I am a science writer, journalist, and collaborator. My stories often focus on the intersection between health and society, to understand why illness happens—and why wellness happens. I bring readers behind the scenes, to the humans, and humanity, behind the microscope. I find and tell poignant stories with universal relevance, unpacking complicated science with clarity and engagement along the way.
Magazine writing:
My work is published in The New Yorker, the New York Times, Wired, Popular Science, Undark, Discover, The Atlantic, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, Slate, Scientific American, and elsewhere. I also previously served as the science editor for Newsweek.
Podcasting:
I am the writer, reporter and co-host, with actor Elle Fanning, of the podcast One Click. A production of Cadence13, Vespucci Group and Lewellen Pictures, One Click tells the story of how a World War I explosive became a deadly diet drug. I also worked as a freelance producer with Freakonomics MD, a new podcast by Freakonomics Radio.
Books:
My first book, “The Philadelphia Chromosome: A Mutant Gene and the Quest to Cure Cancer at the Genetic Level,” was published in 2013 by The Experiment and was named a top-ten nonfiction book for that year by the Wall Street Journal. I am also the author of "Wall Disease: The Psychological Toll of Life Against the Border," published in September 2020. I am the collaborating writer on "Protocols: An Operating Manual for the Human Body," by Andrew Huberman (September 2026). I also served as the collaborating writer for "The End of Food Allergy," published in the fall of 2020.
Photo by Eva Gilliam.