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

    When it comes to baby’s growth, early pregnancy weight may matter more than later gains

    Women’s weight before and during the first half of pregnancy may be most important indicators of baby’s birth weight.

  2. Neuroscience

    Some flu strains can make mice forgetful

    Mice infected with influenza had memory problems a month later, a result that hints at a link between infections and brain performance.

  3. Health & Medicine

    A new study eases fears of a link between autism and prenatal ultrasounds

    On almost every measure, prenatal ultrasounds doesn’t appear to be related to a risk of developing autism, a recent study finds.

  4. Neuroscience

    Watch nerve cells being born in the brains of living mice

    For the first time, scientists have seen nerve cells being born in the brains of adult mice.

  5. Health & Medicine

    Babies’ kicks in the womb are good for their bones

    A new study adds to the evidence that fetal workouts are important for strong bodies.

  6. Neuroscience

    Somewhere in the brain is a storage device for memories

    New technology and new ideas spur the hunt for the physical basis of memory.

  7. Neuroscience

    Cilia in the brain may be busier than previously thought

    A hairlike appendage sticking out of brain cells may be much more important in the brain than scientists realized.

  8. Neuroscience

    Protein helps old blood age the brains of young mice

    Increased levels of one protein in old blood may contribute to its aging effects on the brain, a mouse study suggests.

  9. Health & Medicine

    The science behind kids’ belief in Santa

    Children’s belief in Santa is strong — until it isn’t anymore, usually at around age 8.

  10. Neuroscience

    Specks in the brain attract Alzheimer’s plaque-forming protein

    Globs of an inflammatory protein can spur the formation of amyloid-beta clumps, a study in mice shows.

  11. Neuroscience

    In a tally of nerve cells in the outer wrinkles of the brain, a dog wins

    Among some carnivores, golden retrievers rate at the top for numbers of nerve cells, study finds.

  12. Health & Medicine

    An abundance of toys can curb kids’ creativity and focus

    Too many toys may lead to more shallow play for toddlers, a new study suggests.