As a child, I was lucky to be a participant in a clinical trial in which a small device was inserted into my heart to cover an atrial septal defect which was causing my heart to grow unevenly, and over time, would likely have led to symptoms like shortness of breath and heart failure. The surgery was successful, and today I live a largely healthy and normal life. However, as one of the first recipients of the treatment, I may be the first to discover any long-term effects—positive or negative.
I am a freelance science and medical journalist, fascinated by how the scientific process leads to incredible discoveries, but also can lead to publication bias leaning toward positive findings and minimizing negatives. With a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience from Lafayette College and a Master’s in Science and Medical Journalism from Boston University, I’ve written about clinical trial transparency, organ donation, and basic molecular biology for publications like The Scientist, The Atlantic, Undark.org, Kaiser Health News, and more. At MedShadow, I research and write about the sometimes unexpected ways that medicines can affect us, and what we can do if and when it does.
