Catherine Caruso is a freelance science journalist based in Boston, Massachusetts. Her work has appeared in Scientific American, MIT Technology Review and Hakai Magazine. She has a master’s degree in zoology from the University of New Hampshire and a master’s degree in science writing from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Catherine Caruso
From this contributor
Diagnostic odyssey; breaking through; leading role
A doctor decodes a rare genetic condition, burnout is a big problem in science, and an actor with autism will play the lead in “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.”
Diagnostic odyssey; breaking through; leading role
By
Catherine Caruso
19 May 2017 | 5 min read
Collaborative conference; drug danger; autism map
Autism researchers and advocates gather in San Francisco, nearly one-third of drugs approved in the United States are later linked to safety issues, and an interactive map lays out locations of U.S. autism clinics.
Collaborative conference; drug danger; autism map
By
Catherine Caruso
12 May 2017 | 4 min read
Network television; facing forward; warm welcome
Researchers captured networks of neurons lighting up in a small aquatic animal, facial recognition software can flag genetic conditions, and a Muppet with autism makes her debut on “Sesame Street.”
Network television; facing forward; warm welcome
By
Catherine Caruso
14 April 2017 | 4 min read
Funding free fall; mending mutations; film focus
Donald Trump’s budget blueprint calls for considerable cuts to science agencies, CRISPR corrects mutations in human embryos, and a documentary highlights the challenges faced by an adult with autism.
Funding free fall; mending mutations; film focus
By
Catherine Caruso
17 March 2017 | 4 min read
Behavior boost; double data; common interests
Neuroscientists should not forget that brains have owners, a new genetic database makes its debut, and the intense interests of people with autism offer opportunities.
Behavior boost; double data; common interests
By
Katie Moisse, Catherine Caruso
3 March 2017 | 4 min read
Explore more from The Transmitter
Purkinje cells evolved to have increasingly complex architecture
An increasing proportion of the cerebellar neurons acquired multiple primary dendrites in humans and other apes, according to a comparison of 11 primate species.
Purkinje cells evolved to have increasingly complex architecture
An increasing proportion of the cerebellar neurons acquired multiple primary dendrites in humans and other apes, according to a comparison of 11 primate species.
By
Siddhant Pusdekar
16 July 2026 | 5 min read
Making waves: Sleep-like brain activity in awake mice lowers sleep need, boosts memory
Alternating on/off firing patterns don’t just characterize deep, slow-wave sleep, they drive some of its restorative benefits, new findings suggest.
Making waves: Sleep-like brain activity in awake mice lowers sleep need, boosts memory
Alternating on/off firing patterns don’t just characterize deep, slow-wave sleep, they drive some of its restorative benefits, new findings suggest.
By
Alissa de Chassey
16 July 2026 | 4 min read
Is our intelligence rooted in how living organisms are organized?
Kathryn Nave explains how a concept called constraint closure may be fundamental to understanding brains, minds and cognition.
Is our intelligence rooted in how living organisms are organized?
Kathryn Nave explains how a concept called constraint closure may be fundamental to understanding brains, minds and cognition.
By
Paul Middlebrooks
15 July 2026 | 1 min read