully explain why, says Maureen Durkin.

Questions for Maureen Durkin: Understanding autism’s rise
Explore more from The Transmitter
Null and Noteworthy: Neurons tracking sequences don’t fire in order
Instead, neurons encode the position of sequential items in working memory based on when they fire during ongoing brain wave oscillations—a finding that challenges a long-standing theory.

Null and Noteworthy: Neurons tracking sequences don’t fire in order
Instead, neurons encode the position of sequential items in working memory based on when they fire during ongoing brain wave oscillations—a finding that challenges a long-standing theory.
How to teach this paper: ‘Neurotoxic reactive astrocytes are induced by activated microglia,’ by Liddelow et al. (2017)
Shane Liddelow and his collaborators identified the factors that transform astrocytes from their helpful to harmful form. Their work is a great choice if you want to teach students about glial cell types, cell culture, gene expression or protein measurement.

How to teach this paper: ‘Neurotoxic reactive astrocytes are induced by activated microglia,’ by Liddelow et al. (2017)
Shane Liddelow and his collaborators identified the factors that transform astrocytes from their helpful to harmful form. Their work is a great choice if you want to teach students about glial cell types, cell culture, gene expression or protein measurement.
Astrocytes sense neuromodulators to orchestrate neuronal activity and shape behavior
Astrocytes serve as crucial mediators of neuromodulatory processes previously attributed to direct communication between neurons, four new studies show.

Astrocytes sense neuromodulators to orchestrate neuronal activity and shape behavior
Astrocytes serve as crucial mediators of neuromodulatory processes previously attributed to direct communication between neurons, four new studies show.