Brendan Borrell is a freelance journalist based in Los Angeles, California. His stories have appeared in The Atlantic, The New York Times, Bloomberg Businessweek, Outside, National Geographic and many other publications. He is the author of “The First Shots: The Epic Rivalries and Heroic Science Behind the Race to the Coronavirus Vaccine,” and he has a Ph.D. in integrative biology from the University of California, Berkeley.
Brendan Borrell
Contributing writer
From this contributor
Exclusive: Who is Richard Frye, the neurologist who researches and advocates for leucovorin as an autism treatment?
Frye has led two placebo-controlled trials of the folate supplement in autistic people; the first was suspended by regulators, and the other has yet to be published.
Alzheimer’s scientist forced to retract paper during his own replication effort
Gary Dunbar, a neuroscientist at Central Michigan University, was attempting to redo the 2020 paper after a collaborator admitted to using flawed data in the original work.
Alzheimer’s scientist forced to retract paper during his own replication effort
By
Brendan Borrell
18 July 2025 | 4 min read
Former Columbia University psychiatrist committed research misconduct, says federal watchdog
Bret Rutherford, whose research was halted following a suicide in a clinical trial, falsely reported participant eligibility, according to the U.S. Office of Research Integrity.
Former Columbia University psychiatrist committed research misconduct, says federal watchdog
By
Brendan Borrell, Ellie Kincaid
8 October 2024 | 3 min read
FDA describes ‘objectionable conditions’ at New York State Psychiatric Institute
The facility’s institutional review board failed to report a 2021 incident and “serious and ongoing noncompliance” by a principal investigator, according to a letter released by the federal agency this week.
FDA describes ‘objectionable conditions’ at New York State Psychiatric Institute
By
Brendan Borrell
2 April 2024 | 6 min read
Controversial dyslexia study marred by methodological and ethical problems, researchers say
Subsequent studies have also failed to validate a range of products based on the work.
Controversial dyslexia study marred by methodological and ethical problems, researchers say
By
Brendan Borrell
27 February 2024 | 8 min read
Explore more from The Transmitter
Dendrites help neuroscientists see the forest for the trees
Dendritic arbors provide just the right scale to study how individual neurons reciprocally interact with their broader circuitry—and are our best bet to bridge cellular and systems neuroscience.
Dendrites help neuroscientists see the forest for the trees
Dendritic arbors provide just the right scale to study how individual neurons reciprocally interact with their broader circuitry—and are our best bet to bridge cellular and systems neuroscience.
By
Justin O’Hare
27 February 2026 | 7 min read
Two primate centers drop ‘primate’ from their name
The Washington and Tulane National Biomedical Research Centers—formerly called National Primate Research Centers—say they made the change to better reflect the breadth of research performed at the centers.
Two primate centers drop ‘primate’ from their name
The Washington and Tulane National Biomedical Research Centers—formerly called National Primate Research Centers—say they made the change to better reflect the breadth of research performed at the centers.
By
Calli McMurray
26 February 2026 | 5 min read
Post-infection immune conflict alters fetal development in some male mice
The immune-conflict between dam and fetus could help explain sex differences in neurodevelopmental conditions.
Post-infection immune conflict alters fetal development in some male mice
The immune-conflict between dam and fetus could help explain sex differences in neurodevelopmental conditions.
By
Viviane Callier
26 February 2026 | 5 min read