Tina Hesman Saey

Senior Writer, Molecular Biology, Science News

Science News senior writer Tina Hesman Saey is a geneticist-turned-science writer who covers all things microscopic and a few too big to be viewed under a microscope. She is an honors graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln where she did research on tobacco plants and ethanol-producing bacteria. She spent a year as a Fulbright scholar at the Georg-August University in Göttingen, Germany, studying microbiology and traveling. Her work on how yeast turn on and off one gene earned her a Ph.D. in molecular genetics at Washington University in St. Louis. Tina then rounded out her degree collection with a master’s in science journalism from Boston University. She interned at the Dallas Morning News and Science News before returning to St. Louis to cover biotechnology, genetics and medical science for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. After a seven year stint as a newspaper reporter, she returned to Science News. Her work has been honored by the Endocrine Society, the Genetics Society of America and by journalism organizations.

All Stories by Tina Hesman Saey

  1. Brain

    Explainer: How our eyes make sense of light

    It takes a lot for images before the eyes to be 'seen.' It starts by special cells sensing the light, then signals relaying those data to the brain.

  2. Health & Medicine

    Millions of likely U.S. COVID-19 cases have gone undiagnosed

    Over just three weeks in March, some 8.7 million people in the United States may have contracted COVID-19. That far surpasses the official tally.

  3. Health & Medicine

    Common drug, dexamethasone, appears first to cut COVID-19 deaths

    A drug used for decades to treat inflammation now appears useful in saving the lives of severely ill COVID-19 patients — ones who have trouble breathing.

  4. Health & Medicine

    Loss of taste and smell may be top indicators of COVID-19

    Loss of a sense of taste and smell are not just possible symptoms of COVID-19. A study now argues they may be among the most predictive ones.

  5. Health & Medicine

    First drug is found to block the new coronavirus

    A series of new trials show that the antiviral drug remdesivir offers promise in speeding the recovery of patients with COVID-19.

  6. Science & Society

    How much do masks help against COVID-19?

    There’s a range of masks available to the public. From purchased to home-made coverings, all should help — some a lot more than others.

  7. Health & Medicine

    Six foot social-distancing will not always be enough for COVID-19

    To avoid COVID-19, keeping a 6-foot social distance is a good rule of thumb. But for plenty of instances, that might not be nearly far enough.

  8. Health & Medicine

    Coronavirus most contagious before and right after symptoms emerge

    Once the body starts making antibodies to the new coronavirus, it stops making 'live' virus. But beware long-lasting live virus on surfaces, scientists warn.

  9. Health & Medicine

    What ‘community’ spread of coronavirus means

    Health experts warn there are probably many undetected cases already in the United States, raising chances the disease will soon be widespread.

  10. Health & Medicine

    Search speeds up for vaccine against the new coronavirus

    Scientists are investigating unusual ways to make drugs to prevent viral infections. One may even be able to treat already sick people.

  11. Health & Medicine

    The many challenges of corralling a coronavirus outbreak

    The Chinese government has quarantined millions of people in hopes of limiting spread of a new coronavirus. But no one yet knows how much this will help.

  12. Health & Medicine

    Explainer: What is a coronavirus?

    Coronaviruses are a diverse family of disease-causing agents. Some cause the common cold. Newer ones have emerged to pose more serious threats to people.