Bahar Gholipour is a freelance science journalist based in New York. She focuses on the brain, neuroscience and psychology, and is passionate about reporting on artificial intelligence, genetics and the politics of healthcare. Her writing has appeared in various print and online publications including WIRED, New York Magazine and Scientific American. Bahar has a Masters degree in neuroscience from Ecole Normale Superieure in Paris, and has done graduate-level work at Stony Brook University’s School of Journalism.
Bahar Gholipour
Contributing writer
The Transmitter
From this contributor
In memoriam: Yves Frégnac, influential and visionary French neuroscientist
Frégnac, who died on 18 October at the age of 73, built his career by meeting neuroscience’s complexity straight on.
In memoriam: Yves Frégnac, influential and visionary French neuroscientist
By
Bahar Gholipour
18 December 2024 | 9 min read
Mistaking a duck for a skvader: How a conceptual form of circular analysis may taint many neuroscience studies
These logical loops are harder to spot than circularity involving noise in the data, but they result from neglecting something closer to home: existing knowledge about the brain.
Mistaking a duck for a skvader: How a conceptual form of circular analysis may taint many neuroscience studies
By
Bahar Gholipour
22 December 2023 | 7 min read
Double immune hit challenges female mice’s resistance to autism
Female mice can withstand a maternal antibody that triggers brain abnormalities and autism-like behaviors in males. But additional immune challenges spell trouble.
Double immune hit challenges female mice’s resistance to autism
By
Bahar Gholipour
23 October 2019 | 3 min read
New technique records neuronal teamwork in live mice
A new imaging technique detects specific groups of firing neurons in the brains of moving mice, enabling scientists to study brain activity linked to a particular behavior.
New technique records neuronal teamwork in live mice
By
Bahar Gholipour
23 October 2019 | 2 min read
Leaky mitochondria may play central role in fragile X syndrome
Some traits of fragile X syndrome may be due to problems with mitochondria, the cell’s energy factories.
Leaky mitochondria may play central role in fragile X syndrome
By
Bahar Gholipour
23 October 2019 | 2 min read
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INSAR takes ‘intentional break’ from annual summer webinar series
The International Society for Autism Research cited a need to “thoughtfully reimagine” its popular online program before resuming it in 2026.
INSAR takes ‘intentional break’ from annual summer webinar series
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Lauren Schenkman
30 June 2025 | 4 min read
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.
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Laura Dattaro
30 June 2025 | 4 min read
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.
By
Ashley Juavinett
30 June 2025 | 10 min read