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)
Good Housekeeping, June 18, 2022: “This Summer, You May See More Yellow Jackets Than Ever. Word to the Wise: Keep Your Distance.”
Science News Explores, May 17, 2022: “Monstrous mammals would break the body rules“
The Washington Post, April 22, 2022: “As wild turkeys grow in number, so do risky encounters with humans“
Employment
Freelance journalist, May 2021-present
Author, “Pests: How humans create animal villains,” to be published by Ecco. September 2020-present
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.
• Author and creator of the blog and video series “Eureka! Lab,” a science education initiative that designs science projects to motivate middle school students.
• Author and creator of the blog “Scientists Say,” which teaches weekly scientific words and phrases, with audio and visual aids.
• Author and creator of the blog “Technically Fiction,” which brings the rigors of science journalism to science fiction and fantasy.
• Author of the blog “Scicurious,” which takes “a peek behind the science curtain” with in-depth coverage of issues in the world of scientific research (sunsetted, 2018).
Social media manager and website producer for Science News for Students 2015–2018
Selected Clips
Science News for Students, “Belly bacteria can shape brain and behavior” June 7, 2018
“By studying how residents of our gut influence our brain, Morris and other scientists seek to find out just how much you are what you eat. Their results may one day enable us to change our feelings and behaviors — all with the right mix of foods and microbes.”
Science News for Students, “Here’s why scientists have been fertilizing the Arctic” January 4, 2018
“Scientists don’t know exactly what will happen as the permafrost melts. But by creating a fertilized garden in the middle of the Arctic, Gough and her colleagues might find clues to how a melting permafrost will change the tundra. With 40 years of fertilizer and plenty of patience, the scientists may be able to predict the future — and show what a warmer tundra might look like.”
Science News, “How the house mouse tamed itself” April 19, 2017
“…when humans weren’t paying attention, other species moved in and thrived on their own. Mice aren’t the only vermin that have arrived to, as Weissbrod says, “domesticate themselves.” Sparrows, pigeons, rats and other species have come to take advantage of our presence. We may have never seen a use for them, but that doesn’t stop them from using us.”
Slate, “Dopamine is _____” July 3, 2013
“So is dopamine your cupcake addiction? Your gambling? Your alcoholism? Your sex life? The reality is dopamine has something to do with all of these. But it is none of them. Dopamine is a chemical in your body. That’s all. But that doesn’t make it simple.”
Scientific American, “Serotonin and sexual preference: Is it really that simple?” March 28, 2011
“So does this paper prove that there are drastic increases in sexual behavior associated with low serotonin? Absolutely. Does it show that low levels of serotonin change sexual preference? Well, that’s difficult to say. As with anything we do with serotonin, the answer seems more complicated than that.”
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
Chapters
“Who’s paying for this: Blogging and money.” Science Blogging: The Essential Guide. Ed. Wilcox C, Brookshire B, Goldman J. New Haven: Yale University Press. March 2016
“Microdialysis. Analysis and Pharmaceutical Quality.” Pharmaceutical Sciences Encyclopedia. Carroll J, Brookshire BR, Mathews TA. John Wiley & Sons. June 25, 2010
“Uber Coca, by Sigmund Freud.” The Open Laboratory: Best Science Blogging 2008 Blogging Anthology. Ed. Ed. Zivkovic, B. March 5, 2009
Radio and Commentary
Science for the People, contributor & co-host. A weekly radio show and podcast that covers the intersection of science and society. Regular contributor, 2010-present. Co-host beginning February, 2016.
WHYY Philadelphia “The Pulse” with Maiken Scott, contributor 2014–present
CBC “Dopamine – The Addiction Chemical,” “The Sunday Edition” with Michael Enright. Feb. 8, 2015
The Story Collider, “The Perfect Mentor” Jan. 12, 2015
NPR: The Salt, Sept. 17, 2014. “Want to learn about the scientific method? Go bake some cookies.” 17 Sept. 2014
Awards (selected)
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.
Grants
National Association of Science Writers IDEA Grant For: Science Blogging: The Essential Guide. 2014
The Sloan Foundation For: Science Blogging: The Essential Guide. 2014
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
Presentations (selected)
International
World Conference of Science Journalists, Lausanne, Switzerland, 2019. Organized Science Writer for Hire, a science writer and editor meet and greet. Moderated the 2019 WCSJ Pitch Slam.
World Conference of Science Journalists, San Francisco, California, 2017. Organized Science Writer for Hire, a science writer and editor meet and greet.
World Conference of Science Journalists, Seoul, South Korea, 2015. Panel on science communication and social media.
National
National Academy of Sciences “A celebration of the stories of women in STEMM” March 27, 2017
“Professional Development Seminar,” Society for Neuroscience Meeting, Washington DC, 2016.
“Genetics in Science Fiction Settings,” Dragon Con, Atlanta, GA, 2016.
“Opinion writing: How to Communicate Science Persuasively.” American Association for the Advancement of Science, Washington, DC 2015.
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