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
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
Astrocytes orchestrate oxytocin’s social effects in mice
The cells amplify oxytocin—and may be responsible for sex differences in social behavior, two preprints find.
Astrocytes orchestrate oxytocin’s social effects in mice
By
Holly Barker
4 March 2026 | 5 min read
Aging neurons outsource garbage disposal, clog microglia
Degradation-resistant proteins pass from neurons to glial cells in a process that may spread protein clumps around the brain, according to a study in mice.
Aging neurons outsource garbage disposal, clog microglia
By
Holly Barker
10 February 2026 | 5 min read
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Long-sought walking circuit found in fruit flies
The neuronal circuit controlling repetitive locomotion patterns in any animal has been a mystery until now.
Long-sought walking circuit found in fruit flies
The neuronal circuit controlling repetitive locomotion patterns in any animal has been a mystery until now.
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Natalia Mesa
13 May 2026 | 0 min watch
Crisis de financiación en Argentina desata nueva ola de protestas
Dos años luego de que colapsara la financiación para investigación del país colapsara, los científicos están manifestando en contra del incumplimiento del gobierno para restaurar becas cortadas previamente y aumentar salarios como lo establece una del 2025.
Crisis de financiación en Argentina desata nueva ola de protestas
Dos años luego de que colapsara la financiación para investigación del país colapsara, los científicos están manifestando en contra del incumplimiento del gobierno para restaurar becas cortadas previamente y aumentar salarios como lo establece una del 2025.
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Claudia López Lloreda, Natalia Mesa
12 May 2026 | 5 min read
The silent majority: How astrocytes shape the brain across scales
Melissa Cooper talks to Mac Shine about her new work that reveals how these glial cells—long dismissed as the brain’s housekeepers—wire together in precise, long-range networks that remodel in response to experience.
The silent majority: How astrocytes shape the brain across scales
Melissa Cooper talks to Mac Shine about her new work that reveals how these glial cells—long dismissed as the brain’s housekeepers—wire together in precise, long-range networks that remodel in response to experience.
By
Mac Shine
12 May 2026 | 3 min read