Claudia Wallis

Science writer

Claudia Wallis is an award-winning science writer and magazine editor whose work has appeared in The New York Times, Time, Fortune, The New Republic, Scientific American and Rolling Stone. She is a health columnist for Scientific American and writes “The Science of Learning” column for the Hechinger Report. Wallis is the author of 40 Time Magazine cover stories, two of which were National Magazine Award finalists. Her writing has won journalism prizes from the American Psychiatric Association, the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, and the National Women’s Political Caucus, among other organizations.

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Research image of brain organoids with astroglia formation represented in green.

Personalized medicine; astroglia organoids; fast track for fragile X drug

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By Jill Adams
21 January 2025 | 2 min read
Illustration of clinicians, a pill bottle, a speech bubble and shadowy figures.

Neuroscientists need to do better at explaining basic mental health research

The knowledge gap between scientists, health-care professionals, policymakers and people with mental health conditions is growing, slowing the translation of basic science to new treatments. Like lawyers learning to present a case to the court, scientists should learn to educate nonscientists about their findings.

By Omar Abubaker, Karla Kaun, Eric J. Nestler
21 January 2025 | 7 min read
Grid of human brain scans.

Dose, scan, repeat: Tracking the neurological effects of oral contraceptives

We know little about how the brain responds to oral contraceptives, despite their widespread use. I am committed to changing that: I scanned my brain 75 times over the course of a year and plan to make my data openly available.

By Carina Heller
20 January 2025 | 7 min read