Shelby Bradford, PhD

Shelby Bradford, PhD

Assistant editor at The Scientist

Shelby is an Associate 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 a neuron with the cell body highlighted in pink to represent damage from an amyloid β plaque on its axons to the left. An enlarged plaque bundle is shown in the top left corner of the image, with the fibrils highlighted in pink and yellow.

Amyloid Beta Impairs Microglia Function in Alzheimer’s Disease

3D illustration of a transparent human abdomen with the large and small intestine visible. The small intestine appears to have a light emanating from within it and is full of yellow, blue, and pink microbes. This image is highlighting the role of the gut microbiome in chronic pain.

Gut Microbes Cause Fibromyalgia-Like Symptoms in Mice

3D illustration of six paper airplanes flying in swirls, depicted by white dashed lines, on the left, and one red airplane flying straight across to the right on a blue background, used here as an indicator for leadership in academia.

An Academic’s Guide to Leadership in the Lab

Illustration of a person on a purple background wearing a VR headset. Images of plants, microbes, planets, and animals swirl around them, highlighting what they are learning on their headset.

Gamifying Science to Reach New Audiences

3D illustration of pink cancer cells on a blue background.

Respiratory Viruses Wake Up Dormant Cancer Cells

Conceptual illustration of cancer research showing scientists conducting research. A pink cell, microscope, test tube rack, and DNA strand are pictured.

Radiotherapy Causes Genomic Changes in Breast Tumors

Conceptual illustration showing a cancer cell with pink proteins and violet growths on the left and an orange DNA helix stretching across the image to the top right corner.

Genetic Variability Affects How Tumors Respond to Immunotherapy

Photo of a woman with straight dark hair looking fatigued lying in bed with a grey blanket covering her.

Immune Markers Help Identify Subgroups of ME/CFS Patients

Illustration of the profile of a human head, with the top of the head opened up to show a pink brain. A worm is standing up inside of the brain, with a string of musical notes coming from it.

What Causes an Earworm?

3D illustration of green DNA wrapped around blue histones on a grey background.

3D Genome Rewiring Alters Gene Expression in Cancer

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

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October 2026

Antarctica’s Blood Falls Teems With Mysterious Microbial Life

Miles away from the closest ocean, marine microbes thrive in the red ice and mud around Blood Falls, offering clues to microbial adaptation and past climate events.

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