Kristin Sainani

Teaching professor
Stanford University

Kristin Sainani is associate teaching professor of epidemiology and population health at Stanford University in California.

From this contributor

Spectrum

By Spectrum

14 March 2023

5 min read

Photograph of a doctor taking notes on a toddler who is playing with their mother.

Journal Club: Meta-analysis oversells popular autism screen

The Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT) accurately flags autistic toddlers, a new systematic review and meta-analysis suggests, contrary to past evidence that the tool’s validity varies depending on a child’s age and traits. Experts weigh in on the discrepancy.

Spectrum

Journal Club: Meta-analysis oversells popular autism screen

By Spectrum

14 March 2023 | 5 min read

Spectrum

By Kristin Sainani

28 February 2022

3 min read

Flawed methods undermine study on undiagnosed autism and suicide

The researchers attempted to retroactively identify signs of autism in people who died by suicide, but their analysis is not convincing.

Spectrum

Flawed methods undermine study on undiagnosed autism and suicide

By Kristin Sainani

28 February 2022 | 3 min read

Spectrum

By Kristin Sainani

1 February 2022

4 min read

Study links screen time to autism, but problems abound

The paper relied on parent-reported data and adjusted for few potentially confounding variables.

Spectrum

Study links screen time to autism, but problems abound

By Kristin Sainani

1 February 2022 | 4 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

Neuro’s ark

By Calli McMurray

30 September 2026

7 min read

Illustration of pipa frog showing nerves in fingertips.

How the pipa frog hunts prey by touch

Each of the frog’s eight fingers branches into 16 ultra-sensitive tips, which together function as a fovea—potentially the first demonstration of this type of sensory structure outside of mammals.

Neuro’s ark