Laura Dattaro was a senior reporter at Spectrum from 2020 to 2023, where she covered genetics, mental health, public policy and other areas of autism research. She proposed and wrote the Null and Noteworthy newsletter, a monthly recap of studies with null results and replications. Dattaro has worked as a science journalist and editor for more than 10 years and has written for the Columbia Journalism Review, Popular Mechanics, Slate and The New York Times, among other publications. Before joining Spectrum, she also worked as associate producer for the World Science Festival. Dattaro has an M.A. in science and health journalism from Columbia University and a B.A. in English and music from the University of Delaware. You can find her on Twitter at @LauraLauraDat.
Laura Dattaro
Contributing writer
From this contributor
‘SNAP’ dance of astrocytes and neurons falls out of step with age, disease
The findings add to growing evidence that astrocytes are star players in cognition.
‘SNAP’ dance of astrocytes and neurons falls out of step with age, disease
Christine Wu Nordahl, doing whatever it takes to get good data
The head of the Autism Phenome Project has deepened the pool of study participants and helped overhaul the culture of the MIND Institute.
Christine Wu Nordahl, doing whatever it takes to get good data
Full connectome of adult fruit fly completed, with help from citizen scientists
The map, by far the largest one of an entire brain to date, contains 130,000 neurons and 53 million synapses.
Full connectome of adult fruit fly completed, with help from citizen scientists
Dataset maps connectivity in 40,000 brains
The new resource aims to aid reproducibility in imaging research.
Imaging journal editors resign over ‘extreme’ open-access fees
The editors intend to start a new nonprofit journal.
Imaging journal editors resign over ‘extreme’ open-access fees
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The question of regeneration—an excerpt from ‘Periphery: How Your Nervous System Predicts and Protects Against Disease’
In his recent book, Moses Chao makes the case that the peripheral nervous system can warn of future illnesses.
The question of regeneration—an excerpt from ‘Periphery: How Your Nervous System Predicts and Protects Against Disease’
In his recent book, Moses Chao makes the case that the peripheral nervous system can warn of future illnesses.
RNA drug corrects calcium signaling in chimeric model of Timothy syndrome
The drug, tested in rats that have human neurons, could enter clinical testing as early as next year, researchers say.
RNA drug corrects calcium signaling in chimeric model of Timothy syndrome
The drug, tested in rats that have human neurons, could enter clinical testing as early as next year, researchers say.
How to use race and ethnicity data responsibly in neuroscience research
Follow these four tips to avoid using the information in problematic ways, including as a proxy for environmental variables.
How to use race and ethnicity data responsibly in neuroscience research
Follow these four tips to avoid using the information in problematic ways, including as a proxy for environmental variables.