Neurogenetics

Recent articles

Chimpanzee neural organoid.

Viral remnant in chimpanzees silences brain gene humans still use

The retroviral insert appears to inadvertently switch off a gene involved in brain development.

By Siddhant Pusdekar
27 January 2026 | 5 min read
Research image visualizing genetic variation.

Long-read sequencing unearths overlooked autism-linked variants

Strips that are thousands of base pairs in length offer better resolution of structural variants and tandem repeats, according to two independent preprints.

By Natalia Mesa
18 September 2025 | 6 min read
Research image visualizing copy number variant duplications and deletions tied to certain brain regions in people with diagnoses of schizophrenia and autism.

Autism-linked copy number variants always boost autism likelihood

By contrast, varied doses of the same genes decrease or increase the odds of five other conditions, with distinct biological consequences, two new preprints show.

By Natalia Mesa
4 September 2025 | 6 min read
Illustration of two silhouettes overlaid by opaque square panels.

Why hasn’t genetics taught us more about schizophrenia?

Large-scale genomics studies have failed to identify specific pathways that go awry in schizophrenia. Alternative approaches focusing on cellular, molecular and systems-level changes may be needed.

By Joshua R. Sanes
18 February 2025 | 8 min read
On the hunt for cerebral palsy’s genetic origins

On the hunt for cerebral palsy’s genetic origins

Two recent papers suggest genes can play a significant role, findings that could change diagnosis and treatment of the condition.

By Shaena Montanari
29 November 2023 | 5 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

When autistic kids grow up, Chapter 2: “You need to go to college”

With just a high school equivalency degree and struggling as a single mother, Tempest McDonald is forced to shift her priorities.

By Brady Huggett
11 June 2026 | 28 min listen
Research image of X-linked RNAs in male mice

Noncoding RNA sways core autism traits in mice

Small deletions in an X-linked RNA alter social and repetitive behaviors in male mice without broadly affecting learning or memory.

By Giorgia Guglielmi
11 June 2026 | 4 min read
Headshots of the 2026 Kavli Prize in Neuroscience winners

Four protein synthesis pioneers win Kavli Prize in Neuroscience

Their research revealed how neurons synthesize proteins in previously unrecognized places.

By Alissa de Chassey
10 June 2026 | 4 min read