Jessica Wapner
Jessica Wapner is the science editor for Newsweek. She works with a talented team of journalists who tackle the full spectrum of science and health topics for both the website and the magazine.
Prior to her current role, she was a staff science writer for Newsweek focused on a wide range of topics. Before joining Newsweek, Jessica spent 10 years as a freelance science writer with a particular focus on human health, diseases and social disparities. Her stories are published in Scientific American, Slate, The Atlantic, the New York Times, New York, AARP, Science, and elsewhere. Her first book, "The Philadelphia Chromosome," published in 2013, was named a top-ten non-fiction book by the Wall Street Journal. She has spoken about her work at universities, libraries and other venues around the world, and has appeared on Book-TV, The Leonard Lopate Show, and other noteworthy television and radio programs.
Plants in Space—The Final Frontier in Cancer Research
The world of flora has long been a source of cancer-fighting therapies. The drug paclitaxel, for example, originally came from the Pacific yew tree.
The Search for a Cancer Cure Has Ignored African DNA
Genetic research has nearly excluded an entire continent. A massive effort to remedy that could change the future of cancer treatment—and of science.
Prisoners Help Solve Butterfly Migration Mystery
A maximum-security prison in Washington state was looking for new activities to improve the mental health of inmates serving long-term sentences.
Money Worsens Our Judgment and Leads to Overconfidence
“We are far from being rational decision-makers.”
Border Separation Could Lead to Depression and Disease
A huge amount of data have shown that traumatic events like this pose clear risks to the mental and physical health of children.
Is Fasting an Effective Treatment for Diabetes?
The approach may be a long-ignored health savior but some researchers call for caution.
Drug Overdoses Lead to Increase in Organ Donors
Researchers who noticed an increase in the number of organs available traced the change back to a disconcerting source.
Study Shows When Shock Therapy Is Best for Depression
It may be time to end the stigma against the approach.
East Africa Cave Changes Story of Human Evolution
Archaeologists have long ignored the region, but the new discovery is rewriting history.
Scientist Probe Famous Deaths for New Insights
Revisiting history yields haunting insights about what might have been.
Mysteries of Water Solved in New Study
The discovery could have profound implications for science.
NASA'S TESS Satellite Could Find Planet Hosting Life
TESS stands for Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, and its mission is to identify planets orbiting the brightest stars in our neighborhood of the universe.
Pharmapocalypse: Why Are Drug Prices Spiking?
Prices for the top 20 drugs prescribed to seniors rose by an average of 12 percent every year from 2012 to 2017. Nothing about the medications changed, except their price tag.
Swallowed Ketchup Packet Misdiagnosed as Bowel Disease
Her doctors believe this is the first reported case of plastic packaging mimicking a bowel disease.
Mysterious Ancient Egyptian Tombs Reveal Vast Treasures
"Our ancient Egyptian ancestors are bestowing their blessing."
How a Snake-Eating Hawk Started a Huge Montana Wildfire
The charred remains of the bird clutching its prey helped firefighters explain what went down.
Scientists Aim To Preserve Rare Chinese Fish
Scientists have captured one of the world’s most elusive—and weird-looking—fish.
How to Know If Your Drinking Water Is Safe
Lead and carcinogens have been found in drinking water in several cities. A new tool can help you find out if one of those cities is yours.
Diabetes Vaccine Entering Clinical Trials Next Year
Clinical trials on a prospective type 1 immunization are set to begin next year.
Evolution Revolution: A New Theory on Cancer
If cancer really is a disease in which our cells act like their single-celled ancestors of eons ago, then the current approach to treatment needs a radical overhaul.
Trump’s New CDC Director Faces Host of Challenges
The former Georgia health director has her work cut out for her.
Martian Soil Deadly to Bacteria, Study Reveals
The search for life continues, with exploration narrowed to deep below the Martian surface.
Half of World’s Olive Oil Threatened by Deadly Bacteria
The lethal pathogen has already wiped out a million trees in Italy and has been spotted across Europe.
Who Is Surgeon General Pick Jerome Adams?
Adams once convinced Mike Pence, then governor of Indiana, to open syringe exchanges for drug users. That influence could help address the nationwide opioid epidemic.
Dangerous Parasite Found in Rats Throughout Florida
Climate change is enabling this organism, which causes meningitis, to inhabit new regions.
These Butterflies Have Incredible Sex, Scientists Find
The butterflies could hold clues to human infertility.
New Parrot Species from Mexico Is Dazzling and Loud
Its call sounds more like a hawk than a parrot.
Should You Eat Roadkill? It's Now Legal in More States
Another U.S. state just passed a law allowing "wildlife salvage."
Extremely Rare Blind Fish Found in South China Cave
The humpback golden line barbel also has a mysterious little horn.
Water Park Where Parasite Killed Teen Sued by Parents
The amoeba was living in a rapids course at dangerously high levels.