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

    A man volunteered to get brain implants for depression. Hear his story

    In the first episode of The Deep End Podcast, we meet Jon Nelson, who shares why he volunteered to get brain implants for his relentless depression.

  2. Health & Medicine

    Sleeping pills may have unexpected effects on the snoozing brain

    As scientists unravel how sleep benefits the body, a study in mice is highlighting the potential pitfalls of using Ambien and other sleep aids.

  3. Health & Medicine

    Plastic shards permeate human brains

    A study of microplastics and nanoplastics in brains shows an astonishing increase over time.

  4. Health & Medicine

    Welcome to The Deep End, a new podcast about brain implants and depression

    This new six-part podcast follows the lives of people with severe depression who volunteered for deep brain stimulation.

  5. Neuroscience

    Scratching an itch is so good, and so bad

    The motion kicks off inflammation but may also combat harmful bacteria 

  6. Health & Medicine

    Got a cold? A placebo might help

    Amid doubts over a common decongestant, evidence suggests the placebo effect can still help people suffering from a cold.

  7. Neuroscience

    How people suppress memories may be key to PTSD recovery

    People who recovered from PTSD changed the way their brains handle intrusive thoughts, a study of survivors of the 2015 Paris terrorist attacks shows.

  8. Neuroscience

    The message-sending part of neurons may be blobby, not smooth

    Axons can be shaped like strings of pearls, research in mice and people show. How that shape may influence brain signaling is not yet clear.

  9. Neuroscience

    Electronic ‘tattoos’ offer an alternative to electrodes for brain monitoring

    A standard EEG test requires electrodes that come with pitfalls. A spray-on ink, capable of carrying electrical signals, avoids some of those.

  10. Health & Medicine

    Vaccines, fluoride, raw milk: How RFK Jr.’s views may shape public health

    If confirmed as head of the Department of Health and Human Services, Kennedy could influence U.S. policy on vaccines, drugs and food safety.

  11. Neuroscience

    Some people don’t have a mind’s eye. Scientists want to know why

    The senses of sight and sound are usually mingled in the brain, but not for people with aphantasia.

  12. Psychology

    Smiles tweaked by AI can boost attraction, a speed-dating study shows

    Using face filters to alter expressions manipulated feelings of attraction, raising questions about how such technology may influence social interactions.