Virginia Gewin is a freelance writer based in Portland, Oregon.
Virginia Gewin
Freelance Writer
SFARI
From this contributor
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.
Scientists find molecular player in Angelman syndrome
By
Virginia Gewin
27 April 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.
Postmortem brains point to impaired inhibition in autism
By
Virginia Gewin
4 March 2010 | 7 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.
Loss of inhibitory neurons marks autism mouse models
By
Virginia Gewin
24 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.
Autism marked by altered trajectory of brain growth
By
Virginia Gewin
3 November 2009 | 8 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
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Coding error caused layoffs at National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke this week, source says
Thirty employees—including 11 lab heads—at the institute should “immediately return to work,” according to an email the institute’s Office of Human Resources sent to top administration at the institute Wednesday evening.
Coding error caused layoffs at National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke this week, source says
Thirty employees—including 11 lab heads—at the institute should “immediately return to work,” according to an email the institute’s Office of Human Resources sent to top administration at the institute Wednesday evening.
By
Sydney Wyatt
3 April 2025 | 3 min read
PTEN problems underscore autism connection to excess brain fluid
Damaging variants in the autism-linked gene cause congenital hydrocephalus—a buildup of cerebrospinal fluid in the brain—by turbocharging a downstream signaling pathway that promotes the growth of cells, according to a new study.
PTEN problems underscore autism connection to excess brain fluid
Damaging variants in the autism-linked gene cause congenital hydrocephalus—a buildup of cerebrospinal fluid in the brain—by turbocharging a downstream signaling pathway that promotes the growth of cells, according to a new study.
By
Holly Barker
3 April 2025 | 4 min read
U.S. health agency purge includes 10 lab heads at National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
The reasons for selecting these researchers—who have led work on neuronal migration, dopamine receptors in neuronal signaling and the structure of ion channels, among other areas—remain unclear.
U.S. health agency purge includes 10 lab heads at National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
The reasons for selecting these researchers—who have led work on neuronal migration, dopamine receptors in neuronal signaling and the structure of ion channels, among other areas—remain unclear.
By
Angie Voyles Askham, Sydney Wyatt
2 April 2025 | 5 min read