Shelby Bradford, PhD

Shelby Bradford, PhD

Assistant editor at The Scientist

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 a blue dendritic cell (left) activating a red T cell (right) on a black background with more dendritic cells and T cells behind them.

A Red Blood Cell Protein Turns Dendritic Cells Tolerant

Shelby Bradford, PhD | | 2 min read

3D illustration of a reddish pink eukaryotic cell showing its inner contents, including a red and pink nucleus, purple endomembrane system, and pink and red vesicles.

Duplicated Genes Point to an Earlier Start to Complex Life

Shelby Bradford, PhD | | 3 min read

Cartoon showing a multi-colored brainstem with different shapes along the lines that represent cell maturation.

A New Cell Atlas Helps Researchers Navigate the Developing Brain

Shelby Bradford, PhD | | 5 min read

Nine people wearing red coats sit in a small inflatable boat on the ocean in front of an Antarctic Fjord. These are guests joining in the citizen science project FjordPhyto to collect water samples to study phytoplankton.

Polar Tourists Collect Phytoplankton to Help Researchers Study Fjord Ecology

Shelby Bradford, PhD | | 2 min read

Rakesh Tiwari, a postdoctoral fellow and plant physiologist at Uppsala University, collects photorespiration measurements from plants in the Western Ghats Forest.

Trees Release Carbon Dioxide to Tolerate Rising Temperatures

Shelby Bradford, PhD | | 2 min read

Illustration of a uterus with a near-term fetus inside of it, surrounded by the amniotic sac that will be filled with amniotic fluid. The placenta is at the top of the uterus, with red and blue veins and arteries.

Amniotic Fluid Spills Its Secrets in Fetal Development

Shelby Bradford, PhD | | 3 min read

Illustration of four strands of DNA—black, blue, green, and yellow—with a different colored segment in the middle of each (red, red, yellow, and red), to represent transposable elements.

Transposable Elements Could Help Resolve the Tree of Life

Shelby Bradford, PhD | | 3 min read

Illustration of a brain comprised of roadways with several different traffic signs sticking out around it to conceptualize the role of dopamine signaling in motivation and behavior.

Dopamine Signaling Makes Flies Lose Interest in Mating

Shelby Bradford, PhD | | 3 min read

Illustration showing a simplified, cartoon tree with green circles for leaves. The brown branch turns into a brown pencil at a dark line. The pencil creates a small squiggle representing writing.

Phylogeny Research Hits the Mainstream in Popular Science Book

Shelby Bradford, PhD | | 3 min read

Purple 3D wireframe illustration of a brain in front of a vertical strand of DNA on a black background.

Deceased and Live Brains Modify RNA and Express Protein Differently

Shelby Bradford, PhD | | 3 min read

3D illustration of a blue, transparent human silhouette with a light yellow brain visible in their skull on a blue background with a gold DNA strand running behind them.

How Brain Gene Expression Changes Between Life and Death

Shelby Bradford, PhD | | 4 min read

A brown dog stares at a spoon of peanut butter in front of its face with wide eyes.

Why Do Dogs Love Peanut Butter?

Shelby Bradford, PhD | | 3 min read

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Image of a man in a laboratory looking frustrated with his failed experiment.

February 2026

A Stubborn Gene, a Failed Experiment, and a New Path

When experiments refuse to cooperate, you try again and again. For Rafael Najmanovich, the setbacks ultimately pushed him in a new direction.

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Research Resources

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Human-Relevant In Vitro Models Enable Predictive Drug Discovery

Advancing Drug Discovery with Complex Human In Vitro Models

In this half-day virtual summit, a series of presentations will explore the scientific, regulatory, and operational factors impacting the use of in vitro NAMs in drug discovery.

Redefining Immunology Through Advanced Technologies

Redefining Immunology Through Advanced Technologies

In this webinar, scientists will discuss innovations that are unlocking new insights into immunity.

Ensuring Regulatory Compliance in AAV Manufacturing with Analytical Ultracentrifugation

Ensuring Regulatory Compliance in AAV Manufacturing with Analytical Ultracentrifugation

In this webinar, Magdalena Pacewicz will highlight how to use AUC to characterize AAVs as part of ensuring regulatory compliance.

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Maximizing Cancer Research Model Systems

Discover how the latest cancer research models and their applications help scientists pursue breakthrough cancer therapy research.

Products

Product News

Sino Biological Pioneers Life Sciences Innovation with High-Quality Bioreagents on Inside Business Today with Bill and Guiliana Rancic

Chief Business Officer Dr. Rob Burgess Shares How Sino Biological Is Empowering Global Biomedical Research Through Precision, Quality, and Innovation on an Exclusive Segment on Fox Business Network airing on February 1, 2026 at 4:30pm EST

Sino Biological Expands Research Reagent Portfolio to Support Global Nipah Virus Vaccine and Diagnostic Development

Sino Biological, Inc. has announced the accelerated availability and development of critical research tools to support the global scientific community in combating NiV.

Beckman Coulter Life Sciences Partners with Automata to Accelerate AI-Ready Laboratory Automation

Collaboration will bring next generation orchestration and modular automation to scientists worldwide

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Expi293™ PRO Expression System: Higher Yields Across a Wider Variety of Proteins

Unlock rapid, high-yield protein production with the Expi293™ PRO Expression System—an optimized HEK293 transient platform delivering exceptional yields for diverse, challenging proteins with scalable, automation-ready workflows.