Erika Check Hayden is an award-winning, San Francisco-based science and technology reporter. She writes for Nature, and on a freelance basis for a variety of publications, and is a lecturer in the University of California, Santa Cruz Science Communication Program.
Erika Check Hayden
Freelance writer
From this contributor
For studies, size matters: Let us count the ways
In autism research, as in other fields, small sample sizes can lead to false findings. The size of the sample needed for statistical significance depends on the type of study.
For studies, size matters: Let us count the ways
By
Erika Check Hayden
17 October 2018 | 6 min read
Preprint server bioRxiv gets boost from Facebook billionaire
The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative has pledged to provide financial support for bioRxiv, a website where researchers can share manuscripts before peer review.
Preprint server bioRxiv gets boost from Facebook billionaire
By
Erika Check Hayden
28 April 2017 | 5 min read
Book review: ‘Rigor Mortis’ reveals rampant sloppiness in science
In his new book, journalist Richard Harris writes that lack of reproducibility in research poses a serious threat to science.
Book review: ‘Rigor Mortis’ reveals rampant sloppiness in science
By
Erika Check Hayden
4 April 2017 | 5 min read
Rising star: Somer Bishop fine-tunes autism diagnosis
Somer Bishop is launching a revolution in autism diagnosis, creating faster, more precise tools that speed research and better capture the full spectrum of autism symptoms.
Rising star: Somer Bishop fine-tunes autism diagnosis
By
Erika Check Hayden
28 April 2016 | 8 min read
Explore more from The Transmitter
Authors retract Science paper on controversial fMRI method
Several known but usually negligible MRI artifacts contribute to the neuronal activity signal picked up by the method, according to a preprint the authors posted earlier this month.
Authors retract Science paper on controversial fMRI method
Several known but usually negligible MRI artifacts contribute to the neuronal activity signal picked up by the method, according to a preprint the authors posted earlier this month.
By
Calli McMurray
25 September 2025 | 6 min read
In memoriam: Stephanie “Steve” Shirley, autism philanthropist
Fueled by business success and her son, she played an outsized role in British autism research.
In memoriam: Stephanie “Steve” Shirley, autism philanthropist
Fueled by business success and her son, she played an outsized role in British autism research.
By
Lauren Schneider
25 September 2025 | 6 min read
Ann Kennedy explains the theoretical neuroscience of survival behaviors
The Scripps neuroscientist calls for a broader theoretical neuroscience approach in her area of research, which focuses on how the subcortex bridges life and cognition.
Ann Kennedy explains the theoretical neuroscience of survival behaviors
The Scripps neuroscientist calls for a broader theoretical neuroscience approach in her area of research, which focuses on how the subcortex bridges life and cognition.
By
Paul Middlebrooks
24 September 2025 | 1 min read