Isabel Ruehl is a former editorial intern at Spectrum. She recently graduated from Columbia Journalism School and, before that, earned an M.Phil. in Health, Medicine and Society from Cambridge University in the United Kingdom.

Isabel Ruehl
Former news intern
Spectrum
From this contributor
‘Science working as it should’: Autism blood signature study earns open post-publication review
Shortly after the study’s publication, experts critiqued it on PubPeer and other online platforms.

‘Science working as it should’: Autism blood signature study earns open post-publication review
Whole-genome trove ties new genes, variants to autism
A massive update to the MSSNG dataset gives qualified researchers ready access to explore autism’s genetic architecture on a cloud-based platform.

Whole-genome trove ties new genes, variants to autism
Autism incidence in England varies by ethnicity, class, location
High rates of autism are linked to lower socioeconomic status and minority ethnic groups, according to the largest-ever autism incidence study.

Autism incidence in England varies by ethnicity, class, location
‘Assembloids’ lay bare autism-linked genes that hamper neuron development
The model enables the study of autism-linked genes at the earliest stages of neural development.

‘Assembloids’ lay bare autism-linked genes that hamper neuron development
Lab-grown ‘embryoids’ offer new window into gene-trait relationships
The developmental models have advantages over natural embryos and other synthetic models, such as organoids, but present technical and ethical challenges.

Lab-grown ‘embryoids’ offer new window into gene-trait relationships
Explore more from The Transmitter
On the importance of reading (just not too much)
The real fun of being a neuroscientist, and maybe the key to asking and answering new questions, is to think big and take intellectual risks.

On the importance of reading (just not too much)
The real fun of being a neuroscientist, and maybe the key to asking and answering new questions, is to think big and take intellectual risks.
How developing neurons simplify their search for a synaptic mate
Streamlining the problem from 3D to 1D eases the expedition—a strategy the study investigators deployed to rewire an olfactory circuit in flies.

How developing neurons simplify their search for a synaptic mate
Streamlining the problem from 3D to 1D eases the expedition—a strategy the study investigators deployed to rewire an olfactory circuit in flies.
NIH autism database announcement raises concerns among researchers
The U.S. National Institutes of Health announced a plan to pour $50 million into data science projects intended to investigate the condition’s causes, but the initiative’s short timeline and other atypicalities have prompted questions.

NIH autism database announcement raises concerns among researchers
The U.S. National Institutes of Health announced a plan to pour $50 million into data science projects intended to investigate the condition’s causes, but the initiative’s short timeline and other atypicalities have prompted questions.