I am a science and health writer who specializes in physics, optics & photonics, oncology, cancer care, technology, and neuroscience. I received my physics Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania.
Coming of Age: New Research Efforts are Improving Treatment of Childhood Blood Cancers
For years, childhood blood cancers were understudied forcing patients’ treatments into a one size-fits-all approach. But new efforts are changing that.
DIY diabetes tech gains popularity with patients and parents fed up with clunky mainstream medical devices
Some tech-savvy adults who have diabetes or have loved ones with the ailment are trying to redesign diabetes devices to make them more patient-friendly.
Perovskite Photovoltaics: The Road Ahead
In terms of efficiency, perovskite solar cells are the fastest-growing solar technology to date, but stability issues still block their widespread commercialization.
How a researcher used big data to beat her own ovarian cancer
For Shirley Pepke, a genomics researcher based in Los Angeles, the urgency to find answers comes from her own instinct for survival.
The Physics of Rick and Morty
The show gets multiverse theory totally wrong—but it’s still wonderful.
Tibetan Buddhism-based ‘compassion’ training for doctors targets burnout
To combat physician burnout, some medical schools have launched programs to teach “soft skills” to better equip their doctors for today's stressful health-care environment.
'Forest bathing' is latest fitness trend to hit U.S.
Coined by the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries in 1982, the term centers on the therapeutic aspects of being in nature.
What We Can Learn From Supercentenarians About Our Own Aging.
Scientists have a hunch about why some live to be over 110 years old.
A 'Netflix-like' predictive model: Hospital systems could pinpoint which patients are most likely to code on their watch
Big data researchers are aiming to use electronic medical records to predict and prevent patient deaths.
New virtual reality fitness apps aim to make exercise less tedious
I tried a handful of games, but due to their simplistic nature I questioned how long the novelty would last.
Exercise for the brain: Why 3-D video games might actually be good for your kid
Researchers make the case that video games actually have health-related benefits.
This rare illness makes people think they're dead
The delusions of “walking corpse syndrome” have sometimes been misdiagnosed as schizophrenia.
How mosquitoes with 'self-destruct' genes could save us from Zika
Brazil is latching onto this novel if controversial approach to fight the spread of the disease.
Microsoft Research scientist David Heckerman on how we could attack HIV like spam
"Spammers mutate their spam messages to work around our filters, and HIV mutates itself to avoid attack by our immune system."
The teenage brain: There may be a silver lining to all that misbehavior
Researchers believe risk-taking may be associated with faster learning.