Leah Shaffer

Freelance writer

Leah Shaffer is a freelance science writer based in St. Louis, Missouri. Her stories have appeared in publications such as Wired, The Atlantic, Discover, NOVA Next and UnDark. She writes about biology, medicine and the weird critters inside and outside the human body.

From this contributor

Spectrum

By Leah Shaffer

26 June 2019

16 min read

Giant helminth flies over figure with glowing gut and microbiome

Supplements, worms and stool: How families are trying to game the gut to treat autism traits

Scientists are playing catch-up as microbiome-based treatments for autism proliferate.

Spectrum

Supplements, worms and stool: How families are trying to game the gut to treat autism traits

By Leah Shaffer

26 June 2019 | 16 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

Spectrum

By Holly Barker

8 October 2026

6 min read

Stock illustration of strands of DNA with mutations.

Number of autism-linked genes more than triples in new analyses

In addition to a new preprint that expands the list of genes tied to the condition, two related analyses reveal how variants in those genes contribute to genetic susceptibility.

Spectrum

Number of autism-linked genes more than triples in new analyses

In addition to a new preprint that expands the list of genes tied to the condition, two related analyses reveal how variants in those genes contribute to genetic susceptibility.

By Holly Barker

8 October 2026 | 6 min read

Brain Inspired

By Paul Middlebrooks

7 October 2026

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How does a control theorist explain cognition?

Maxim Raginsky draws on control theory, engineering and philosophy to explore what makes biological brains intelligent, what artificial intelligence is missing, and what principles underlie biological autonomy.