Aparna Nathan, PhD

Aparna Nathan, PhD

Aparna is a freelance science writer with a PhD in bioinformatics and genomics from Harvard University. She uses her multidisciplinary training to find both the cutting-edge science and the human stories in everything from genetic testing to space expeditions. She was a 2021 AAAS Mass Media Fellow at the Philadelphia Inquirer. Her writing has also appeared in Popular Science, PBS NOVA, and The Open Notebook.

Articles by Aparna Nathan, PhD

Abstract illustration of a crib with a mobile hanging over it, and a woman facing the crib with her hands on her face, a cloud raining over her, and swirling lines in her head.

Predicting Postpartum Depression Before It Begins

A merged brightfield and GFP fluorescence image showing human cells in rats after engraftment

Patching Up Damaged Guts with Healing Cells

Photo of a gloved hand holding abacterial culture plate with blue dot against romaine lettuce.

A Critical FDA Program Has Helped Solve Thousands of Foodborne Outbreaks

Gram-negative, rod-shaped bacteria expressing pili.

Building Bacterial Drug Factories

A man holds his knee and grimaces in pain while sitting in front of a bridge.

A Nanoparticle Approach to Treat Torn Tendons

Top view of a red paper cutout of female reproductive internal organs with blood drops on pink background.

Reproductive Lifespan is Partially Encoded in the Genes

Six tubes, each with black dots representing flies, each fly encircled in blue, green, or red.

Combating Age-Related Motor Decline

A woman and a child sitting on a couch blowing their noses. 

A Better Mucus Model

Cartoon image of floating transparent spheres with smaller blue spheres inside them.

Study Reveals a Cell-Eat-Cell World

Artistic rendering of a tumor cell as a misshapen purple blob, surrounded by spiky pink blobs representing NK cells.

Maintaining NK Cells’ Killer Instincts

Cells colored in fluorescent green and blue are shown oriented in parallel with each other.

A Recipe for Hydrogel Noodles to Improve Tissue Engineering

Circular probes surrounding a cartoon of a human brain.

An Epigenetic Brain Scan

A hand pulling out bases from DNA using forceps.

MOBE: A Base Editor That Multitasks without Mix-ups

Microscopy image of hepatocytes stained in pink with purple nuclei.

Liver Proteins Keep T Cells Out of Tumors

Fluorescent microscopy image with a black background and blue, green, and red colors marking different cells.

A Safe-Haven for Intestinal Viruses

May digest 2025 cover
May 2025, Issue 1

Study Confirms Safety of Genetically Modified T Cells

A long-term study of nearly 800 patients demonstrated a strong safety profile for T cells engineered with viral vectors.

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TaqMan Probe & Assays: Unveil What's Possible Together

Meet Aunty and Tackle Protein Stability Questions in Research and Development

Meet Aunty and Tackle Protein Stability Questions in Research and Development

Detecting Residual Cell Line-Derived DNA with Droplet Digital PCR

Detecting Residual Cell Line-Derived DNA with Droplet Digital PCR

How technology makes PCR instruments easier to use.

Making Real-Time PCR More Straightforward

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