James M. Gaines Author Profile | The Scientist Magazine®

James M. Gaines

James Gaines is a freelance science journalist in Seattle, Washington. He got his start at City University in London, where he received a master's degree in science journalism. Since then, his writing has appeared in outlets such as Nature, Undark, Atlas Obscura, and Knowable Magazine. He also works as a fact-checker and a regular contributor to the YouTube channel SciShow. He once had an alligator snapping turtle as a pet for about two hours.

A fingerprint with three sections colored

Finally, Scientists Uncover the Genetic Basis of Fingerprints

James M. Gaines | Feb 23, 2023 | 4 min read

Much like with a zebra’s stripes or a leopard’s spots, Turing patterns explain how the distinctive patterns of human fingerprints form, a study finds.

Monir Moniruzzaman Studies the Secrets of Giant Viruses

James M. Gaines | Jan 2, 2023 | 4 min read

The University of Miami researcher studies how a mysterious group of supersized viruses infects and influences the evolution of their hosts.

A mouse brain showing activated neurons (white) in the brainstem 3 hours after LPS injection.

Research Pinpoints the Neurons Behind Feeling Sick

James M. Gaines | Sep 23, 2022 | 5 min read

Specific neurons in the brainstem control sickness behaviors not directly caused by a pathogen, such as tiredness and lack of appetite, a mouse study finds.

This Fungus Has More Than 17,000 Sexes

James M. Gaines | Apr 20, 2022 | 4 min read

Advances in sequencing technologies have finally allowed researchers to zero in on the genetic diversity underlying the incredible mating system of shelf fungi.

Microscopic photograph of brain tissue demonstrating the characteristics of Alzheimer's disease

David Gate Probes Links Between Alzheimer’s and the Immune System

James M. Gaines | Nov 1, 2021 | 4 min read

The Northwestern University researcher studies how adaptive immune cells influence neurodegenerative disease.

Years of Prozac Alter Lipids in Young Monkeys’ Brains: Study

James M. Gaines | Sep 10, 2021 | 4 min read

Long-term administration of the antidepressant fluoxetine was tied to decreased concentrations of about 100 different brain lipids in adolescent macaques, hinting at a potential mechanism underlying the drug’s rare but severe side effects.