Cheryl Platzman Weinstock is an award–winning journalist who reports about health and science research and its impact on society. Her investigative pieces have brought attention to mental health, medical ethics issues and the medical research gender gap. She also writes for the Metro desk of The New York Times.
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Cheryl Platzman Weinstock
From this contributor
The deep emotional ties between depression and autism
Autistic people are four times as likely to experience depression over the course of their lives as their neurotypical peers. Yet researchers know little about why, or how best to help.
![Boy on bed is weighed down by pressures and troubles](https://www.thetransmitter.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/20190731-Depression844.jpg)
The deep emotional ties between depression and autism
The hidden danger of suicide in autism
Many people with autism entertain thoughts of suicide and yet show few obvious signs of their distress. Some scientists are identifying risks — and solutions — unique to autistic individuals.
![Lone teen walking downstairs into shadowy area of a school staircase hallway, other kids pass by together.](https://www.thetransmitter.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/20180808Suicide844.jpg)
The hidden danger of suicide in autism
Explore more from The Transmitter
New connectomes fly beyond the brain
Researchers are mapping the neurons in Drosophila’s ventral nerve cord, where the central nervous system meets the rest of the body.
![Research image of neurons in the fly’s ventral nerve cord.](https://www.thetransmitter.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/lede-motormodules-1200-1024x692.webp)
New connectomes fly beyond the brain
Researchers are mapping the neurons in Drosophila’s ventral nerve cord, where the central nervous system meets the rest of the body.
Building an autism research registry: Q&A with Tony Charman
A purpose-built database of participants who have shared genomic and behavioral data could give clinical trials a boost, Charman says.
![Illustration of researchers talking to laypeople amidst strands of DNA.](https://www.thetransmitter.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/1200_Charman-1024x687.webp)
Building an autism research registry: Q&A with Tony Charman
A purpose-built database of participants who have shared genomic and behavioral data could give clinical trials a boost, Charman says.
Cerebellar circuit may convert expected pain relief into real thing
The newly identified circuit taps into the brain’s opioid system to provide a top-down form of pain relief.
![](https://www.thetransmitter.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/paincircuit-1200-1024x692.webp)
Cerebellar circuit may convert expected pain relief into real thing
The newly identified circuit taps into the brain’s opioid system to provide a top-down form of pain relief.