Christie Wilcox

Christie Wilcox

Christie was a well-established science blogger and writer when she was awarded a PhD from the University of Hawaii in 2014 for her research on the genetics of lionfishes. A short two years later, she published her debut book Venomous: How Earth’s Deadliest Creatures Mastered Biochemistry, which received widespread acclaim, and after that, she fully left academia behind and established herself as a science writer and editor. She joined The Scientist in 2021 as the newsletter editor.

Articles by Christie Wilcox
Francis Collins to Retire as NIH Director by Year’s End
Francis Collins to Retire as NIH Director by Year’s End
Christie Wilcox | Oct 5, 2021
Collins has announced his intent to step down after leading the National Institutes of Health for more than 12 years.
What We Know About Mu, the WHO’s Latest Variant of Interest
What We Know About Mu, the WHO’s Latest Variant of Interest
Christie Wilcox | Sep 7, 2021
The SARS-CoV-2 variant was first detected in January, but its rising prevalence and potential resistance to vaccines has garnered it special attention from the World Health Organization.
Talking Duck Stuns Animal Behavior Researcher
Talking Duck Stuns Animal Behavior Researcher
Christie Wilcox | Sep 5, 2021
Leiden University’s Carel ten Cate tracked down 34-year-old duck recordings—and the man who made them—to verify that musk ducks are capable of vocal learning, an ability that hadn’t been thought to exist in waterfowl.
Sea Snake “Attacks” Are Cases of Mistaken Identity: Study
Sea Snake “Attacks” Are Cases of Mistaken Identity: Study
Christie Wilcox | Aug 19, 2021
The Scientist spoke to marine biologist Tim Lynch, who dusted off 25-year-old data from his PhD to figure out why olive sea snakes approach divers so often. He says the animals, especially the males, likely confuse people for potential mates.
Q&A: What You Need to Know About Melioidosis
Q&A: What You Need to Know About Melioidosis
Christie Wilcox | Aug 16, 2021
CDC investigators continue to search for the source of the bacteria that caused four infections—two of them lethal—in four different states. The Scientist spoke with melioidosis expert Bart Currie about the disease.
The Extinct Species Within
The Extinct Species Within
Christie Wilcox | Aug 6, 2021
The genomes of living animals are littered with DNA from long-gone relatives, providing a lens on evolution, past extinctions, and perhaps even solutions to agricultural problems.
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Wealthier Nations Disregarding WHO Call for COVID-19 Booster Moratorium
Wealthier Nations Disregarding WHO Call for COVID-19 Booster Moratorium
Christie Wilcox | Aug 5, 2021
The organization implored nations to wait on booster shots until the global vaccination rate increases, but several of the world’s more well-off countries have expressed their intentions to offer them regardless.
Gene Offers Clue to How Human Labor Starts
Gene Offers Clue to How Human Labor Starts
Christie Wilcox | Aug 1, 2021
Genes associated with preterm birth and protecting the fetus from the mother’s immune system appear to be regulated by HAND2.
Texas Monkeypox Case Underscores Need for Better Surveillance
Texas Monkeypox Case Underscores Need for Better Surveillance
Christie Wilcox | Jul 30, 2021
A patient caught the rare disease in Nigeria before flying through two US airports, exposing more than 200 people from 27 states.
Hawai‘i Legislature Terminates Tenured Professor’s Position
Hawai‘i Legislature Terminates Tenured Professor’s Position
Christie Wilcox | Jul 21, 2021
Thanks to administrative shuffling, professor Carl-Wilhelm Vogel remains employed at the University of Hawai‘i despite the removal of his position in the new state budget, but the university’s faculty union says lawmakers might have crossed a legal line.