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Hannah Thomasy, PhD headshot

Hannah Thomasy, PhD

Hannah joined The Scientist as an assistant editor in 2023. Her work has appeared in Drug Discovery News, The New York Times, The Daily Beast, and Undark. She earned her PhD in neuroscience from the University of Washington where she studied traumatic brain injury and sleep. She completed the Dalla Lana Fellowship in Global Journalism in 2020. Outside of work, she enjoys running and aspires to be a participant on The Great Canadian Baking Show.

Articles by Hannah Thomasy, PhD
A human torso with the large bowel depicted in blue and the appendix in red.
Why Do Humans Have an Appendix?
Hannah Thomasy, PhD | Sep 2, 2024 | 2 min read
Long believed to be purely vestigial, this troublesome organ may play an important role in gut and immune function.
On the left is a brain in blue connect by blue electricity-like lines to a heart in red on the right side of the image.
Can the Brain Help Heal a Broken Heart?
Hannah Thomasy, PhD | Aug 28, 2024 | 6 min read
Stimulation of neural reward pathways may help mice recover from heart attacks.
A river surrounded by trees with mountains in the background.
DNA Metabarcoding Reveals Hidden Biodiversity
Hannah Thomasy, PhD | Aug 15, 2024 | 2 min read
Genomicist Mehrdad Hajibabaei empowers Canadian communities to monitor bioindicator species in their local freshwater ecosystems.
Two ferrets look out of a rectangular hole in a wooden structure.
Obesity Alters the Course of Influenza Infections
Hannah Thomasy, PhD | Aug 1, 2024 | 2 min read
Researchers explored the effects of obesity on the lung microenvironment in ferrets, searching for new therapeutic targets to protect vulnerable populations.
A drawing of a dopamine molecule with happy faces.
Debunking the Dopamine Detox Trend  
Hannah Thomasy, PhD | Jul 31, 2024 | 9 min read
The fad of temporarily fasting from pleasurable activities likely won’t “reset” dopamine levels and doesn’t accurately reflect this molecule’s nuanced functions.
A smiling woman holds a young child outside in the park.
A Stranger to Oneself: The Mystery of Fetal Microchimerism
Hannah Thomasy, PhD | Jul 22, 2024 | 10 min read
During pregnancy, fetal cells invade maternal tissues and can persist for decades, but the effects of these non-self cells remain largely obscure.
A group of mussels are clustered together on a rock.
How do Mussels Stick to Slippery Surfaces?
Hannah Thomasy, PhD | Jul 15, 2024 | 2 min read
Biochemist Matthew Harrington investigates how bivalves produce underwater superglue.
An animated arcade machine in a grey room.
Borderlands Gamers Fuel the Next Generation of Citizen Science
Hannah Thomasy, PhD | Jul 2, 2024 | 7 min read
Researchers explore how video games can improve scientific understanding of the tree of life.
On the left, a diagram of a fetus and placenta inside the abdomen of a pregnant person, on the right, a pink mitochondrion.
Mitochondria: The Powerhouse of the Placenta
Hannah Thomasy, PhD | Jul 1, 2024 | 2 min read
Scientists seek citizens’ help to survey placental mitochondria in complicated and healthy pregnancies.
Three images of a hand with an abrasion progressing from most recently injured (left) to most healed (right).
Stem Cell Plasticity: A Double-Edged Sword
Hannah Thomasy, PhD | Jun 14, 2024 | 5 min read
Yejing Ge explores the behavior of skin-resident stem cells in wound repair, cancer, and aging.
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