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

Cartoon showing the neurons in the brain enjoying the frightening movie the person is watching.

Why Do We Like Horror Movies?

By Shelby Bradford, PhD and Priyom Bose, PhD | | 6 min read

3D illustration of a yellow DNA polymerase binding to a blue strand of DNA.

DNA Polymerase Works in Short Bursts Rather than One Long Stretch

By Shelby Bradford, PhD | | 4 min read

Cartoon of a cell with blue chromosomes and gold telomeres. One chromosome is zoomed in in a callout, and gold DNA is extending out of the telomere.

Why Is Telomere Length So Important?

By Shelby Bradford, PhD and Priyom Bose, PhD | | 8 min read

Cartoon of three people helping each other climb up stairs.

How Can Researchers Be Good Science Mentors?

By Shelby Bradford, PhD | | 3 min read

Blue immune cells with yellow spheres of protein surrounding them and landing on them.

Innate Immune Cells Develop Memory with a T Cell Marker

By Shelby Bradford, PhD | | 4 min read

JFT1 has reacted with hydrogen peroxide and APEX2 to create red fluorescence near APEX2 that remains separate from the green mitochondria.

FLEXing a Bright New Idea

By Shelby Bradford, PhD | | 1 min read

Image of an embryo built from Lego bricks showing cell populations in green and red.

Stem Cell-Based Embryo Models Add a Dimension to Developmental Biology

By Shelby Bradford, PhD | | 10+ min read

Embryoid bodies, at the top of the page, are a cluster of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) that differentiate portions into ectoderm (orange), mesoderm (dark blue), and endoderm (pink).

Infographic: The Many Paths to Stem Cell-Based Embryo Models

By Shelby Bradford, PhD | | 5 min read

3D illustration of a cell with a teal nucleus.

In Search of FACS: The History of Fluorescence Activated Cell Sorting

By Shelby Bradford, PhD | | 10+ min read

Illustration of blue and purple mitochondria.

Multifaceted Mitochondria Maintain Mystique

By Shelby Bradford, PhD | | 3 min read

Illustration of a scientist at a high-containment laboratory. He is dressed in a Tyvek suit with a helmet respirator for being in the BSL-3 and is unpacking a box of lab supplies.

Career Chat: Directing a New Science Path

By Shelby Bradford, PhD | | 3 min read

Two scientists look at microscopy data, and one thinks about her own images.

Right Protein, Wrong Pattern

By Shelby Bradford, PhD | | 2 min read

Page 17 of 22 - 259 Total Items

The Scientist Digest cover September 2026

September 2026

Multiplex Microscopy Becomes Easier with Encoded Antibodies

A new system that enables researchers to uniquely tag monoclonal antibodies for use in microscopy could help simplify complex imaging studies.

View this Issue

Research Resources

Podcasts

Webinars

Videos

Infographics

eBooks

Rethinking ALS Biomarkers: From Discovery to Clinical Impact

Rethinking ALS Biomarkers: From Discovery to Clinical Impact

Explore how emerging biomarker research and ultrasensitive multiplex proteomics are revealing molecular signatures associated with neurodegeneration, inflammation, and disease progression in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Best Practices for qPCR Assay Design and Optimization

Best Practices for qPCR Assay Design and Optimization

Explore practical strategies for designing, optimizing, and validating qPCR assays to improve specificity, reproducibility, and confidence across routine and high-throughput gene expression studies.

Beyond the Basics: Strategies for Single-Cell and Spatial Transcriptomics Analysis

Beyond the Basics: Strategies for Single-Cell and Spatial Transcriptomics Analysis

Explore strategies for navigating critical analytical decisions in single-cell RNA sequencing and spatial transcriptomics, from quality control and data integration to clustering, marker selection, and cell-type annotation.

Scientist reviewing cellular and molecular data on a computer in a laboratory.

Building Translation-Ready Biomarkers with Connected Workflows

Identify sources of variability and approaches for improving consistency across biomarker development.

Products

Product News

Closeup image of a multi channel pipette dispensing pink liquid into a 96-well plate.

The ASSIST PLUS pipetting robot for affordable workflow automation

Automation can help to increase efficiency and reproducibility, but often comes at a significant cost. The ASSIST PLUS pipetting robot streamlines workflows at an affordable price, offering accessible automation with minimal programming requirements.

Single cells in suspension

Rapidly isolate primary cells and make uniform single-cell suspensions with Corning® Cell Strainers

Corning® Cell Strainers are sterile, easy-to-use devices for rapidly isolating primary cells to consistently obtain a uniform single-cell suspension from tissues. Applications include stem cells and primary cells.

Abstract image representing cell membranes linked together.

CellBrite® Steady Membrane Stain: Cell surface staining built for real-time imaging

Real time imaging shouldn't outlast your cell surface stain. CellBrite® Steady: cell surface staining kits with fluorescent membrane dye plus enhancer for imaging live cell surface for several hours to days.

Monod Bio Licenses AI-designed Protein Technologies to SignalChem Biotech for Custom Discovery Assays

Partnership brings Monod Bio’s LuxSit luciferase and NovoBodies to SignalChem Biotech’s custom assay services