Stories by Emily Willingham

Plant Hallucinogen Holds Hope for Diabetes Treatment

A potent molecular cocktail containing a compound from ayahuasca spurs rapid growth of insulin-producing cells

U.S. Health Official Expresses Alarm at Increase in Vaping among Teens

Nora Volkow of the National Institute on Drug Abuse addresses record high stats among 12th graders

Bats Beat Dolphins in the Battle over Who Has the Best Sonar

But the dolphins are no slouches either

Lowly Moss-Like Plant Seems to Copy Cannabis

Meet the new weed on the block, perhaps one better suited to medical rather than recreational use

When Times Are Good, the Gender Gap Grows

A study shows growing national wealth and gender equality accentuates differences in the types of choices men and women make

After Years of Paralysis, a Man Walks the Length of a Football Field

An electrical stimulation device combined with intensive rehabilitation restores walking ability to a spinal cord injury patient

Growth Cocktail Helps Restore Spinal Connections in the Most Severe Injuries

Repairing damaged nerves in a rodent study marks a crucial first step toward bringing back lost movement

Parkinson’s Drugs Aimed at Rare Gene Mutation Show Promise for Other Sufferers, Too

Shutting down an overactive enzyme could become a general treatment, rather than one solely intended for the few who inherit a mutated Parkinson’s gene

A Gut—and Liver—Check to Get a Bead on Alzheimer’s

Areas outside the brain may play a role in a chain reaction related to dementia, but the path from gut to head remains elusive

Analysis of a Million-Plus Genomes Points to Blurring Lines among Brain Disorders

Schizophrenia shares some genetic variants with several psychiatric conditions—and similar overlaps are seen for personality traits and migraines in a massive study

Mercury and Autism: Enough Already!

The science shows that they have nothing to do with each other and never have

Spike in Autism Numbers Might Reflect Rise in Awareness

About one in 68 children in the U.S. is diagnosed with autism, according to the latest U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data

ADHD: Backlash to the Backlash

What's Going On with Those Scandinavian Sperm?

Of lice and men: An itchy history