Science & Nature

Profiles About Research Scientists

Explore a featured selection of my writing work below.

The Science of Taste and Smell & the Covid-19 Connection

What can your sense of taste and smell tell you about your health? The answers may surprise you.

OSU Food Science Professor Juyun Lim studies how people experience taste, smell, and other related chemosensory stimuli. Her research focuses “primarily on understanding how human taste and smell work and the role of underlying human taste and smell perception and the role of human sensory perception in food preference,” she said.

Corvallis’ Own Snake Scientist Talks Snake Sex, and More

Integrative Biology Professor Bob Mason might just know everything about the intimate life of the garter snake. For over three decades, Mason led the way in unraveling some of the mysteries on snakes, pheromones, and what makes a snake sexy.

The Mason Lab at Oregon State University is primarily focused on reproductive biology and a subspecialty of chemical ecology. Much of his research focuses on the red-sided garter snake, who he sees as a model species paving the way to research...

City Structure and Flu Epidemics

Your city structure may determine the length and intensity of your local flu season, according research published in October’s Science Magazine by OSU Population Biologist Ben Dalziel, assistant professor of Integrative Biology and Mathematics. This research explores the connection between city structure, climate, and flu epidemics.

As a population biologist, Dalziel’s research often explores topics that are “too big for the lab,” so he analyzes pre-existing data sets. He and his collaborators

Short Articles for a General Audience

Explore a featured selection of my writing work below.

Intense Wildfires Likely Result of Climate Change

The conditions leading to intense smoke and wildfire may be a harbinger of things to come, according to researchers with the National Weather Service, Oregon State University, and the Oregon Climate Change Research Institute.

There is a weather pattern known as the “the Chetco Effect” or “the Brooking Effect” in which cool air drops into and passes through Chetco Canyon and then warms up. This causes the hot winds to speed up as they move towards the coast....

Birth Announcement: New Baby Orca off Coast

This weekend, the orca known as “Tahlequah” J35 gave birth to an apparently healthy calf. The mother and calf were seen free swimming together off the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

Some may recall that in 2018 “Tahlequah” captured worldwide attention as she dragged her deceased calf for 17 days and 1000 miles. Her “Tour of Grief” made international news and sparked conversations on the mortality of orcas.

Science Business Coverage

Explore a featured selection of my writing work below.

Why José Andrés Wants You To Eat More Invasive Lionfish - Mashed

Chef, television personality, and activist José Andrés is known for using his platform to effect change. And this extends to his menu: He wants people to eat edible invasive species like lionfish to help restore balance in the marine ecosystem.

Native to the Indo-Pacific region, lionfish are revered for their beauty. They are also venomous and can become dangerous when they live in areas where they have few natural predators or competitors.

Health & Economy: The Eat Oregon Seafood Initiative

The #EatOregonSeafood initiative is intended to give the coastal seafood economies a boost as they recover from restaurant closures and other issues related to COVID-19.

A rich source of lean protein, Omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins B-12 and D, iron, and minerals like zinc and iodine, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends that non-vegetarian adults consume two, four-ounce servings of seafood per week.

Gadusol: Safer Sunscreen for Fish & Humans

Every summer, ocean lovers face the sunscreen dilemma. Fully protective sunscreen helps prevent sunburn and skin cancer, yet some popular sunscreen ingredients may harm marine life and the environment. Gadusol Laboratories is a Corvallis-based startup that hopes to offer a nature-inspired solution to the sunscreen dilemma by developing new sun protection alternatives based on a naturally occurring compound, called gadusol, found in marine organisms which provides UVB protection to the organisms.

What Happened To Umaro Foods From Shark Tank? - Mashed

What Happened To Umaro Foods From Shark Tank?

If Umaro Foods has its way, seaweed bacon will replace pork bacon during your Sunday brunch or the next time you crave a BLT. The brand felt confident enough to pitch on "Shark Tank" Season 13, Episode 18, and asked for $500,000 in exchange for 2% equity for a product that, at the time, wasn't on the market.

63% of Americans said they're cutting down on eating red meat, according to Yale's School of the Environment.