Ashley Lopez joined KUT in February 2016. She covers politics and health care, and is part of the NPR-Kaiser Health News reporting collaborative. Previously, she worked as a reporter at public radio stations in Louisville, Kentucky, and Miami and Fort Myers, Florida, where she won a National Edward R. Murrow Award for a story about an immigration policy that was failing some undocumented domestic abuse victims. She earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism and political science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Ashley Lopez
From this contributor
Immigration fears force family to forego autism services for citizen child
As U.S. immigration enforcement becomes stricter under the Trump administration, more immigrant families are cutting ties with healthcare services and other critical government programs.
Immigration fears force family to forego autism services for citizen child
By
Ashley Lopez, Kaiser Health News
1 February 2019 | 6 min read
Fearing deportation, immigrant parents opt out of children’s health benefits
A growing number of American children are dropping out of Medicaid and other government programs because their parents are not citizens.
Fearing deportation, immigrant parents opt out of children’s health benefits
By
Ashley Lopez, Kaiser Health News
25 June 2018 | 5 min read
Explore more from The Transmitter
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Neuroscientists have long sought to understand the relationship between structure and function in the vast connectivity and activity patterns in the brain. Engel discusses her modeling approach to discovering the hidden patterns that connect the two.
Tatiana Engel explains how to connect high-dimensional neural circuitry with low-dimensional cognitive functions
Neuroscientists have long sought to understand the relationship between structure and function in the vast connectivity and activity patterns in the brain. Engel discusses her modeling approach to discovering the hidden patterns that connect the two.
By
Paul Middlebrooks
3 December 2025 | 1 min read
Beyond the algorithmic oracle: Rethinking machine learning in behavioral neuroscience
Machine learning should not be a replacement for human judgment but rather help us embrace the various assumptions and interpretations that shape behavioral research.
Beyond the algorithmic oracle: Rethinking machine learning in behavioral neuroscience
Machine learning should not be a replacement for human judgment but rather help us embrace the various assumptions and interpretations that shape behavioral research.
By
Nedah Nemati, Matthew Whiteway
3 December 2025 | 7 min read
‘Wired for Words: The Neural Architecture of Language,’ an excerpt
In his new book, Hickok provides a detailed overview of the research into the circuits that control speech and language. In this excerpt from Chapter 5, he shares how meeting his colleague David Poeppel led to them developing the theory for bilateral speech perception.
‘Wired for Words: The Neural Architecture of Language,’ an excerpt
In his new book, Hickok provides a detailed overview of the research into the circuits that control speech and language. In this excerpt from Chapter 5, he shares how meeting his colleague David Poeppel led to them developing the theory for bilateral speech perception.
By
Gregory Hickok
2 December 2025 | 8 min read