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

Research image showing white matter volume in a child with Angelman syndrome compared with a child without the condition.
Spectrum

White-matter changes; lipids and neuronal migration; dementia

By Jill Adams
14 January 2025 | 2 min read
World map color-coded to visualize the impact of autism across the world, estimating the disability-adjusted life years by nation.
Spectrum

Functional connectivity; ASDQ screen; health burden of autism

By Jill Adams
7 January 2025 | 2 min read
Research image of a mossy fiber terminal in the cerebellar granule cell layer.
Spectrum

Cerebellar SHANK3; telehealth coaching for caregivers; psychedelics

By Jill Adams
2 January 2025 | 2 min read
Research image of mouse neurons.
Spectrum

DDX3X gene function; gender diversity; lithium

By Jill Adams
17 December 2024 | 2 min read
Research image of cerebellum damage in neonatal mice.
Spectrum

Genome folding; organelle changes; self-injury

By Jill Adams
10 December 2024 | 2 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

Colorful illustration of a latticework of proteins.
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Cracking the code of the extracellular matrix

Despite evidence for a role in plasticity and other crucial functions, many neuroscientists still view these proteins as “brain goop.” The field needs technical advances and a shift in scientific thinking to move beyond this outdated perspective.

By Anna Victoria Molofsky
17 January 2025 | 5 min read
A repeated DNA strand extends farther from the left side of the image with each iteration.
Huntington’s disease

Huntington’s disease gene variants past a certain size poison select cells

The findings—providing “the next step in the whole pathway”—help explain the disease’s late onset and offer hope that it has an extended therapeutic window.

By Angie Voyles Askham
16 January 2025 | 6 min read
Research image highlighting different brain regions.
Spectrum

X marks the spot in search for autism variants

Genetic variants on the X chromosome, including those in the gene DDX53, contribute to autism’s gender imbalance, two new studies suggest.

By Holly Barker
16 January 2025 | 6 min read