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. Life

    Genome from a bottle

    Cells switch species when given synthetic DNA, an advance that could lead to designer organisms.

  2. Humans

    Young scientists and engineers get inspired

    As I walked around the convention center in San Jose, Calif., last week talking with students at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, I was struck by how many of the projects were inspired by something personal. These young scientists noticed that something was wrong, and then—here’s the best part—they actually tried to fix it.

  3. Life

    Light shows fMRI works as advertised

    Optogenetic method validates assumption underlying brain imaging technique.

  4. Science & Society

    Students win big at Intel ISEF 2010

    Global high school science competition concludes with top prizes going to projects on cancer-fighting quantum dots, quantum computer algorithms and computer programming.

  5. Nobel Laureates dispense science wisdom

    Intel ISEF 2010

  6. Science fair opens with flair

    Intel ISEF 2010

  7. Science & Society

    Intel International Science and Engineering Fair begins

    Young scientists converge in San Jose, Calif., where they will compete for over $4 million in scholarships and prizes.

  8. Space

    Asteroid-bound: Scientists look for worthy rock

    Scientists consider how to pick a prime asteroid for human exploration

  9. Health & Medicine

    Genetic switch makes old mice forgetful

    Reversing a chemical change restored the animals’ memory-making ability.

  10. Space

    Measuring the weakest of forces

    Precise measurements could be used to map tiny fluctuations in the surface properties of materials.

  11. Earth

    Severe weather has favorite spots

    New analyses of tornadoes and lightning highlight U.S. danger zones.

  12. Health & Medicine

    Why a rotten tooth is hard to find

    The brain can’t distinguish some kinds of pain coming from top versus bottom teeth.