Brianna Abbott.

Brianna Abbott

Science writer

Brianna Abbott is a freelance health and science reporter based in Rhode Island, covering neuroscience, cancer, the business of medicine and more. Her stories have appeared in publications including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Medscape and Cancer Today.

 

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Alison Barth discovers how different neuron types contribute to cortical function

Barth uses learning tasks in mice as a tool to drive synaptic plasticity in the sensory cortex, hoping to unlock more general principles of how the cortex works.

By Paul Middlebrooks
5 August 2026 | 1 min read

Textbook model of hippocampus’s role in memory may need updating

The CA3 region, long thought to have just one circuit, has two, sporting different wiring and functions, a new preprint suggests.

By Alissa de Chassey
4 August 2026 | 5 min read
Single-cell spatial transcriptomics chart maps of cell types.

Using antisense oligos to plumb rare genetic conditions, and more

Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the week of 3 August.

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4 August 2026 | 2 min read