Back to The Team
About Ayala
Ayala’s interest in science started at a young age, with exposure to both popular-science and science-fiction. Her curiosity and enthusiasm for the natural sciences resulted in degrees in both chemical engineering and molecular biology, and a firm belief that the advancement of humanity depends on our ability to share, discuss and understand novel ideas. With great power comes great responsibility, and Ayala believes it is the responsibility of scientists to show the beauty and strength of science to the public. Still looking for the science-fiction novel hidden within her, she looks to science communication as a way to share new concepts, tools and discoveries with curious people from all walks of life.
Ayala is the editor of 67 Breaks:
Recovering data you have never seen
Imagine you spilled coffee over the spreadsheets containing your research data, and a large part of the data is completely unreadable. Before you throw away your data in despair, it might in fact be possible to recover it with the help of a bit of math.
Apr 15, 2021 | 4.5 min readFinancial distress: Links to ADHD and suicide risk
Using a sample of over 11 million people from Sweden, this study found that adults with ADHD are more likely to struggle financially and to die by suicide. Furthermore, those with ADHD who had the greatest financial difficulties were up to nearly four times more likely to die by suicide. Targeted interventions to reduced financial stress for those with ADHD may help reduce suicide risk.
Apr 13, 2021 | 3.5 min readAre you going places? Mapping unequal access to services and opportunities worldwide
For 3.4 billion people living in rural areas, the size of nearby cities and towns and the travel time to reach them are critical. They affect the extent of services and opportunities available as well as their accessibility. Our research shows the diversity of urban-rural systems worldwide and the importance of the links between small or intermediate cities and their surrounding rural areas.
Apr 8, 2021 | 3.5 min readGo with the flow: dams could have a far-reaching impact on fisheries in tropical rivers
Dams can disrupt the life cycle of Amazonian fish, impacting the livelihood of local communities. By interviewing fishers from many communities located downstream of the proposed dam, we showed that it may negatively affect their food security and income on a much larger area than the current official estimates.
Mar 29, 2021 | 4 min readExtending the genomic record of human diversity
We studied the genetic variation among people from diverse groups across the globe, to learn about the complex evolutionary history that has shaped our genomes. Our study provided insights into the timescale of early human evolution and the genetic contributions of Neanderthals and Denisovans to present-day people.
Mar 25, 2021 | 4 min readLearning to stop: two types of neurons cooperate to adjust behaviour
Updating learning to control our actions is a fundamental aspect of brain function. It eliminates behaviours that use valuable energy for no reward. Here, we discover that two interlaced brain cell types allow this change in performance.
Mar 19, 2021 | 3.5 min read