Rebecca Sohn is a freelance health and science writer. She has been an intern at CalMatters and at STAT as well as a science fellow at Mashable, and is a graduate of New York University’s Science, Health, and Environmental Reporting Program. Before that, Sohn attended Skidmore College, where she earned a B.A. in English and minored in music.

Rebecca Sohn
Contributing writer
From this contributor
Neuroscientist has two papers retracted, three corrected
Five studies of Alzheimer’s disease or traumatic brain injury, all led by Gary Dunbar at Central Michigan University, have some form of image duplication.

Neuroscientist has two papers retracted, three corrected
Access to Medicaid waivers varies with race, age, region
Black and Hispanic people with autism in North Carolina are 15 and 37 percent less likely, respectively, to receive a Medicaid waiver than their white counterparts are.

Access to Medicaid waivers varies with race, age, region
New screen assesses suicidality in autistic adults
A short questionnaire created in consultation with autistic people is the first of its kind to accurately gauge suicidal thoughts and behaviors among adults on the spectrum.

New screen assesses suicidality in autistic adults
Brain structures grow differently in boys, men with autism
Autistic boys and men show notable differences in brain development, according to magnetic resonance imaging scans taken over a 16-year period.

Brain structures grow differently in boys, men with autism
Explore more from The Transmitter
Null and Noteworthy: Neurons tracking sequences don’t fire in order
Instead, neurons encode the position of sequential items in working memory based on when they fire during ongoing brain wave oscillations—a finding that challenges a long-standing theory.

Null and Noteworthy: Neurons tracking sequences don’t fire in order
Instead, neurons encode the position of sequential items in working memory based on when they fire during ongoing brain wave oscillations—a finding that challenges a long-standing theory.
How to teach this paper: ‘Neurotoxic reactive astrocytes are induced by activated microglia,’ by Liddelow et al. (2017)
Shane Liddelow and his collaborators identified the factors that transform astrocytes from their helpful to harmful form. Their work is a great choice if you want to teach students about glial cell types, cell culture, gene expression or protein measurement.

How to teach this paper: ‘Neurotoxic reactive astrocytes are induced by activated microglia,’ by Liddelow et al. (2017)
Shane Liddelow and his collaborators identified the factors that transform astrocytes from their helpful to harmful form. Their work is a great choice if you want to teach students about glial cell types, cell culture, gene expression or protein measurement.
Astrocytes sense neuromodulators to orchestrate neuronal activity and shape behavior
Astrocytes serve as crucial mediators of neuromodulatory processes previously attributed to direct communication between neurons, four new studies show.

Astrocytes sense neuromodulators to orchestrate neuronal activity and shape behavior
Astrocytes serve as crucial mediators of neuromodulatory processes previously attributed to direct communication between neurons, four new studies show.