Linda Nordling is a freelance journalist based in Cape Town, South Africa. She writes about science, education, health and development.
![headshot of writer Linda Nordling](https://www.thetransmitter.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Linda-mugshot-Cropped.png)
Linda Nordling
From this contributor
The perils of parachute research
Scientists who study autism in lower-income countries are working to end practices that exploit or ignore collaborators and communities on the ground.
Petrus de Vries: Architect of the autism research field in Africa
Petrus de Vries is on a quest to outfit Africa, the continent of his birth, with trained autism researchers and service providers.
![portrait of Petrus Petrus deVries with flowering tree in background.](https://www.thetransmitter.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/lead_844.jpg)
Petrus de Vries: Architect of the autism research field in Africa
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.
![](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.