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
SFARI.org
From this contributor
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
Explore more from The Transmitter
Psychedelics muddy fMRI results: Q&A with Adam Bauer and Jonah Padawer-Curry
The drugs disrupt the link between vascular and neuronal activity, which complicates interpretations of fMRI data. Adopting a more holistic view of what constitutes brain activity may help, the researchers say.
Psychedelics muddy fMRI results: Q&A with Adam Bauer and Jonah Padawer-Curry
The drugs disrupt the link between vascular and neuronal activity, which complicates interpretations of fMRI data. Adopting a more holistic view of what constitutes brain activity may help, the researchers say.
By
Calli McMurray
29 October 2025 | 7 min read
First Pan-African neuroscience journal gets ready to launch
With lower-than-average article processing fees, and issues dedicated to topics important to the continent, the journal hopes to give African neuroscience research much-needed international visibility.
First Pan-African neuroscience journal gets ready to launch
With lower-than-average article processing fees, and issues dedicated to topics important to the continent, the journal hopes to give African neuroscience research much-needed international visibility.
By
Lauren Schenkman
28 October 2025 | 5 min listen
New method identifies two-hit genetic variation in autism; and more
Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the week of 27 October.
New method identifies two-hit genetic variation in autism; and more
Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the week of 27 October.
By
Jill Adams
28 October 2025 | 2 min read