Summary
I am an award-winning science writer with outstanding writing and presentation skills, accompanied by a prolific and popular voice on social media. I am highly organized and driven to produce high-quality, accurate work that informs and educates the public on news and issues in scientific research.
Recent Clips (For the most updated list, see here)
- Templeton Ideas: Are Brains Bright With Their Own Light? (July, 2025)
- National Geographic: The Unexpected Ways Ozempic-like Drugs Might Fight Dementia (June, 2025)
- Prevention: Doctor Judging You for Your Weight? Here’s How to Find Kinder Care (November, 2024)
- Science News: In mice, anxiety isn’t all in the head. It can start in the heart (March, 2023)
- Scientific American: The human body is bags, bags, and more bags (December, 2023)
- The New York Times: How a Garbage-bin war schools humans and birds (September, 2022)
- Good Housekeeping: This Summer, You May See More Yellow Jackets Than Ever. Word to the Wise: Keep Your Distance (June, 2022)
- The Washington Post: As wild turkeys grow in number, so do risky encounters with humans (April, 2022)
Employment
- Freelance journalist, May 2021-present
- Author, “Pests: How humans create animal villains,” Ecco, 2022
- Knight Science Journalism Fellow, MIT 2019-2020
- Science Writer, Science News, 2013–2021
- Staff writer for Science News for Students, covering neuroscience, pharmacology, physiology, and environmental science.
Edited volumes
- Science Blogging: The Essential Guide. Ed. Wilcox C, Brookshire B, Goldman J. New Haven: Yale University Press. March 2016
- The Open Laboratory. Ed. Brookshire B [as SciCurious]. Lulu.com. February 2010
Radio and Commentary (selected)
- Host, The Science of Mentorship (2022)
- Senior Producer, Feminism NOW. (2024-present)
- Freakonomics, Why do people hate rats? (2025)
- Our Opinions Are Correct
- Science Friday
- Science for the People, contributor & co-host. A weekly radio show and podcast that covered the intersection of science and society.
- CBC “Dopamine – The Addiction Chemical,” “The Sunday Edition” with Michael Enright. Feb. 8, 2015.
Awards (selected)
- DC Science Writers Association Newsbrief award, 2023.
- Society for Neuroscience Next Generation Award. Winner, Postdoctoral Level, 2012.
- 3 Quarks Daily Top Quark Award, For “Serotonin and sexual preference: Is it really that simple?” published on scientificamerican.com, 2011.
- Research Blogging.org Blog of the Year Award, Neuroscience Category 2009.
Fellowships
- Knight Science Journalism Fellow, MIT 2019-2020
- Marine Biological Laboratory Logan Science Journalism Fellow, Environmental Hands-On Course, selected fellow for Alaska Field Experience, 2016
- Women in Science Writing Summit Fellowship Recipient (Boston, MA) June 2014
Academic Publications (selected)
- Carlson GC, Lin RE, Chen Y, Brookshire BR, White RS, Lucki I, Siegel SJ, Kim SF. Dexras1 a unique ras-GTPase interacts with NMDA receptor activity and provides a novel dissociation between anxiety, working memory and sensory gating. Neuroscience. 322:408-15. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2016.02.063.
- Brookshire, BR, Jones, SR. Chronic methylphenidate administration in mice produces depressive-like behaviors and altered responses to fluoxetine. Synapse. 66(9):844-7. doi: 10.1002/syn.21569.
- Brookshire, BR, Jones, SR. Direct and indirect 5-HT receptor agonists produce gender-specific effects on locomotor and vertical activity in C57 BL/6J mice. Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 94(1):194-203. doi: 10.1016/j.pbb. 2009.08.008.
Education
- Ph.D., Physiology and Pharmacology, 2010 | Wake Forest University School of Medicine
- B.S., Biology, B.A., Philosophy, 2004 | College of William and Mary in Virginia