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

Illustration of an open journal featuring lines of text and small illustrations of eyes and mouths.
Spectrum

Key role of interferon 1 in maternal immune activation, and more

By Jill Adams
9 June 2026 | 2 min read
Research image of human thalamus.
Spectrum

Autism-linked genes expressed in thalamus make an impact, and more

By Jill Adams
2 June 2026 | 2 min read
Research image of genetic models.
Spectrum

SHANK3-variant effects in primates, and more

By Jill Adams
26 May 2026 | 2 min read
Research image showing brain volume changes in mice
Spectrum

Outside influences on CHD8 variant phenotypes, and more

By Jill Adams
19 May 2026 | 2 min read
Research image showing brain activity related to sensory sensitivity and hypoconnectivity.
Spectrum

Untangling genetic effects, and more

By Jill Adams
12 May 2026 | 2 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

Illustration of pixelated eye and stacks of paper
Artificial intelligence

Writing science that humans and machines can read

Large language models are now routinely used to search, summarize and synthesize the literature at scales impossible for any individual researcher—yet scientific publishing has not adapted to that reality.

By Rachel Parkinson
15 June 2026 | 7 min read
Mother mouse and her offspring.
Pregnancy

Maternity induces lasting gene-expression changes in mouse brains

The findings add to a small but growing body of research on neurological changes linked to pregnancy, birth and parenting.

By Amber Dance
12 June 2026 | 5 min read
Map of socioeconomic opportunity in the United States next to visualizations of functional connectivity and structure in sensory and motor cortices.
Brain imaging

IQ’s link to brain structure, function in children may be a mirage

A child’s socioeconomic status, screen time and amount of sleep all show stronger associations with measures of brain structure and function, according to an imaging study of nearly 12,000 9- to 10-year-olds.

By Natalia Mesa
11 June 2026 | 5 min read