Jef (an unusual nickname for Jennifer) is a freelance writer and editor covering the life sciences. She earned her master’s degree from Indiana University in April 2009 studying the mating behavior of seahorses and spent the first 13 years of her career at The Scientist, where she edited features and oversaw the production of the publication’s digital and print magazines. In 2022, her feature on uterus transplantation earned first place in the trade category of the Awards for Excellence in Health Care Journalism. She is a member of the National Association of Science Writers.
Jef Akst
Contributing writer
From this contributor
Protein networks identified in autism-linked genetic deletion
The OTUD7A gene, which may account for some traits in people missing a segment of chromosome 15, appears to interact with several known autism-linked genes.
Protein networks identified in autism-linked genetic deletion
Simons Foundation clinical research head Wendy Chung to lead Boston Children’s pediatrics department
Chung, a clinical and molecular geneticist, plans to continue serving as principal investigator of two large research projects involving cohorts of people with autism and related neurodevelopmental conditions.
Simons Foundation clinical research head Wendy Chung to lead Boston Children’s pediatrics department
Head motion mars most fMRI results, even after correction
A new measure shows how greatly movement influences associations between traits and brain activity, revealing abundant false positives and false negatives.
Head motion mars most fMRI results, even after correction
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Frameshift: At a biotech firm, Ubadah Sabbagh embraces the expansive world outside academia
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Frameshift: At a biotech firm, Ubadah Sabbagh embraces the expansive world outside academia
As chief of staff at Arcadia, Ubadah Sabbagh gets to do science while also pushing the boundaries of how science gets done.
How to collaborate with AI
To make the best use of LLMs in research, turn your scientific question into a set of concrete, checkable proposals, wire up an automatic scoring loop, and let the AI iterate.
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To make the best use of LLMs in research, turn your scientific question into a set of concrete, checkable proposals, wire up an automatic scoring loop, and let the AI iterate.