Polina Porotskaya is a former intern at Spectrum and a graduate student in the Science, Health and Environmental Reporting Program at New York University. Polina writes about neuroscience, biology and medicine. She has a B.A. in neuroscience from Columbia University.
Polina Porotskaya
From this contributor
Inside a summer camp for autistic children in Russia
Photographs show how a camp in St. Petersburg this summer helped children on the spectrum and their families find some fun during the pandemic.
Inside a summer camp for autistic children in Russia
Cell stress may sap organoids’ usefulness in autism research
Some cells in brain organoids — 3D clusters of cultured brain cells — fail to develop fully.
Cell stress may sap organoids’ usefulness in autism research
Diabetes drug delivers multiple benefits for people with fragile X syndrome
Researcher Randi Hagerman is a big proponent of metformin — a diabetes drug that she is testing in people with fragile X syndrome. In fact, Hagerman takes the drug herself as a preventive measure against cancer.
Diabetes drug delivers multiple benefits for people with fragile X syndrome
Mutations in sperm may accrue too slowly to increase autism risk
A new analysis challenges the idea that mutations in the sperm of older fathers lead to higher rates of autism among their children.
Mutations in sperm may accrue too slowly to increase autism risk
New maps of neuronal connections reveal roundworms’ wiring
Two new maps show the entire nervous system of the adult roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans.
New maps of neuronal connections reveal roundworms’ wiring
Explore more from The Transmitter
Is our intelligence rooted in how living organisms are organized?
Kathryn Nave explains how a concept called constraint closure may be fundamental to understanding brains, minds and cognition.
Is our intelligence rooted in how living organisms are organized?
Kathryn Nave explains how a concept called constraint closure may be fundamental to understanding brains, minds and cognition.
Making an impact through academic administration
As executive director of research at Harvard Medical School’s Department of Neurobiology, Soha Ashrafi supports more than 300 scientists, students and staff members.
Making an impact through academic administration
As executive director of research at Harvard Medical School’s Department of Neurobiology, Soha Ashrafi supports more than 300 scientists, students and staff members.
This paper changed my life: Embracing an early model for naturalistic neuroscience
A 1992 PNAS paper showed how birdsong upregulates the expression of an immediate early gene in bird forebrains. The work revealed to Ribeiro the importance of studying molecular responses in naturalistic contexts.
This paper changed my life: Embracing an early model for naturalistic neuroscience
A 1992 PNAS paper showed how birdsong upregulates the expression of an immediate early gene in bird forebrains. The work revealed to Ribeiro the importance of studying molecular responses in naturalistic contexts.