Sarah Thau is a former 2026 AAAS Mass Media Fellow for The Transmitter. She recently earned a dual B.S. in chemistry and biochemistry with honors from the University of Chicago. She has previously conducted research in radiochemistry and inorganic chemistry and is now an early-career science journalist.
Sarah Thau
AAAS Mass Media Fellow
The Transmitter
From this contributor
Wouldn’t you like to know? A mouse would
Mice seek information for curiosity’s sake—and their desire for knowledge versus a payout is represented distinctly in the brain, new findings suggest.
Brainstem neurons add new element to ‘already complex’ anxiety circuitry
Precise optogenetic modulation of a medullary neuron population reveals their role in anxiety-like behaviors.
Brainstem neurons add new element to ‘already complex’ anxiety circuitry
By
Sarah Thau
19 August 2026 | 0 min watch
How thirteen-lined ground squirrels illuminate retinal development
In most mammalian retinas, rods outnumber cones. But that ratio is flipped in ground squirrels, a quirk that helps Seth Blackshaw explore how retinal cells develop their identities.
How thirteen-lined ground squirrels illuminate retinal development
By
Sarah Thau
31 July 2026 | 5 min read
Neuroscientists weigh in on White House proposal for ‘moonshot infrastructure’ for connectomics
A report from the Trump administration calls for a “new golden age” of science, in which the federal government supports mission-driven collaborations to deliver high returns on research investments.
Neuroscientists weigh in on White House proposal for ‘moonshot infrastructure’ for connectomics
By
Sarah Thau
24 July 2026 | 4 min read
Neurons engage in risky, DNA-breaking business during migration
The cells later repair the damage, which occurs mostly in transcriptionally silent parts of the genome.
Neurons engage in risky, DNA-breaking business during migration
By
Sarah Thau
24 July 2026 | 4 min read
Explore more from The Transmitter
Unconfounding genetic and environmental factors, and more
Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the week of 31 August.
Unconfounding genetic and environmental factors, and more
Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the week of 31 August.
By
Jill Adams
1 September 2026 | 2 min read
Amid funding uncertainty, neuroscientists report a mix of cynicism, persistence
Two years into one of the most tumultuous tenures in U.S. federal funding, researchers outline how they are coping with ongoing changes and reflect on the impact these changes are having on the system more broadly.
Amid funding uncertainty, neuroscientists report a mix of cynicism, persistence
Two years into one of the most tumultuous tenures in U.S. federal funding, researchers outline how they are coping with ongoing changes and reflect on the impact these changes are having on the system more broadly.
By
Emily Singer
28 August 2026 | 5 min read
Reimagining Mexico’s brain bank
Since Alzheimer’s disease researcher José Luna-Muñoz assumed leadership of the facility—Latin America’s oldest—in 2011, he has been acquiring additional tissue types and is working to expand donor recruitment to rural areas.
Reimagining Mexico’s brain bank
Since Alzheimer’s disease researcher José Luna-Muñoz assumed leadership of the facility—Latin America’s oldest—in 2011, he has been acquiring additional tissue types and is working to expand donor recruitment to rural areas.
By
Alejandra Manjarrez
28 August 2026 | 7 min read