Nell Greenfieldboyce
Nell Greenfieldboyce is a NPR science correspondent.
With reporting focused on general science, NASA, and the intersection between technology and society, Greenfieldboyce has been on the science desk's technology beat since she joined NPR in 2005.
In that time Greenfieldboyce has reported on topics including the narwhals in Greenland, the ending of the space shuttle program, and the reasons why independent truckers don't want electronic tracking in their cabs.
Much of Greenfieldboyce's reporting reflects an interest in discovering how applied science and technology connects with people and culture. She has worked on stories spanning issues such as pet cloning, gene therapy, ballistics, and federal regulation of new technology.
Prior to NPR, Greenfieldboyce spent a decade working in print, mostly magazines including U.S. News & World Report and New Scientist.
A graduate of Johns Hopkins, earning her Bachelor's of Arts degree in social sciences and a Master's of Arts degree in science writing, Greenfieldboyce taught science writing for four years at the university. She was honored for her talents with the Evert Clark/Seth Payne Award for Young Science Journalists.
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In 1996, Congress limited the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's ability to study gun control. That will change with the new budget, but gun violence researchers aren't impressed. -
A simple blood test can analyze bits of fetal DNA leaked in the mother's bloodstream. It's less risky than invasive alternatives like amniocentesis, but it doesn't tell as much about fetal health. -
The U.S. government has stopped some experiments with dangerous viruses, saying the risks need to be reconsidered. Key work in one scientist's lab has been halted. -
Big questions have bedeviled virus hunters for 38 years: Why do people differ in their response to Ebola? Is it becoming more or less dangerous? There's now more evidence about who gets sick and why. -
Frustrated scientists argued Wednesday that making nasty viruses even worse in the lab provides crucial insight into preventing pandemics. Others say it just ups the risk a lab germ will start one. -
Galveston, Texas, officials meant well when they tested a passenger while she was still at sea. But some say airlifting a blood sample in a Coast Guard helicopter was needlessly alarming. -
The federal government will suspend funding while it reviews the potential risks and benefits of certain experiments with three viruses: SARS, MERS and influenza. -
Diagnosing and treating Ebola isn't so hard, health workers say; hospitals across the U.S. should be ready. But initial symptoms, such as fever and headache, can look the same as other illnesses. -
Vaccinations and therapeutics are being tested. Some could be available for use as early as November, if they prove to be safe. -
The World Health Organization says the official number of Ebola cases and deaths may "vastly underestimate" the scale of the outbreak. So how bad is it really?
