Headshot of Jill Adams.

Jill Adams

Contributing writer

Jill U. Adams is a freelance science journalist based in Albany, New York. She covers health, mental health and biomedical research for such publications as The Transmitter, The Washington Post, Scientific American, Undark and The Scientist. She has a Ph.D. in pharmacology from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia.

From this contributor

Brain scans showing people with autism have a thinner cortex in many brain regions than do people with ADHD, but greater measures of cortical curvature.
Spectrum

FDA website no longer warns against bogus autism therapies, and more

By Jill Adams
27 January 2026 | 2 min read
Pyramidal neurons in the mouse hippocampus.
Spectrum

Sensory profiles in autism, and more

By Jill Adams
20 January 2026 | 2 min read
Research image of astrocytes in a mouse brain.
Spectrum

Alzheimer’s disease and autism; and more

By Jill Adams
13 January 2026 | 2 min read
Illustration of an open journal featuring lines of text and small illustrations of eyes and mouths.
Spectrum

Profiles of neurodevelopmental conditions; and more

By Jill Adams
6 January 2026 | 1 min read
Neurons in cerebral organoids containing a MECP2 variant (right panel) have smaller cell bodies and fewer branches than those in wildtype organoids (left panel).
Spectrum

Autism in Kenya, organoid research, and more

By Jill Adams
23 December 2025 | 2 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

A human silhouette with lines connecting the brain to various organs.
Interoception

PIEZO channels are opening the study of mechanosensation in unexpected places

The force-activated ion channels underlie the senses of touch and proprioception. Now scientists are using them as a tool to explore molecular mechanisms at work in internal organs, including the heart, bladder, uterus and kidney.

By Calli McMurray
30 January 2026 | 6 min read
US Department of Health and Human Services building.
Spectrum

Latest iteration of U.S. federal autism committee comes under fire

The new panel “represents a radical departure from all past rosters,” says autism researcher Helen Tager-Flusberg.

By Angie Voyles Askham
29 January 2026 | 9 min read
Progenitors cells in the medial ganglionic eminence become increasingly organized during development as rows of brain imaging progress from top to bottom.
Spectrum

‘Tour de force’ study flags fount of interneurons in human brain

The newly discovered cell type might point to the origins of the inhibitory imbalance linked to autism and other conditions.

By Holly Barker
29 January 2026 | 4 min read

privacy consent banner

Privacy Preference

We use cookies to provide you with the best online experience. By clicking “Accept All,” you help us understand how our site is used and enhance its performance. You can change your choice at any time. To learn more, please visit our Privacy Policy.