About Me

I am a science writer and editor based in Portland, Oregon. I’ve worked on a variety of projects from popular science articles and blog posts to textbook chapters, grants, academic manuscripts, press releases, research briefs, and white papers. You can see examples of my writing here. I am a member of the National Association of Science Writers.

While I usually write about topics related to biology, neuroscience, and psychology, I have pretty broad interests (hence the unwieldy number of researchers and journalists I follow on twitter).

From April 2018 to January 2019 I was a Research and Writing Fellow with UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center. As a fellow, I wrote a series of white papers related to the science of living a meaningful life as well as articles for the Greater Good online magazine.

For a few months in 2012 I worked as an intern reporter at Rhode Island Public Radio (now The People’s Radio). I produced news stories on everything from politics to the arts to what to do if you happen upon a black bear. Much to my surprise I was told I have a promising radio voice. Unfortunately, this doesn’t make listening to my interviews any less cringeworthy. This wasn’t my first experience with radio, however. I was a DJ for my college’s station (shout out to KRLX) where I disappointed workers at the local Malt O’Meal factory with my limited selection of country music during my 6 am sets.

I have a B.A. degree in biology from Carleton College and a Ph.D. in neuroscience from Brown University. For my Ph.D. dissertation research, I studied calcium ion channels that play an important role in neuronal communication and are thought to be involved in nervous system disorders such as chronic pain and psychiatric illness. Before graduate school I studied the brain circuits and signals that drive our desire to eat (and to stop eating) at the Oregon National Primate Research Center.

When I’m not writing, reading, or talking about science, I enjoy reading novels, running, hiking, baking, watching movies, and exploring new restaurants and music.

Thanks for stopping by.