Niko McCarty was Spectrum’s data reporter from 2021 to 2022. He has an M.A. from New York University’s Science, Health and Environmental Reporting Program. He also has an M.Res. in systems and synthetic biology from Imperial College London, where he was a Fulbright Scholar, and an M.Sc. in bioengineering from the California Institute of Technology. His prior research focused on engineered microbial communities and building CRISPR-Cas technologies.
Niko McCarty
Former data reporter
Spectrum
From this contributor
Neuroscience journal retracts 13 papers at once
The papers were flagged by a method that has now been called into question.
DNA unwinder tied to social behaviors in mice, zebrafish
Blocking the enzyme, called TOP2A, in embryos makes the animals less inclined to seek companionship later in life.
DNA unwinder tied to social behaviors in mice, zebrafish
By
Niko McCarty
16 December 2022 | 0 min watch
Microscopy mash-up quantifies, maps neural circuits
A new method that merges tissue expansion, light-sheet microscopy and automated image segmentation can reconstruct neural circuits in about a week.
Microscopy mash-up quantifies, maps neural circuits
By
Niko McCarty
7 December 2022 | 0 min watch
Autism brain signature most pronounced in sensory areas
An analysis of 11 cortical regions shows anterior-to-posterior shifts in gene expression linked to autism.
Autism brain signature most pronounced in sensory areas
By
Niko McCarty
2 November 2022 | 6 min read
New tool transforms, compares dissimilar brain maps
The open-source software makes it possible to overlay disparate datasets and potentially accelerate hypothesis generation.
New tool transforms, compares dissimilar brain maps
By
Niko McCarty
1 November 2022 | 4 min read
Explore more from The Transmitter
Commentary: Citation graphs may underestimate neuroscience’s influence on AI
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Commentary: Citation graphs may underestimate neuroscience’s influence on AI
An alternative, albeit less quantitative, way to trace this history is through the people who carried ideas between the fields.
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Anthony Zador
26 October 2026 | 5 min read
Commentary: The rising absolute number of neuro-inspired AI papers represents a substantial footprint
Many of the design choices present in the current generation of artificial-intelligence tools parallel purported properties of the brain.
Commentary: The rising absolute number of neuro-inspired AI papers represents a substantial footprint
Many of the design choices present in the current generation of artificial-intelligence tools parallel purported properties of the brain.
By
Kim Stachenfeld
26 October 2026 | 2 min read
Examining the bridge between neuroscience and AI
A citation analysis reveals that the connection between the two fields is real and gaining momentum. But it’s also narrow and tool-heavy; we need to find ways to widen it.
Examining the bridge between neuroscience and AI
A citation analysis reveals that the connection between the two fields is real and gaining momentum. But it’s also narrow and tool-heavy; we need to find ways to widen it.
By
Renato Duarte
26 October 2026 | 12 min read