Sarah DeWeerdt is a Seattle-based freelance science writer specializing in biology, medicine and the environment. Her work has appeared in publications including Nature, Newsweek, Conservation and Nautilus. She has been a regular contributor to The Transmitter since 2010, writing conference reports, news and Deep Dive articles.
Sarah DeWeerdt
Contributing writer
Spectrum
From this contributor
Autism-linked genes shape touch processing through different mechanisms, at different times
Whereas some mice display hypersensitivity to touch only as adults, others respond that way from birth.
Autism-linked genes shape touch processing through different mechanisms, at different times
By
Sarah DeWeerdt
21 March 2024 | 5 min read
Making cancer nervous
Nerve cells in the brain and throughout the body can turbocharge tumor growth — a finding that not only expands conventional ideas about the nervous system but points to novel therapeutic targets for a range of malignancies.
Lacking autism-linked gene, female birds tune out favorite songs
The gene, FOXP1, influences an animal’s motivation to listen to social communication, a new study suggests.
Lacking autism-linked gene, female birds tune out favorite songs
By
Sarah DeWeerdt
21 April 2023 | 5 min read
On the periphery: Thinking ‘outside the brain’ offers new ideas about autism
Neuronal alterations outside the brain may help to explain a host of the condition’s characteristic traits, including sensory changes, gut problems and motor differences.
On the periphery: Thinking ‘outside the brain’ offers new ideas about autism
By
Sarah DeWeerdt
13 April 2023 | 20 min read
Zebrafish social behavior swims into mainstream
New studies bolster the idea that zebrafish models can say something meaningful about social behavior in autism.
Zebrafish social behavior swims into mainstream
By
Sarah DeWeerdt
17 November 2022 | 6 min read
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A purpose-built database of participants who have shared genomic and behavioral data could give clinical trials a boost, Charman says.
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