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. Neuroscience

    Nerve cell links severed in early stages of Alzheimer’s

    Nerve cell connections may be trimmed too much in early stages of Alzheimer’s.

  2. Health & Medicine

    Should C-section babies get wiped down with vagina microbes?

    A study suggests that a post-birth rubdown with vaginal fluid offers starter microbes to babies born by C-section. But it might not always be a good idea.

  3. Health & Medicine

    Microbes can play games with the mind

    Our bodies are having a conversation with our microbiome that may be affecting our mental health — for better or worse.

  4. Neuroscience

    Brain holds more than one road to fear

    A study on rare patients suggests that fear can take many paths through the brain.

  5. Neuroscience

    Lost memories retrieved for mice with signs of Alzheimer’s

    Using light, scientists coaxed a forgotten memory from the brains of mice with Alzheimer’s-like symptoms.

  6. Health & Medicine

    Mind’s healing powers put to the test in new book

    Cure: A Journey Into the Science of Mind Over Body investigates the brain’s role in keeping people healthy.

  7. Health & Medicine

    Scientists probe Zika’s link to neurological disorder

    The link between the Zika virus and Guillain-Barré syndrome is growing stronger.

  8. Health & Medicine

    Explaining Henry VIII’s erratic behavior

    Researchers say Henry VIII suffered several traumatic brain injuries that may explain his explosive outbursts and memory problems.

  9. Neuroscience

    Brain cells aglow after viral delivery

    The virus AAV-PHP.B proves best at delivering genes to brain cells in mice. Similar viruses may eventually be used for gene therapy in humans.

  10. Neuroscience

    Re-creating womb sounds perks preemies’ attention

    Babies born prematurely may benefit from hearing a recording of their mothers’ voices and heartbeats.

  11. Neuroscience

    Tiny bare-bones brains made in lab dishes

    A reliable way to make standard-issue minibrains could help scientists study the human brain.

  12. Neuroscience

    Early exposure to signing helps deaf kids on mental task

    Deaf kids exposed to sign language from birth performed better on a task that required attention and impulse control.