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
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Remembering Barbara Finlay, ‘maverick’ of evolutionary neuroscience
Finlay, who died on 12 September, championed the idea that developmental constraints dictate how evolution sculpts brains, a concept she used to model the timing of hundreds of events and align them across mammalian species.
Remembering Barbara Finlay, ‘maverick’ of evolutionary neuroscience
Finlay, who died on 12 September, championed the idea that developmental constraints dictate how evolution sculpts brains, a concept she used to model the timing of hundreds of events and align them across mammalian species.
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Calli McMurray
23 October 2026 | 8 min read
Crows have brains ‘in the fast lane’
The birds accurately complete decision-making tasks twice as fast as primates, although their endbrains look considerably different.
Crows have brains ‘in the fast lane’
The birds accurately complete decision-making tasks twice as fast as primates, although their endbrains look considerably different.
By
Sarah Thau
22 October 2026 | 4 min read
Prevalence of profound autism declines with new definition
The updated, more precise definition used in a CDC study includes adaptive scores.
Prevalence of profound autism declines with new definition
The updated, more precise definition used in a CDC study includes adaptive scores.
By
Brianna Abbott
22 October 2026 | 5 min read