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Aparna Nathan, PhD

Aparna Nathan, PhD

Aparna is a freelance science writer pursuing a PhD in bioinformatics and genomics at 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 recently 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
Conceptual image of DNA strands
Downsizing DNA
Aparna Nathan, PhD | Dec 4, 2023 | 10 min read
Some species remove up to 90 percent of their genomes during development, but why or how this happens is still a mystery.
Infographic showing how some species undergo DNA elimination
Infographic: Programmed DNA Elimination
Aparna Nathan, PhD | Dec 4, 2023 | 3 min read
Removing parts of the genome is a key step in some species’ development.
Rodents Offer New Insights Into the Diversity of Addiction
Aparna Nathan, PhD | Dec 1, 2023 | 4 min read
Molecular studies may point to underlying genetics and therapeutic targets.
A field of yellow sunflowers in front of a blue sky.
Chasing the Sun
Aparna Nathan, PhD | Nov 14, 2023 | 3 min read
Sunflowers may use a complex set of molecules to track the sun in the sky.
A clinician holding a graphic of the lungs on a tablet
Stem Cells Breathe New Life into Lungs
Aparna Nathan, PhD | Oct 30, 2023 | 3 min read
New studies proposed using stem cells to make long-lasting lung grafts.
A graphic of the female reproductive system
Differentiated Stem Cells Can Kickstart Fertility in Mice
Aparna Nathan, PhD | Oct 23, 2023 | 3 min read
Ovarian cells derived from stem cells restore hormones and cells needed to produce pups.
Close-up image of fat cells
A Snapshot of How Obesity Transforms Fat
Aparna Nathan, PhD | Oct 5, 2023 | 3 min read
Spatial methods reveal immune cell formations in fat during early obesity.
A three-dimensional rendered image of neuron cell network on black background.
Assembloids Unlock the Roles of Key Neurodevelopment Disease Genes
Aparna Nathan, PhD | Sep 27, 2023 | 3 min read
Brain-like tissue grown in a dish mimics critical periods for development and reveals how it can go wrong.
Close up on eyes of mother and daughter faces next to one another
A Long and Unhealthy Life?
Aparna Nathan, PhD | Sep 13, 2023 | 3 min read
A new mouse model shows that the Myc protein has complex effects on aging and cancer.
MRI images of brains from patients with epilepsy
Defending against Dravet
Aparna Nathan, PhD | Aug 21, 2023 | 3 min read
Gene therapy may be the first step toward curing a rare genetic epilepsy.
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