Laura Sanders

Laura Sanders

Senior Writer, Neuroscience

Laura Sanders reports on neuroscience for Science News. She wrote Growth Curve, a blog about the science of raising kids, from 2013 to 2019 and continues to write about child development and parenting from time to time. She earned her Ph.D. in molecular biology from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, where she studied the nerve cells that compel a fruit fly to perform a dazzling mating dance. Convinced that she was missing some exciting science somewhere, Laura turned her eye toward writing about brains in all shapes and forms. She holds undergraduate degrees in creative writing and biology from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, where she was a National Merit Scholar. Growth Curve, her 2012 series on consciousness and her 2013 article on the dearth of psychiatric drugs have received awards recognizing editorial excellence.

All Stories by Laura Sanders

  1. Health & Medicine

    To develop male behavior, rats need immune cells

    Research reveals unexpected role for cells called microglia in shaping the brain.

  2. Science & Society

    No New Meds

    With drug firms in retreat, the pipeline for new psychiatric medications dries up.

  3. Health & Medicine

    Nothing to fear but suffocation

    People with a rare brain disorder don’t get scared — except when they breathe carbon dioxide.

  4. Health & Medicine

    A new generation of antidepressants could help patients feel better faster

  5. Life

    As fish watch prey, researchers watch fish’s brains

    Genetically engineered neurons allow researchers to watch fish brains as they track prey.

  6. Humans

    Professional athletes have superior perception

    Soccer, rugby, hockey players better ignore distractions to follow motion with their eyes.

  7. Health & Medicine

    Specialized nerve fibers send touchy-feely messages to brain

    Nerve fibers send pleasure signal to brain when mice get caressed.

  8. Health & Medicine

    Deep brain stimulation improves autistic boy’s symptoms

    Electrodes surgically implanted in the brain could treat severe cases of autism.

  9. Health & Medicine

    Signs of trauma documented in living brains

    Molecular signature of injury seen in scans of retired NFL players.

  10. Health & Medicine

    When hearing goes, mental capacity often follows

    Cognitive decline may result from decreased social interaction or diversion of brainpower toward understanding speech.

  11. Health & Medicine

    Brain region associated with selfishness

    In three women, damage to basolateral amygdala prompted unusual generosity.

  12. Psychology

    Depression gene search disappoints

    A comprehensive effort to find links between genetic variants and low mood comes up empty.