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.
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All Stories by Laura Sanders
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Life
Vertebrates, perhaps even humans, share teeth genes
Researchers have uncovered what may be a shared genetic toolkit for teeth, one common among vertebrates and mammals, including humans
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Genetics
Dog gene heeds call of the wild
Domesticated dogs passed a gene for dark fur color to their wild cousins.
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Health & Medicine
Fingerprints filter the vibrations fingers feel
A new robotics study suggests that the ridges select the right frequencies for light touch
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Health & Medicine
I feel your pain, even though I can’t feel mine
A new imaging study looks at how people are able to empathize with others, even when they haven’t experienced something firsthand.
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Health & Medicine
Possible anticancer power in fasting every other day
When mice ate as important as what they ate in reducing cell division linked to cancer, new study reports.
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Life
As cells age, the nucleus lets the bad guys in
A study tracks a growing 'leakiness' in the membrane of the cell nucleus that could contribute to aging and even to diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.
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Humans
Gamers crave control and competence, not carnage
Study turns belief commonly held by video game industry, gamers, on its head.
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Life
For worms, one gene can change survival behavior
Natural differences in a single gene cause worms to either eat or avoid harmful bacteria.
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Life
Love song of the dengue vector mosquito
Male and female mosquitoes harmonize pitch when in the mood.
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Health & Medicine
Bone-growth drugs may increase jaw disease risk
New study finds link between common drug and jawbone death.
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Health & Medicine
Fewer dopamine receptors makes for risky business
Brain-scanning study in people sees link between personality, dopamine system.
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Health & Medicine
New embryonic stem cells ratted out
Overcoming obstacles, scientists have created stable embryonic stem cells from rats. Researchers hope their method will prove useful as a general recipe for isolating stem cells from other mammals.