Neurosalience #S6E13 with Kristin Ozelli - The Transmitter: Connecting the scales of neuroscience

“The Transmitter is trying to cover the whole waterfront…”

Kristin Ozelli is the Executive Editor of The Transmitter, a neuroscience publication supported by the Simons Foundation that launched in 2023. In this conversation, Peter and Kristin explore what makes The Transmitter tick. At its heart, the publication is driven by a conviction that neuroscience is most powerful when its many scales, modalities, and subfields are in conversation with each other, and that good science journalism can provide the intellectual scaffolding to make that happen. They discuss the editorial process behind the scenes, from morning story meetings and house style guides to multiple rounds of editing, and how scientist-written essays are helping fill the void left by the decline of science Twitter. The conversation also touches on The Transmitter's ambitious State of Neuroscience mapping project, the ongoing tension between a fragmenting field and the hunger for greater integration, and what it means to portray science as a genuinely human endeavor. They close with thoughts on AI in science writing, exciting new tools and resources coming to the site, and how publications like The Transmitter might help rebuild trust between scientists and a skeptical public.

We hope you enjoy this episode!

Chapters:

00:00 - Introduction to the Transmitter and Its Mission

05:49 - Kristin Ozelli’s Journey to Neuroscience Journalism

08:29 - The Transmitter's History and Evolution

11:03 - Finding the Sweet Spot in Neuroscience Communication

16:19 - Mapping Neuroscience: The State of Neuroscience Project

23:22 - Engaging the OHBM Community and Beyond

30:07 - The Evolution of Scientific Communication

33:45 - Public Perception of Science

40:22 - Future Directions for Transmitter

47:15 - The Role of AI in Journalism

Resources:

14:20 - The State of Neuroscience https://www.thetransmitter.org/state-of-neuroscience-report-2025/

Episode producers:

Karthik Sama, Xuqian Michelle Li