Marta Zaraska is a freelance science journalist whose work has appeared in The Washington Post, Scientific American and The Boston Globe, among other publications. She has written two literary novels and contributed to two travel books published by National Geographic. Her nonfiction book “Meathooked: The History and Science of Our 2.5-Million-Year Obsession With Meat,” was published in 2016 by Basic Books and chosen by Nature as one of “the best science picks” in March 2016.
Marta Zaraska
From this contributor
Moving for autism care
Disparities in state services for autism are driving families to relocate. But not everyone can afford to move, and others find that their new home also has faults.
The problems with prenatal testing for autism
As prenatal testing improves, it presents a host of thorny issues — from what to test and how to interpret the results, to what to do about them.
The problems with prenatal testing for autism
By
Marta Zaraska
14 August 2019 | 12 min read
Europe’s race to ramp up genetic tests for autism
Many countries in Europe are reckoning with the growing demand for genetic tests for autistic people — and the accompanying ethical and scientific considerations.
Europe’s race to ramp up genetic tests for autism
By
Marta Zaraska
13 February 2019 | 14 min read
France faces down its outdated notions about autism
After lagging behind other countries for decades, France is working on a new national plan for autism.
France faces down its outdated notions about autism
By
Marta Zaraska
10 January 2018 | 18 min read
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Bringing basic biology back to INSAR
As the International Society for Autism Research has grown over the past two decades, basic science has become less central, Christine Wu Nordahl says. This year, she and other meeting organizers aimed to change that.
Bringing basic biology back to INSAR
As the International Society for Autism Research has grown over the past two decades, basic science has become less central, Christine Wu Nordahl says. This year, she and other meeting organizers aimed to change that.
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Every neuroscience lab needs an ethicist
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Every neuroscience lab needs an ethicist
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Timothy E. Brown
27 May 2026 | 5 min read