Natalia Mesa is a reporter for The Transmitter, covering funding trends, neurogenetics and neural coding. Before joining The Transmitter in 2025, she was a fellow at High Country News and freelanced for National Geographic, Science, The Scientist and elsewhere.
Natalia Mesa
Reporter
The Transmitter
From this contributor
IQ’s link to brain structure, function in children may be a mirage
By
Natalia Mesa
11 June 2026 | 5 min read
Reward-learning algorithm hardwired into dopamine circuit
By
Natalia Mesa
5 June 2026 | 5 min read
Supported by a $40 million NIH grant, Yale brain shuttle technology raises questions
By
Natalia Mesa
3 June 2026 | 11 min read
Manifestantes argentinos denuncian el recorte al financiamiento científico
By
Claudia López Lloreda, Natalia Mesa, Anita Pouchard Serra
19 May 2026 | 4 min read
Education
- Ph.D. in neuroscience, University of Washington
- B.A. in biological sciences, Cornell University
Explore more from The Transmitter
Cortical area remixes macaques’ knowledge blocks to solve new problems
When monkeys draw complex shapes, their neural activity reflects patterns of activation elicited by drawing simpler, component shapes.
Cortical area remixes macaques’ knowledge blocks to solve new problems
When monkeys draw complex shapes, their neural activity reflects patterns of activation elicited by drawing simpler, component shapes.
By
Lauren Schenkman
19 June 2026 | 0 min watch
Getting grants feels good, but giving them is even better
As director of grants management at the Cure Alzheimer’s Fund, Kaela Singleton bets on bold science and shares in the joy of discovery.
Getting grants feels good, but giving them is even better
As director of grants management at the Cure Alzheimer’s Fund, Kaela Singleton bets on bold science and shares in the joy of discovery.
By
Katie Moisse
19 June 2026 | 8 min read
When autistic kids grow up, Chapter 3: Would there be data?
Tempest McDonald takes a postdoctoral position at Vanderbilt University. Researching her paper accusing the National Institutes of Health of discrimination threatens everything she has built.
When autistic kids grow up, Chapter 3: Would there be data?
Tempest McDonald takes a postdoctoral position at Vanderbilt University. Researching her paper accusing the National Institutes of Health of discrimination threatens everything she has built.
By
Brady Huggett
18 June 2026 | 27 min listen