Lina Zeldovich is a science writer and editor. She has edited features for Nautilus magazine, has written for Newsweek, The Atlantic, Smithsonian, Audubon
![](https://www.thetransmitter.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Screenshot-2017-12-07-12.06.29cc.jpg)
Lina Zeldovich
Editor and Journalist
From this contributor
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.
![A portrait of a smiling black woman against an illustrated, colorful background.](https://www.thetransmitter.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/LeadEmployment844.jpg)
Now hiring: What autistic people need to succeed in the workplace
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?
![A collage shows a black and white portrait of Russian doGrunya Efimovna Sukhareva on a colored background.](https://www.thetransmitter.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/20181107-Sukhareva-844.jpg)
How history forgot the woman who defined autism
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.
![People standing with shapes around them](https://www.thetransmitter.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/DSM-5Explainer844.jpg)
The evolution of ‘autism’ as a diagnosis, explained
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.
![](https://www.thetransmitter.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Screenshot-2018-05-04-14.15.10.png)
Why the definition of autism needs to be refined
New global diagnostic manual mirrors U.S. autism criteria
Starting next year, clinicians worldwide may be using a new, streamlined set of criteria to diagnose autism.
![mother and daughter at psychiatrist](https://www.thetransmitter.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/20171113-DSM-Europe844.jpg)
New global diagnostic manual mirrors U.S. autism criteria
Explore more from The Transmitter
New connectomes fly beyond the brain
Researchers are mapping the neurons in Drosophila’s ventral nerve cord, where the central nervous system meets the rest of the body.
![Research image of neurons in the fly’s ventral nerve cord.](https://www.thetransmitter.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/lede-motormodules-1200-1024x692.webp)
New connectomes fly beyond the brain
Researchers are mapping the neurons in Drosophila’s ventral nerve cord, where the central nervous system meets the rest of the body.
Building an autism research registry: Q&A with Tony Charman
A purpose-built database of participants who have shared genomic and behavioral data could give clinical trials a boost, Charman says.
![Illustration of researchers talking to laypeople amidst strands of DNA.](https://www.thetransmitter.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/1200_Charman-1024x687.webp)
Building an autism research registry: Q&A with Tony Charman
A purpose-built database of participants who have shared genomic and behavioral data could give clinical trials a boost, Charman says.
Cerebellar circuit may convert expected pain relief into real thing
The newly identified circuit taps into the brain’s opioid system to provide a top-down form of pain relief.
![](https://www.thetransmitter.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/paincircuit-1200-1024x692.webp)
Cerebellar circuit may convert expected pain relief into real thing
The newly identified circuit taps into the brain’s opioid system to provide a top-down form of pain relief.