Catherine Offord

Catherine Offord

After undergraduate research with spiders at the University of Oxford and graduate research with ants at Princeton University, Catherine left arthropods and academia to become a science writer. She has worked in various guises at The Scientist, starting as an intern in early 2016 before becoming a correspondent. As senior editor, she now writes articles for the online and print publications, and edits the magazine’s Notebook, Careers, and Bio Business sections.

Articles by Catherine Offord
Temple University flag flying in front of a university building
Journals Investigate Possible Misconduct in Heart Research
Catherine Offord | Sep 13, 2022
Scientific publishers get involved in a scandal at Temple University that has so far produced one retraction for image manipulation, a university-led investigation, and a lawsuit by one of the researchers involved.
Genetic knockout experiments reveal a role for the protein in forming and maintaining synapses between motor neurons and muscle fibers in mice.
Infographic: Vangl2 in Muscles Keeps Neuromuscular Junctions Organized
Catherine Offord | Sep 12, 2022
Genetic knockout experiments reveal a role for the protein in forming and maintaining synapses between motor neurons and muscle fibers in mice.
Neurons and muscle tissue
A Novel Player at the Neuromuscular Junction
Catherine Offord | Sep 12, 2022
The muscle transmembrane protein Vangl2 helps organize the development and maintenance of connections between muscles and motor neurons, a study concludes.
Activists protest. Political riot sign banners, people holding protests placards and manifestation banner. Jobs activist strike, vegetarians meeting or feminist demonstration vector illustration
Unionization Efforts Pick Up Across US Universities
Catherine Offord, Andy Carstens, and Amanda Heidt | Sep 1, 2022
Members of newly certified workers’ organizations at campuses across the US speak about how they achieved official recognition and what they’re planning for the years ahead.
Small vaccine bottles on a conveyer belt
Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 Omicron Boosters Get OK from the FDA
Catherine Offord | Aug 31, 2022
The immunizations are designed to target the latest Omicron subvariants, and are only authorized for people who have already received their primary vaccinations.
Anthony Fauci
Anthony Fauci Announces Departure from NIAID, Advisory Roles
Catherine Offord | Aug 22, 2022
The 81-year-old director says that he will step back from his positions this December, but that he will continue working to advance science and public health.
Chinook salmon swimming in the water
Probable Chlorine Exposure Kills 21,000 Fish at UC Davis
Catherine Offord | Aug 16, 2022
Threatened and endangered species were among the dead, likely poisoned overnight by a chlorination system used to decontaminate the animals’ tank water.
EXCLUSIVE
Colorful pills and capsules on a calendar background
Clinical Trial Registry Errors Undermine Transparency
Catherine Offord | Aug 2, 2022
A lack of comprehension among some researchers about how to use ClinicalTrials.gov may be hindering public access to trial information and holding up drug study results, an investigation by The Scientist finds.
Infographic showing how neurodegenerative diseases have long been associated with aggregations of apparently toxic proteins
Infographic: Secret Lives of Neurodegeneration-Linked Proteins
Catherine Offord | Aug 1, 2022
Maligned peptides such as the Alzheimer’s-associated amyloid precursor protein may have critical roles in the healthy brain.
Amyloid plaques on axons of neurons
The Misunderstood Proteins of Neurodegeneration
Catherine Offord | Aug 1, 2022
The normal functions of peptides that aggregate in Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Huntington’s have been largely overlooked by scientists, but some argue that they are critical for understanding the development of disease.