About Laura Cassiday, Ph.D.

My Ph.D. research on RNA therapeutics at the Mayo Clinic and subsequent post-doctoral work in the lab of Nobel Laureate Elizabeth Blackburn at UCSF (discoverer of the enzyme telomerase) instilled a deep appreciation for the fast-paced, cutting-edge environment of high-profile research laboratories.

 

However, my favorite activities were always writing up my research results for publication and preparing presentations for scientific conferences. This realization led me to pursue a long and varied career in science writing and editing. Throughout my career, I have written and edited hundreds of feature articles, press releases, scientific manuscripts, blog posts, video scripts, white papers, and case studies on a wide range of topics, for a variety of clients and publications, including the Mayo Clinic, the American Chemical Society, Harvard Medical School, The Parkinson's Disease Foundation, Chemical & Engineering News, Nature, New Scientist, and Inform.

 

My strong foundation in biochemistry, combined with hands-on laboratory experience, enables me to understand and communicate complex scientific topics effectively. I excel at interviewing scientists about their work, and they appreciate my ability to grasp their research at a high level. I am adept at reading and evaluating scientific journal articles and technical reports, and I have assisted many researchers in preparing and editing scientific manuscripts.

 

As a Senior Science Writer at the American Chemical Society, I honed my ability to write and edit articles about diverse scientific topics, even those outside my original biochemistry expertise. This experience, couple with my curiosity and perseverance, has prepared me to tackle any scientific communication challenge.

 

Two years ago, I accepted a Senior Science Writer position at the NeuroLeadership Institute (NLI), a neuroscience consultancy, where I quickly advanced to Managing Editor of Content. In this role, I have developed skills in project management, strategic planning, editorial calendar creation, commissioning and editing articles, running meetings, marketing, and web metrics. I am accustomed to juggling multiple writing and editing projects simultaneously and meeting tight deadlines. I have gained valuable leadership experience in managing a team of writers and assigning and editing their articles.

 

I look forward to the next fascinating scientific topic I get to write about!