Lauren Gravitz is a freelance writer and editor in Hershey, Pennsylvania, who covers health, medicine, science and the environment. Her stories have appeared in Nature, Aeon, The Economist, Technology Review, O, The Oprah Magazine and Discover, among others.
Lauren Gravitz
Freelance Writer
From this contributor
A brief history of precision self-scanning
When a researcher solved a logistical problem by going rogue, the idea proved remarkably infectious.
A brief history of precision self-scanning
By
Lauren Gravitz
21 January 2026 | 13 min read
At the intersection of autism and trauma
Autism and post-traumatic stress disorder share many traits, but the connection between them was largely overlooked until now.
Autism’s drug problem
Many people on the spectrum take multiple medications — which can lead to serious side effects and may not even be effective.
Lack of DNA modification creates hotspots for mutations
The absence of a chemical alteration called methylation on some stretches of DNA makes them especially prone to mutations, according to a paper published in PLoS Genetics in May.
Lack of DNA modification creates hotspots for mutations
By
Lauren Gravitz
28 June 2012 | 4 min read
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Signs of aging vary across brain cells
Senescence presents differently depending on the cell type, toxic trigger and neighboring cells, two new studies find.
Signs of aging vary across brain cells
Senescence presents differently depending on the cell type, toxic trigger and neighboring cells, two new studies find.
By
Claudia López Lloreda
18 March 2026 | 4 min read
Neuroscientists challenge NIH’s proposed human-data access policy
The changes would restrict the sharing of human neuroimaging, transcriptomic and genetic data.
Neuroscientists challenge NIH’s proposed human-data access policy
The changes would restrict the sharing of human neuroimaging, transcriptomic and genetic data.
By
Claudia López Lloreda
17 March 2026 | 5 min read
David Sussillo on persistence, luck and the bonds between life and work
In a Q&A about his new book, “Emergence,” Sussillo shares why he wrote it and how challenging circumstances shaped his journey into neuroscience.
David Sussillo on persistence, luck and the bonds between life and work
In a Q&A about his new book, “Emergence,” Sussillo shares why he wrote it and how challenging circumstances shaped his journey into neuroscience.
By
Francisco J. Rivera Rosario, David Sussillo
17 March 2026 | 9 min read