Virginia Gewin

Freelance Writer
SFARI

Virginia Gewin is a freelance writer based in Portland, Oregon.

From this contributor

By Virginia Gewin

27 April 2010

7 min read

Scientists find molecular player in Angelman syndrome

Two independent teams have discovered key molecular steps in the way a single gene disrupts the connections between neurons in individuals with Angelman syndrome. Because the gene, UBE3A, has also been linked to autism, the findings could help scientists understand and treat a range of neurodevelopmental disorders.

Spectrum

Scientists find molecular player in Angelman syndrome

By Virginia Gewin

27 April 2010 | 7 min read

Spectrum

By Virginia Gewin

4 March 2010

7 min read

Postmortem brains point to impaired inhibition in autism

Researchers have found a higher density of several types of interneurons — nerve cells that connect sensory and motor neurons in the brain— in postmortem brain tissue from individuals with autism, compared with healthy controls. The findings appear in the February issue of Acta Neurologica Scandinavica.

Spectrum

Postmortem brains point to impaired inhibition in autism

By Virginia Gewin

4 March 2010 | 7 min read

Spectrum

By Virginia Gewin

24 November 2009

8 min read

Loss of inhibitory neurons marks autism mouse models

Autism may be the result of faulty wiring that occurs during early brain development, according to two independent studies that looked at the origins of circuit disruption.

Spectrum

Loss of inhibitory neurons marks autism mouse models

By Virginia Gewin

24 November 2009 | 8 min read

Spectrum

By Virginia Gewin

3 November 2009

8 min read

Autism marked by altered trajectory of brain growth

Although the head overall is bigger in some children with autism, researchers have found more informative differences in size — some smaller, some larger — across regions of the brain.

Spectrum

Autism marked by altered trajectory of brain growth

By Virginia Gewin

3 November 2009 | 8 min read

Spectrum

By Virginia Gewin

29 July 2009

7 min read

Eye-tracking brings focus to ‘theory of mind’

People with Asperger syndrome don't automatically show 'theory of mind', the ability to understand the desires and beliefs of others, according to a report published 16 July in Science. Instead, they seem to use deliberate reasoning to understand social behaviors, learned after years of practice in the real world. Watch the video

Spectrum