Laura Beil

Laura Beil

Contributing Correspondent

Laura Beil is an independent journalist specializing in medicine, health policy and science. She was the recipient of the Victor Cohn Prize for Medical Science Reporting in 2018. In addition to being a contributing correspondent at Science News, her work has appeared in numerous publications, including The New York Times, Cosmopolitan, Reader's Digest, Men's Health, and other magazines. She began freelancing in 2007 after working as medical writer for the Dallas Morning News from 1992 to 2006. In 2018, she reported and hosted the podcast Dr. Death, which has been downloaded more than 50 million times.

All Stories by Laura Beil

  1. Health & Medicine

    For athletes, antioxidant pills may not help performance

    Supplements of vitamins C, E and other antioxidants may blunt the positive effects of exercise training.

  2. Health & Medicine

    For kids, news coverage can bring distant tragedy home

    Media coverage of disasters and other major events can have an emotional effect on kids. Experts suggest that parents limit news exposure and discuss tough topics.

  3. Health & Medicine

    Children can suffer emotional wounds in a disaster

    Natural disasters and terrorist attacks have taught researchers that a subset of children may face long-term problems. Parent reactions and how quickly life returns to normal can make a difference.

  4. Health & Medicine

    Mass EKG screening for athletes inadvisable, panel says

    Only athletes with warning signs of cardiac problems should be tested with electrocardiograms, according to the American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology.

  5. Genetics

    Ancient famine-fighting genes can’t explain obesity

    Scientists question the long-standing notion that adaptation — specifically the evolution of genes that encourage humans to hold on to fat so they can survive times of famine — has driven the obesity crisis.

  6. Health & Medicine

    Mammography’s limits becoming clear

    It may be time to move way from blanket recommendations about mammography and empower women to decide for themselves, new work suggests.

  7. Health & Medicine

    Sudden death

    Cardiologists disagree on whether electrocardiograms should be used to screen student athletes for a rare heart condition that can cause them to die suddenly and without warning.

  8. Health & Medicine

    Quick cooling after cardiac arrest questioned

    For a decade, doctors have made induced hypothermia standard practice.

  9. Health & Medicine

    Waiting to exhale

    Scientists sift through the chemical potpourri that escapes our lungs for new ways to diagnose disease.

  10. Chemistry

    Sweet Confusion

    Does high fructose corn syrup deserve such a bad rap?

  11. Humans

    A Cancer Patient’s Best Friend

    Similarities between tumors in people and dogs mean canine studies can inform human disease.

  12. Early Arrival

    Premature puberty among girls poses scientific puzzle.