Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Autism, Tylenol, and Pregnancy: Separating Fact from Fear — Meghan H. Puglia, Ph.D.

Meghan Puglia @drmeghanpuglia.bsky.social · 14d

This week's news is filled with scary claims about autism, Tylenol, and pregnancy.

My latest blog post translates the sensationalism into science.

Read to cut through the headlines and discover the truth: meghanpuglia.com/autism-tylenol

#Autism #Pregnancy #Tylenol #Vaccines #Parenting

Autism, Tylenol, and pregnancy: What science really says. Separate fact from fear about autism causes, pain relief in pregnancy, and vaccine myths.

meghanpuglia.com

The Experiment Glow-Up: A Primer on Study Design

Meghan Puglia @drmeghanpuglia.bsky.social · 15d

Bad design = bad science. No matter how fancy the data or analysis.

This week on Un-Hidden Curriculum:
👉 Variables, controls, randomization
👉 Power, pilots, replication

Learn how to turn messy ideas into solid science

🎥 Watch: youtu.be/mOfS_Frz9aw?...

Make Code Make Sense: Programming Basics for Beginners

youtu.be

Meghan Puglia @drmeghanpuglia.bsky.social · 20d

Drowning in data? Coding is your lifeboat! From analyzing brain images to building experiments, coding is an essential skill for scientists.

Learn the basics–variables, functions, debugging, and more–in the latest Un-Hidden Curriculum episode: youtu.be/e557Q-zd-SQ?...

youtu.be

Meghan Puglia @drmeghanpuglia.bsky.social · 25d

Thrilled to share that I’ve been invited to give a TED talk at TEDxMidAtlantic 2025!

I’ll be speaking on how we can raise today’s infants to thrive in an AI-driven future.

Learn more: tedxmidatlantic.com

#ScienceCommunication #AI #TEDx

Why Your Computer Isn’t Scary (And How to Use It Like a Scientist)

Meghan Puglia @drmeghanpuglia.bsky.social · 27d

Ever named a file “final_FINAL_reallyfinal_v2.docx”? 🤦‍♀️

This week on Un-Hidden Curriculum: how to actually use your laptop like a scientist– files, folders, shortcuts & pro tips you’ll wish you learned sooner.

👀Watch here: youtu.be/Eu1UeSyBwNs?...

Meghan's Story | UVA Health

youtu.be

Meghan Puglia @drmeghanpuglia.bsky.social · Aug 28

Leadership isn’t about having all the answers... It’s about listening, asking better questions, and making space for others to thrive.

Grateful to UVA's Health Leadership Institute for shaping how I lead with both strategy and heart.

🔗 uvahealth.com/about/health...

Meghan Puglia shares their experience and takeaways from UVA Health's HLI.

uvahealth.com

Stop Losing Data: Your Ultimate Guide to File Organization

Meghan Puglia @drmeghanpuglia.bsky.social · Aug 26

If you can’t understand your own dataset… how do you expect anyone else to? 👀

New Un-Hidden Curriculum episode: how to stop losing data & start trusting it.

🎧 www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9Fa...

#Research #DataManagement #UnHiddenCurriculum

Paths to PhD | Department of Psychology

Meghan Puglia @drmeghanpuglia.bsky.social · Aug 24

Thinking about a PhD in Psychology? 🎓✨

Stanford Psych is hosting Paths to a Psychology PhD—a free virtual info session + workshop.

📅 Oct 18, 2025 | Apply by Sept 25!

psychology.stanford.edu/diversity/pa...

psychology.stanford.edu

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Meghan Puglia @drmeghanpuglia.bsky.social · Aug 22

📩 Sent a bold email at 14.

🩺 Now training as an MD/PhD in neonatal neuroscience.

This is Madelyn’s story.

🎧 www.youtube.com/watch?v=mszn...

#MDPHD #SciencePodcast #Neuroscience

How a Teen’s Email Sparked an MD/PhD Journey

Electrodes, Magnets, & Lasers, Oh My!

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Meghan Puglia @drmeghanpuglia.bsky.social · Aug 19

Peek inside the brain without cracking the skull 👀🧠 – EEG, fMRI, TMS & more explained in the latest Un-Hidden Curriculum.

🎧 www.youtube.com/watch?v=44M5...

#CognitiveNeuroscience #ScienceEducation #BrainScience

So you want to be a neuroscientist?

Meghan Puglia @drmeghanpuglia.bsky.social · Aug 14

6 paths to unlocking the mysteries of the brain.

1 episode to help you decide... which will you pick?

New episode of Un-Hidden Curriculum available now!

Watch here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePlT...

#Neuroscience #BrainScience #STEMCareers #UnHiddenCurriculum

Too Many Tabs, Too Little Time: How to Do a Lit Review Without Losing Your Sanity (or Your Sources)

Meghan Puglia @drmeghanpuglia.bsky.social · Aug 11

37 tabs open... Cold coffee... It’s 11:47 p.m.

Someone said: “Just do a lit review.”

In the latest Un-Hidden Curriculum, I break down what that actually means—giving you tools & tricks to search, read, and synthesize without losing your mind.

🎧 youtube.com/watch?v=4azU...

#AcademicWriting

Vibe Check your Lab Culture

youtube.com

Meghan Puglia @drmeghanpuglia.bsky.social · Aug 3

We train scientists to run experiments and write papers—but not how to navigate lab politics, power dynamics, and unspoken rules.

Episode 3 of Un-Hidden Curriculum breaks down the hidden forces that shape your lab life.

🎧 Watch now: www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqF9...

How the science sausage gets made.

Meghan Puglia @drmeghanpuglia.bsky.social · Jul 28

Textbooks say science is tidy. Real research? Messy.

Episode 2 of Un-Hidden Curriculum breaks down what actually happens in research, and how to succeed—from asking better questions, to ditching perfection.

🎧 Listen/watch: www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzQJ...

This Hoo is ahead of the game on concussion awareness

Meghan Puglia @drmeghanpuglia.bsky.social · Jul 23

This Puglia Lab Undergrad is making headlines! Meet Nora Fotuhi–changing the game in concussion research.

So proud to have her on the Developmental Neuroanalytics Lab team! Read her inspiring story here:

news.virginia.edu/content/hoo-...

With a passion for medicine and advocacy, rising third-year student Nora Fotuhi is creating tools to support student-athletes.

news.virginia.edu

Meghan Puglia @drmeghanpuglia.bsky.social · Jul 22

🧠 It’s World Brain Day!

This year’s theme: Brain Health for All Ages.

Did you know the foundations for lifelong brain health are laid in the first few years of life?

🔗 Learn what you can do to help build a baby’s brain: www.meghanpuglia.com/buildingbrains

How Brains are Built — Meghan H. Puglia, Ph.D.

Discover how early experiences shape the brain. Practical, science-based insights for parents, educators, and anyone building healthy young minds.

www.meghanpuglia.com

Meghan Puglia @drmeghanpuglia.bsky.social · Jul 19

Trying to make it in science? Your grades matter less than you think.

My new podcast #UnHiddenCurriculum pulls back the curtain on how the research world actually works—and what it takes to thrive in it.

Watch Episode 1 now: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Edl7...

They don't teach THIS in science class.

Developmental Neuroanalytics Explained

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Meghan Puglia @drmeghanpuglia.bsky.social · Jul 14

Had so much fun as a recent guest on the Carbon Radio #Podcast! We talked #BabyBrains, #Epigenetics, #AI and behavior, and the future of parenting.

If you’re into #Neuroscience or raising tiny humans—this one’s for you!
#ChildDevelopment #PrecisionParenting

www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qh6...

YouTube video by Carbon Radio

a chef says no soup for you while another chef looks on

Meghan Puglia @drmeghanpuglia.bsky.social · Jul 9

Love this new video on Junk Labz! Ever wonder where great ideas come from? Sometimes, just an open mind—and a single email.

That’s how our collab started. Science meets trash meets art. Bravo!

Watch & read: www.meghanpuglia.com/linkinbio

#Sustainability #LabToLivingRoom

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Meghan Puglia @drmeghanpuglia.bsky.social · Jul 9

Heartbroken by the tragedy in Texas. In times like this, kids need connection, clarity, and care. I made an evidence-based guide to help caregivers talk to young kids about death & disaster.

Free printable here: www.meghanpuglia.com/resources

#ChildMentalHealth #Parenting #TexasFlood

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Meghan Puglia @drmeghanpuglia.bsky.social · Jul 8

What does Seinfeld have to do with brain development?

Find out what “No soup for you!” can teach us about how experience shapes the brain: 🧠 www.meghanpuglia.com/buildingbrains

#BrainDevelopment #Parenting #BuildingBrains

ALT: a chef says no soup for you while another chef looks on

media.tenor.com