EMMA HART, Master of Science in Science Writing

Emma Hart is a freelance health and science writer with 11 years of experience making complex medical topics understandable and engaging. She holds a BA in English and Biology from Swarthmore College and an MS in Science Writing from MIT. Before becoming a full-time writer, Emma worked as a research assistant in reproductive endocrinology at Yale School of Medicine. Emma specializes in long-form features about women's health, reproductive rights, and the science of the menstrual cycle. Her work has appeared in The Atlantic, Scientific American, Vox, and The New York Times' Well section. Her 2022 investigative piece on period tracking apps and data privacy was cited by Congress during tech regulation hearings. "I became a health writer because I was tired of seeing women's health issues dismissed or oversimplified," Emma explains. "Women deserve the same rigorous, nuanced health journalism that's been given to other medical topics for decades." Emma is known for her thorough research approach—she interviews multiple experts for each piece, reviews primary research, and always includes diverse voices and experiences. She's particularly interested in health equity, the politics of reproductive healthcare, and how technology is changing menstrual health tracking. She serves on the board of directors for the Association of Health Care Journalists and mentors early-career science writers through the National Association of Science Writers. Emma regularly speaks at journalism conferences about best practices for covering reproductive health. A sexual assault survivor herself, Emma is passionate about trauma-informed health writing and ensuring her work creates space for readers with diverse health experiences. She donates a portion of her freelance income to organizations providing reproductive healthcare access. Emma lives in Portland, Oregon with her wife and their two rescue cats. When not writing, she rock climbs, volunteers as a birth doula, and maintains an elaborate sourdough starter named "Dough-reen."