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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Bespoke photometry system captures variety of dopamine signals in mice
The tool tracks the excitation of an engineered protein that senses dopamine’s absolute levels, including fast and slow fluctuations in real time, and offers new insights into how the signals change across the brain.
Bespoke photometry system captures variety of dopamine signals in mice
The tool tracks the excitation of an engineered protein that senses dopamine’s absolute levels, including fast and slow fluctuations in real time, and offers new insights into how the signals change across the brain.
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Sydney Wyatt
21 March 2025 | 5 min read
What infant fMRI is revealing about the developing mind
Cognitive neuroscientists have finally clocked how to perform task-based functional MRI experiments in awake babies—long known for their inability to lie still or take direction. Next, they aim to watch cognition take shape and settle a debate about our earliest memories—with one group publishing a big clue today.
What infant fMRI is revealing about the developing mind
Cognitive neuroscientists have finally clocked how to perform task-based functional MRI experiments in awake babies—long known for their inability to lie still or take direction. Next, they aim to watch cognition take shape and settle a debate about our earliest memories—with one group publishing a big clue today.
By
Calli McMurray
20 March 2025 | 12 min read
Molecular changes after MECP2 loss may drive Rett syndrome traits
Knocking out the gene in adult mice triggered up- and down-regulated expression of myriad genes weeks before there were changes in neuronal function.
Molecular changes after MECP2 loss may drive Rett syndrome traits
Knocking out the gene in adult mice triggered up- and down-regulated expression of myriad genes weeks before there were changes in neuronal function.
By
Chloe Williams
20 March 2025 | 5 min read