Holly Barker is a freelance writer specializing in biology, medicine and psychology. She has a Ph.D. in clinical neuroscience from King’s College London in the United Kingdom and a B.Sc. degree in biochemistry from the University of Manchester. She has previously written for Discover and BioNews. She is based in London.
Holly Barker
Contributing writer
From this contributor
‘Push-pull’ recipe for neural wiring used in multiple brain regions
A versatile pair of proteins steers neurons toward their targets and helps establish the brain’s sensory maps, new studies suggest.
‘Push-pull’ recipe for neural wiring used in multiple brain regions
By
Holly Barker
5 June 2026 | 5 min read
Brain’s blue spot possesses unexpected structure-function ties
The spatial arrangement of neurons in the locus coeruleus of mice corresponds with the cells’ targets across the brain, according to a new study.
Brain’s blue spot possesses unexpected structure-function ties
By
Holly Barker
25 May 2026 | 4 min read
Switching neural code may solve ongoing face-recognition debate
Face patch cells in macaque monkeys initially respond to images of any object but rapidly transition to attend to faces exclusively, a new study finds.
Switching neural code may solve ongoing face-recognition debate
By
Holly Barker
23 April 2026 | 5 min read
Astrocytes in mouse amygdala encode emotional state
The glial cells’ activity reliably tracks with freezing, hesitancy and other behaviors reminiscent of anxiety.
Astrocytes in mouse amygdala encode emotional state
By
Holly Barker
24 March 2026 | 4 min read
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
By
Holly Barker
12 March 2026 | 4 min read
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Scientists decry conference’s use of hidden prompts to snare AI peer reviews
The invisible messages, which instruct large language models to use telltale phrases in a peer-review report, are effective in catching artificial-intelligence misuse but also erode trust, some say.
Scientists decry conference’s use of hidden prompts to snare AI peer reviews
The invisible messages, which instruct large language models to use telltale phrases in a peer-review report, are effective in catching artificial-intelligence misuse but also erode trust, some say.
By
Dalmeet Singh Chawla
1 July 2026 | 4 min read
Johannes Jaeger explains why we should care that brains and AI are not the same
From single cells to whole organisms, living beings must continuously regenerate themselves and judge what's important to continue living. Artificial intelligence does not and cannot.
Johannes Jaeger explains why we should care that brains and AI are not the same
From single cells to whole organisms, living beings must continuously regenerate themselves and judge what's important to continue living. Artificial intelligence does not and cannot.
By
Paul Middlebrooks
1 July 2026 | 1 min read
What mosquitos lay bare about proprioception
By comparing the proprioceptive systems of mosquitos and fruit flies, Sweta Agrawal aims to uncover fundamental features of the ability to sense self-movement.
What mosquitos lay bare about proprioception
By comparing the proprioceptive systems of mosquitos and fruit flies, Sweta Agrawal aims to uncover fundamental features of the ability to sense self-movement.
By
Calli McMurray
1 July 2026 | 5 min read