Elizabeth Preston is a science writer and editor in the Boston area. She has written for The Atlantic, Wired, Jezebel and the Boston Globe, among other publications. Her blog, Inkfish, is published by Discover.
Elizabeth Preston
From this contributor
Test paints quick picture of intelligence in autism
A picture-based test is a fast and flexible way to assess intelligence in large studies of people with autism.
Test paints quick picture of intelligence in autism
By
Elizabeth Preston
24 March 2017 | 3 min read
New atlases chart early brain growth in monkeys
A collection of brain scans from monkeys aged 2 weeks to 12 months reveals how their brain structures and nerve tracts develop over time.
New atlases chart early brain growth in monkeys
By
Elizabeth Preston
3 March 2017 | 2 min read
Work in progress: An inside look at autism’s job boom
Splashy corporate initiatives aim to hire people with autism, but finding and keeping work is still a struggle for those on the spectrum. Can virtual avatars and for-profit startups help?
Work in progress: An inside look at autism’s job boom
By
Elizabeth Preston
20 July 2016 | 16 min read
Explore more from The Transmitter
Revised statistical bar extracts less-common variants from autism genetics studies
Adjusting genetic analyses could help plug autism’s heritability gap, according to a new preprint.
Revised statistical bar extracts less-common variants from autism genetics studies
Adjusting genetic analyses could help plug autism’s heritability gap, according to a new preprint.
By
Holly Barker
12 March 2026 | 4 min read
Tom Griffiths describes how neural networks, logic and probability theory together explain cognition
In his new book, “The Laws of Thought,” Griffiths shows how these three pillars of study complement one another and together form a solid foundation to eventually explain all of our cognition, from brain to mind.
Tom Griffiths describes how neural networks, logic and probability theory together explain cognition
In his new book, “The Laws of Thought,” Griffiths shows how these three pillars of study complement one another and together form a solid foundation to eventually explain all of our cognition, from brain to mind.
By
Paul Middlebrooks
11 March 2026 | 100 min listen
This paper changed my life: Talia Lerner reflects on dopamine neuron diversity and the value of simple experiments
In a 2011 Neuron study, Stephan Lammel and his colleagues showed that dopamine neurons with different projections have different physiological properties. The work inspired Lerner to think about how to challenge widely held assumptions in the field.
This paper changed my life: Talia Lerner reflects on dopamine neuron diversity and the value of simple experiments
In a 2011 Neuron study, Stephan Lammel and his colleagues showed that dopamine neurons with different projections have different physiological properties. The work inspired Lerner to think about how to challenge widely held assumptions in the field.
By
Talia Lerner
11 March 2026 | 6 min read