Awards and Honors

for Pandora's Baby

Helen and Miles Davis Book Prize, History of Science Society, Best Book, 2006

Science-in-Society Award, National Association of Science Writers, Best Book, 2006

Outstanding Book Award, American Society of Journalists and Authors, 2005

Library Journal, "30 Best Books of the Year" listing, 2004

for “Looking for the Lie”

Best American Science Writing 2007, Ecco/HarperCollins, 2007

for “Will We Ever Arrive at the Good Death?”

Outstanding Article Award, American Society of Journalists and Authors, 2006

for “The Quest to Forget”

June Roth Memorial Award for Medical Writing, American Society of Journalists and Authors: Best Magazine Article, 2005

Science-in-Society Award, National Association of Science Writers, Best Magazine Article, 2005

for “The Genome in Black and White (and Gray)”

Best American Science Writing 2005, Ecco/HarperCollins, 2005

for The Monk in the Garden

National Book Critics Circle Award, finalist, 2001

Goodchild Prize for Excellent English, The Queen’s English Society, finalist, 2001

New York Public Library “25 Books to Remember” Award, 2001

for A Dancing Matrix

Author of the Year Award, American Society of Journalists and Authors, 1994

June Roth Memorial Award for Medical Writing, American Society of Journalists and Authors, Best Book, 1994

for “Flu Pandemic”

June Roth Memorial Award for Medical Writing, American Society of Journalists and Authors, Best Magazine Article, 1993

for “Defining Hypertension”

William Harvey Award, American Medical Writers Association, Best Newspaper Article, 1989

for “Eat Right and Live Longer”

Howard Blakeslee Award in Science Writing, American Heart Association, Best Magazine Article,  1984

for The Myth of Senility

National Media Award, American Psychological Association, First Prize, Books, 1982

Awards for Excellence in Medical Writing, American Medical Writers Association,Mid-Atlantic Chapter, First Prize, Books, 1982

for “The Child Savers”

Awards for Excellence in Medical Writing, American Medical Writers Association,Mid-Atlantic Chapter, First Prize, Magazines, 1982

Other Awards and Honors

Journalism Research Fellowship, The Alicia Patterson Foundation, 2001

Mini-Fellowship, Knight Foundation for Science Writing, MIT, December 1999

Officer’s Grant, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Program in Public Understanding of Science and Technology, 1998-99

Science Writers Fellowship, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA: August 1990

National Media Award, American Psychological Association: 1987, Honorable Mention, newspapers;

Journalism Award, American Academy of Pediatrics: 1982, Honorable Mention, magazines

Blue Pencil Award, National Association of Government Communicators: 1989, Honorable Mention; 1981, First Prize