I became a science writer in 2004 after more than a decade as a computer scientist and entrepreneur. My stories appear in a number of outlets including The Scientist, Los Angeles Times, Cell, and Physical Review Focus. I live in Princeton, New Jersey.
Life in a beehive quickly turns sour when small hive beetles pay a visit.
Within weeks, these tiny black pests and their larvae plunder the bee colony's honey,
kill its young, and wreck its combs. Sadly, the bees' own chemical signals may be to blame:
according to a recent PNAS study, certain bee pheromones give away the hive's location
to the unwelcome guests. To add insult to injury, the homewreckers infect the hive
with a fungus that emits the same chemical lure. More beetles arrive, and pretty soon the
entire colony feels the sting. (From ScienceNOW)
| Title | Description | Publication |
|---|---|---|
| Target: vagus nerve | 
In hunting for a simpler and safer alternative to weight loss surgery,
researchers are trying to disable a nerve that carries much of the
communication between brain and gut. |
Los Angeles Times (Jun 2008) |
| Virtual drugs | 
In silico methods could revolutionize every aspect of drug discovery and development. |
Cell, Chemistry & Biology (May 2008) |
| Yeast power | 
India's biotech industry puts an unconventional yeast to work to make products ranging from
vaccines to insulin. |
Cell, Chemistry & Biology (Mar 2008) |
| Cancer stem cells | 
Cancer therapies aimed at shrinking tumors may miss the true culprits. |
Los Angeles Times (Dec 2007) |
| Tackling type 1 diabetes | 
New immune-based therapies could help the millions of
victims of Type 1 Diabetes, an autoimmune condition which body destroys its own insulin-producing cells.
|
Cell, Chemistry & Biology (Dec 2007) |
| Safer than estrogen? | 
Estrogen is very effective in relieving menopause symptoms such as hot flashes,
but the hormone
may not suit everyone. What causes hot flashes? And can this condition, which
affects three out of four women during menopause, be treated without hormones? |
Los Angeles Times (Jul 2007) |