Ashley Yeager

Ashley Yeager

Ashley started at The Scientist in 2018. Before joining the staff, she worked as a freelance editor and writer, a writer at the Simons Foundation, and a web producer at Science News, among other positions. She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and a master’s degree in science writing from MIT. Ashley edits the Scientist to Watch and Profile sections of the magazine and writes news, features, and other stories for both online and print.

Articles by Ashley Yeager
Flu Shot Ignites Immune Attack Against Cancer in Mice
Flu Shot Ignites Immune Attack Against Cancer in Mice
Ashley Yeager | Apr 1, 2020
Injecting the seasonal flu vaccine directly into clumps of malignant cells recruits immune cells to confront the cancer.
Lost Smell and Taste Hint COVID-19 Can Target the Nervous System
Lost Smell and Taste Hint COVID-19 Can Target the Nervous System
Ashley Yeager | Mar 24, 2020
The symptoms suggest SARS-CoV-2 might infect neurons, raising questions about whether there could be effects on the brain that play a role in patients’ deaths, but the data are preliminary.
US Primate Centers Work to Protect Animals from COVID-19
US Primate Centers Work to Protect Animals from COVID-19
Ashley Yeager | Mar 19, 2020
Rhesus macaques can be infected with SARS-CoV-2, leading primate center scientists to try to prevent outbreaks in their colonies, especially as experiments on coronavirus start.
Monarchs Covered 53 Percent Less Area in Mexico this Winter
Monarchs Covered 53 Percent Less Area in Mexico this Winter
Ashley Yeager | Mar 16, 2020
The decline in total occupied forest may not equate to an overall loss in butterfly numbers, but scientists are still concerned that their populations are suffering.
Coronavirus’s Genetics Hint at its Cryptic Spread in Communities
Coronavirus’s Genetics Hint at its Cryptic Spread in Communities
Ashley Yeager | Mar 6, 2020
Contact tracing and genetic testing reveal how SARS-CoV-2 circulated among individuals for weeks, especially in the US, before being detected.
Interactive Infographic: How Salt Transforms Coastal Forests
Interactive Infographic: How Salt Transforms Coastal Forests
Ashley Yeager | Mar 1, 2020
Rising sea levels are pushing salty tides and storm surges farther inland, leading to the forest death and a shift from forested habitats to marsh.
A Smiling Garden, 1558
A Smiling Garden, 1558
Ashley Yeager | Mar 1, 2020
An analysis of the En Tibi herbarium’s plants and handwriting has given clues to the identity of its maker.
Generations of Insect Attacks Drive Plants to “Talk” Publicly
Generations of Insect Attacks Drive Plants to “Talk” Publicly
Ashley Yeager | Mar 1, 2020
Goldenrods that evolved in the presence of herbivores release volatile chemicals that trigger defenses in neighboring plants of their species, even those that are genetically unrelated.
Climate Change Is Killing East Coast Forests
Climate Change Is Killing East Coast Forests
Ashley Yeager | Mar 1, 2020
As the salty Atlantic Ocean pushes farther inland, forests are turning to marsh. Some scientists want to speed the transition.
Government’s Mixed Messages on Coronavirus Are Dangerous: Experts
Government’s Mixed Messages on Coronavirus Are Dangerous: Experts
Ashley Yeager | Feb 28, 2020
Administration officials have given contradictory statements about how COVID-19 will affect the US, and it is not clear who is leading the infectious disease response effort, critics say.