A Genetic Test Could Someday Predict Your Heart Attack Risk (Discover, 2020)
When it comes to health risks, genes are major tattletales - researchers have discovered a group of genetic changes that could point to an increased risk of heart attack.
Yes, CBD Creams Relieve Pain. But Science is Still Learning About the Benefits and Risks (Discover, 2020)
Researchers have confirmed that CBD works against pain and inflammation, and they’re still finding new ways that it works in the body. T
The Story of You (Family Circle, March 2018)
Home genetic testing can bring some surprises.
The familiar Plants and Animals that have Invaded America's Landscape (Discover, 2020)
Palms in Southern California, tumbleweeds in the desert West, earthworms in rich American soils: These well-known species aren’t what you think they are.
Telltale Hearts
My favorite reporting trip (Mayo Clinic) for my favorite story, "Telltale Hearts," Nature Medicine, November 2013.
I’m an independent journalist specializing in health and science. I frequently write about genetics, genetic testing, heart disease, aging, and end-of-life issues. I’m a regular contributor at Discover, and my work has also appeared in the Washington Post, Nature Medicine, Real Simple, Nature, Family Circle, Next Avenue, Spectrum, Slate, and other publications. I am co-founder and editor-at-large at The Open Notebook, and a board member of the Association of Health Care Journalists, where I lead the freelance committee. In a past existence, I decoded the lives of bone cells.