Shelby Bradford, PhD

Shelby Bradford, PhD

Shelby is an Assistant Editor at The Scientist. She earned her PhD in immunology and microbial pathogenesis from West Virginia University, where she studied neonatal responses to vaccination. She completed an AAAS Mass Media Fellowship at StateImpact Pennsylvania, and her writing has also appeared in Massive Science. Shelby participated in the 2023 flagship ComSciCon and volunteered with science outreach programs and Carnegie Science Center during graduate school. 

Articles by Shelby Bradford, PhD

3D illustration of blue neurons with dendrites extending across the image and overlapping. Several cell bodies of the neurons in the center of the page are highlighted in yellow, red, and orange to depict neurodegenerative pathology.

Alzheimer’s Disease Affects Tissues Beyond the Brain

Illustration of multiple viruses, each a different color.

The “Virus Hunter” Who Advanced Public Health, One Tool at a Time

Photograph of a red brick building with white columns

NIH Scientists Issue ‘Bethesda Declaration’ to Protest Research Politicization

3D illustration of a green virus with lighter and darker green receptors in focus on the right of the image. Three more viruses are out of focus on the left.

Preparing for Disease X in a Changing World

Illustration shows Hanne Ahola, a cell biologist at the University of Helsinki, looking in horror at the liquid waste flask that she just dumped her cells into. She is wearing a lab coat, gloves, and has blond hair.

A Moment of Distraction Caused Cellular Destruction

3D illustration of dark blue tumors surrounded by light blue organ tissue. Dark blue monoclonal antibodies with gold tips are descending down from the right to attach onto the tumors.

A Bacterial Signaling Molecule Lends Tumors Drug Resistance

Illustration of three light orange targets aligned in a row. On the left, seven gray dots are grouped in the upper right quadrant. In the middle, six gray dots are spread around the target. On the right, five gray dots are grouped in the center of the target.

Brazilian Scientists Evaluate Reproducibility in Biomedical Research

Illustration showing Ushma Neill talking about student housing in a board meeting (left), updating summer programs and courses (middle), and sharing advice to a mentee (right).

An Accidental Career Path into Academic Administration

Illustration of a pipette tip releasing a drop with a dollar sign into a test tube on a teal background.

Scientists Find Their Voices to Rally Support for Research

Photograph of a person opening a box of new books. Their hands can be seen holding one of these books.

Penning the Dynamic Lives of Proteins

3D illustration of a neuron synapse, with yellow glowing neurotransmitters crossing the gap. Green spheres representing a ligand are bound to one synapse.

Female Sex Hormones Reduced Fentanyl Use in Rats

A clipboard with the word “Sepsis” written at the top, surrounded by a syringe and medications.

A Common Antidepressant Protects Organs from Damage During Sepsis

Kevin Tran, a graduate student at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign and codeveloper of CraftCells, wears a virtual reality headset. He’s standing in front of a screen projecting his view of the CraftCells Minecraft world.

CraftCells: 3D Cell Biology Reaches Broad Audiences with Minecraft

A photograph showing a sign that reads “Disaster Relief” at a table handing out water to people.

Rebuilding Research After a Natural Disaster Hits

Illustration of a transparent, blue outlined synapse with red neurotransmitters passing between them. More out-of-focus blue neurons are in the background.

ALS Disturbs Sleep Prior to Symptom Onset

Image of small blue creatures called Nergals. Some have hearts above their heads, which signify friendship. There is one Nergal who is sneezing and losing health, which is denoted by minus one signs floating around it.
June 2025, Issue 1

Nergal Networks: Where Friendship Meets Infection

A citizen science game explores how social choices and networks can influence how an illness moves through a population.

View this Issue

Research Resources

Podcasts

Webinars

Videos

Infographics

eBooks

Unraveling Complex Biology with Advanced Multiomics Technology

Unraveling Complex Biology with Five-Dimensional Multiomics

Resurrecting Plant Defense Mechanisms to Avoid Crop Pathogens

Resurrecting Plant Defense Mechanisms to Avoid Crop Pathogens

The Scientist Placeholder Image

Seeing and Sorting with Confidence

The Scientist Placeholder Image

Streamlining Microbial Quality Control Testing

Products

Product News

The Scientist Placeholder Image

Agilent Unveils the Next Generation in LC-Mass Detection: The InfinityLab Pro iQ Series

parse-biosciences-logo

Pioneering Cancer Plasticity Atlas will help Predict Response to Cancer Therapies

alamar-logo
waters-logo

How Alderley Analytical are Delivering eXtreme Robustness in Bioanalysis