Reproducibility

Recent articles

Collage of digestive-system organs, the brain and various shapes and figures.

Going against the gut: Q&A with Kevin Mitchell on the autism-microbiome theory

A new review of 15 years of studies on the connection between the microbiome and autism reveals widespread statistical and conceptual errors.

By Lauren Schenkman
13 November 2025 | 7 min read
Composite of Autism Data Science Initiative researcher headshots.

Meet the Autism Data Science Initiative grantees

The awarded projects plan to study gene-and-environment interactions in people, stem cells and organoids, as well as predictors of positive life outcomes in autistic youth and adults.

By Calli McMurray
3 October 2025 | 12 min read
Hand holding a rubber stamp above a stack of papers.

Autism researchers ‘pleasantly surprised’ by list of NIH data project grantees, despite initial concerns

An atypical funding mechanism, truncated application timeline and opaque review process had generated concern over the quality of projects that would be selected for the Autism Data Science Initiative.

By Calli McMurray
2 October 2025 | 10 min read
Illustration of a multiple mouse brains and brain slices converging onto one animal.

Reproducibility is a team sport: Lessons from a large-scale collaboration

Building reproducible systems across labs is possible, even in large-scale neuroscience projects. You just need rigor, collaboration and the willingness to look your own practices dead in the eye.

By Anne Churchland
29 September 2025 | 7 min read
Illustration of a thermostat set to 22 point 5 degrees celsius, with a silhouette of a mouse adjusting its dial.

Mouse housing temperatures can cook experimental outcomes

Neuroscientists need to take note of how thermoregulatory processes influence the brain and behavior—for the sake of reproducibility and animal welfare.

By Caitlin James, Elizabeth Repasky, Sandra Sexton
5 November 2024 | 5 min read
Illustration of a hand reaching out to adjust a dial that sits in the middle of several images depicting brain activity and various behaviors.

To improve big data, we need small-scale human imaging studies

By insisting that every brain-behavior association study include hundreds or even thousands of participants, we risk stifling innovation. Smaller studies are essential to test new scanning paradigms.

By Emily S. Finn
15 April 2024 | 7 min read
Illustration of a brain made up of many smaller brains.

Breaking down the winner’s curse: Lessons from brain-wide association studies

We found an issue with a specific type of brain imaging study and tried to share it with the field. Then the backlash began.

By Nico Dosenbach, Scott Marek
25 March 2024 | 6 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

Gene replacement therapy normalizes some traits in SYNGAP1 model mice

The first published virus-based gene therapy for SYNGAP1 deletion yields benefits despite the gene’s long length and complexity.

By Charles Q. Choi
20 November 2025 | 5 min read

Does AI understand what it produces? Henk de Regt explores how we might assess understanding in machines and humans

Building on his philosophy of how scientists understand what they work on, de Regt is extending his approach to test understanding in machines.

By Paul Middlebrooks
19 November 2025 | 1 min read
Illustration of an open journal featuring lines of text and small illustrations of eyes and mouths.

Role of maternal factors in autism; and more

Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the week of 17 November.

By Jill Adams
18 November 2025 | 2 min read

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