Hope Vanderberg edits articles on The Transmitter for grammar, style and accuracy. Hope began copyediting for the Simons Foundation in 2010 as a freelancer and joined the Spectrum staff in 2013. Before that, she was editor of New Youth Connections, a teen-written magazine based in New York City. She also worked as senior projects editor at Medscape from WebMD.
Hope Vanderberg
Copy chief
The Transmitter
Education
- M.A. in science journalism, New York University
- B.A. in biology, Earlham College
Explore more from The Transmitter
Why neural foundation models work, and what they might—and might not—teach us about the brain
These models can partly generalize across species, brain regions and tasks, suggesting that a set of machine-learnable rules govern neural population activity. But will we be able to understand them?
Why neural foundation models work, and what they might—and might not—teach us about the brain
These models can partly generalize across species, brain regions and tasks, suggesting that a set of machine-learnable rules govern neural population activity. But will we be able to understand them?
By
Juan Gallego
13 April 2026 | 8 min read
Error equation predicts brain’s ability to generalize
Four statistical measurements of neural network geometry capture how well brains and artificial networks use what they already know to solve new problems, a study suggests.
Error equation predicts brain’s ability to generalize
Four statistical measurements of neural network geometry capture how well brains and artificial networks use what they already know to solve new problems, a study suggests.
By
Natalia Mesa
10 April 2026 | 5 min read
Embrace complexity to improve the translatability of basic neuroscience
Researchers must learn to view heterogeneity as an essential feature of the systems they study and a central consideration in experimental design, not a variable to control for or reduce.
Embrace complexity to improve the translatability of basic neuroscience
Researchers must learn to view heterogeneity as an essential feature of the systems they study and a central consideration in experimental design, not a variable to control for or reduce.
By
Linda Douw, Klaus Eyer, Lara Keuck
9 April 2026 | 5 min read