Lina Zeldovich is an award-winning journalist whose stories have appeared in Popular Science, Smithsonian, The New York Times, National Geographic and Reader’s Digest, among other publications. Her previous book, “The Other Dark Matter: The Science and Business of Turning Waste Into Wealth and Health,” has been optioned for a TV series. Her new book, “The Living Medicine: How a Lifesaving Cure Was Nearly Lost—and Why It Will Rescue Us When Antibiotics Fail,” was released from St. Martin’s Press in October 2024.
Lina Zeldovich
Freelance journalist and editor
From this contributor
Sniffing out the mysteries of olfaction
A background in physics, and his own curiosity, have helped Dmitry Rinberg tackle the complexities of the neuroscience of smell.
Now hiring: What autistic people need to succeed in the workplace
Autistic adults have more job opportunities than they used to, and a small neurodiverse workforce is thriving — but mainly at select companies that invest heavily in such employees.
Now hiring: What autistic people need to succeed in the workplace
By
Lina Zeldovich
4 March 2020 | 17 min read
How history forgot the woman who defined autism
Grunya Sukhareva characterized autism nearly two decades before Austrian doctors Leo Kanner and Hans Asperger. So why did the latter get all the credit?
How history forgot the woman who defined autism
By
Lina Zeldovich
7 November 2018 | 13 min read
The evolution of ‘autism’ as a diagnosis, explained
From a form of childhood schizophrenia to a spectrum of conditions, the characterization of autism in diagnostic manuals has a complicated history.
The evolution of ‘autism’ as a diagnosis, explained
By
Lina Zeldovich
9 May 2018 | 7 min read
Why the definition of autism needs to be refined
Five years after its latest revision, the manual used to diagnose autism is back under scrutiny, as evidence suggests it excludes some people on the spectrum.
Why the definition of autism needs to be refined
By
Lina Zeldovich
9 May 2018 | 14 min read
Explore more from The Transmitter
Exon-skipping approach boosts levels of key Rett syndrome protein
Deleting a small region of the MECP2 gene partially restored function in neurons derived from people with Rett-associated variants.
Exon-skipping approach boosts levels of key Rett syndrome protein
Deleting a small region of the MECP2 gene partially restored function in neurons derived from people with Rett-associated variants.
By
Giorgia Guglielmi
20 March 2026 | 5 min read
Frameshift: How Caitlin Vander Weele made science communication her business
Her favorite part of research was talking about it. So she left academia and turned that passion into a successful company.
Frameshift: How Caitlin Vander Weele made science communication her business
Her favorite part of research was talking about it. So she left academia and turned that passion into a successful company.
By
Katie Moisse
19 March 2026 | 6 min read
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