Jyoti Madhusoodanan's Avatar

Jyoti Madhusoodanan

@smjyoti.bsky.social

Science journalist, immigrant, mother. She/her. Words for Scientific American, Undark, Nature, Science, others. https://www.jyotimadhusoodanan.com/

776 Followers  |  381 Following  |  30 Posts  |  Joined: 20.06.2023
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Posts by Jyoti Madhusoodanan (@smjyoti.bsky.social)

This is such a fascinating and well-reported story.

25.02.2026 18:34 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

I've wanted to write about Morgellons for more than a decade. But it took me a long while to trust my curiosity and realize that sometimes, what's new is where your questions lead the story.

Big thanks to @ashleythesmart.bsky.social for edits on this one - undark.org/2026/02/24/m...

25.02.2026 18:24 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 1

Journo request: I'm working on a story on life after a cancer diagnosis -- late effects of treatment, working with a PCP on specific health needs, and so on. Looking to speak with people with direct experience and doctors who can share their experience learning to provide care/ make decisions.

18.02.2026 21:18 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Untangling the connection between dopamine and ADHD Dopamine signals have long been a target for ADHD treatments. Now, researchers are learning how the neurotransmitter influences the condition.

It's often taken for granted that ADHD is caused by a shortage of dopamine in the brain. But as @smjyoti.bsky.social found, it's much more complicated than that. πŸ§ͺ
www.nature.com/articles/d41...

22.01.2026 14:25 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Journo request: Looking to speak with people who have/ had cancer and needed to navigate questions like "how do I time my flu shot with my cancer treatments" or struggled to find help for treatment side effects that persisted after cancer care ended.

14.01.2026 17:34 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

illuminating piece on tight links between cardiovascular, pancreas (insulin/diabetes), and kidney diseases - really all 1 condition! by @smjyoti.bsky.social

20.12.2025 00:00 β€” πŸ‘ 5    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

πŸ§ͺSource request: Are you a father in academia trying your best to be an equal partner in parenting? Do you want to tell me about why you think that is important? If so, please reach out! I'll only be able to speak to 1 source (it's a short piece), but tell me about your situation & it could be you!

02.06.2025 19:19 β€” πŸ‘ 13    πŸ” 10    πŸ’¬ 4    πŸ“Œ 2
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Revealed: Oregon spent funds meant for addiction services on prosecutors and police gadgets As the state abandons decriminalization, treatment grants are going to sheriffs and district attorneys: β€˜that might be two or three case managers’

New investigation: After Oregon invested $20m for drug addiction services, counties spent the funds on prosecutors, sheriffs, police gadgets + cars.

I got records revealing how law enforcement used $ meant for treatment, as providers face major cuts + patients are stuck on waiting lists to get help

19.05.2025 19:38 β€” πŸ‘ 958    πŸ” 440    πŸ’¬ 30    πŸ“Œ 50

For a Nature story: Looking to speak with researchers who have gotten (human) samples from biobanks for their work. If this is you or someone you know, please reach out!

29.04.2025 17:20 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Scan this QR code with your phone to chat with me on Signal.

Scan this QR code with your phone to chat with me on Signal.

SOURCE REQUEST 🚨

I'm working on a @niemanlab.org story about what’s come of media companies' 2020 DEI promises.

How have newsrooms' DEI priorities changed over the last 5 years? What impact have DEI initiatives had on journalism/journalists?

DM me here, on Signal, or email (hanaa@niemanlab.org).

24.04.2025 17:54 β€” πŸ‘ 23    πŸ” 30    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 1
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I quit Ozempic and embraced feeling healthy over striving for thinness Taking the drug made one writer feel so sick she quit and focused on healthy habits instead of her body size. Turns out, 65% of people using GLP-1 drugs for weight loss quit within a year.

Taking the drug made one writer feel so sick she quit and focused on healthy habits instead of her body size. Turns out, 65% of people using GLP-1 drugs for weight loss quit within a year.

24.04.2025 11:29 β€” πŸ‘ 2555    πŸ” 461    πŸ’¬ 168    πŸ“Œ 64

Even accepting the premise that AI produces useful writing (which no one should), using AI in education is like using a forklift at the gym. The weights do not actually need to be moved from place to place. That is not the work. The work is what happens within you.

15.04.2025 02:56 β€” πŸ‘ 10498    πŸ” 3371    πŸ’¬ 104    πŸ“Œ 270
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Community Wellness Check-in This NASW Virtual Community Wellness Check-in is brought to you by the NASW Freelance Committee.

BE IN COMMUNITY: Join us TODAY for a mental health check-in hosted by the NASW Freelance Committee at 1 pm Eastern. All members are invited.

Join the March 19 Event:
www.nasw.org/events/...

19.03.2025 14:00 β€” πŸ‘ 5    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Our library has a "Library of things" that includes everything from toys and telescopes to fancy cake molds and tools, truly the best option for those one-off needs.

17.03.2025 06:02 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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In which the Department of Homeland Security struggles to answer a very simple question: "Is any criticism of the United States government a deportable offense?"

(From NPR here: www.npr.org/2025/03/13/n...)

13.03.2025 13:14 β€” πŸ‘ 4142    πŸ” 1537    πŸ’¬ 211    πŸ“Œ 422

"Child survival rose 75% in the last 50 years." My kid is the one thing that keeps me going on the rough days. Children as a generation keep our species going. We are genetically, evolutionarily hardwired to care more about this number than anything else. "But the economy" is not an alternative.

13.03.2025 21:17 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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🚨 NEW Fellowship Alert! 🚨 AHCJ’s Firearm Violence Reporting Fellowship gives journalists the tools, training & expert access to cover this critical public health issue with depth & accuracy. Apply now! ⏳ Deadline: April 4 healthjournalism.org/fellowships/...

13.03.2025 21:00 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 5    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Firearm Violence Reporting Fellowship If you're ready to uncover the complexities of firearm violence and bring critical stories to light, this reporting fellowship is for you.

Journalists! Check out this great new fellowship opportunity from @healthjournalism.org healthjournalism.org/fellowships/...

12.03.2025 16:04 β€” πŸ‘ 5    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Reporter - Editor (English Services) (On Site) Position Title: Status of Employment: Permanent Position Language Requirement: Language Skills: Work at CBC/Radio-Canada At CBC/Radio-Canada, we create content that informs, entertains and connects Ca...

CBC hiring new correspondents in (takes deep breath):
-Banff
-Red Deer
-Lethbridge
-Medicine Hat
-Fort McMurray
-Lloydminster
-Hinton/Jasper
Plus a slew of other cities outside Alberta.
Apply. cbcrc.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com/CBC_Radio-Ca...

11.03.2025 23:00 β€” πŸ‘ 1498    πŸ” 479    πŸ’¬ 46    πŸ“Œ 32
OF THE EMPIRE
We will be known as a culture that feared death and adored power, that tried to vanquish insecurity for the few and cared little for the penury of the many. We will be known as a culture that taught and rewarded the amassing of things, that spoke little if at all about the quality of life for people (other people), for dogs, for rivers. All the world, in our eyes, they will say, was a commodity. And they will say that this structure was held together politically, which it was, and they will say also that our politics was no more than an apparatus to accommodate the feelings of the heart, and that the heart, in those days, was small, and hard, and full of meanness.

OF THE EMPIRE We will be known as a culture that feared death and adored power, that tried to vanquish insecurity for the few and cared little for the penury of the many. We will be known as a culture that taught and rewarded the amassing of things, that spoke little if at all about the quality of life for people (other people), for dogs, for rivers. All the world, in our eyes, they will say, was a commodity. And they will say that this structure was held together politically, which it was, and they will say also that our politics was no more than an apparatus to accommodate the feelings of the heart, and that the heart, in those days, was small, and hard, and full of meanness.

From a poetry collection by Mary Oliver, where after a hundred poems showcasing gentle observations on nature and animals, she hits you with this

10.03.2025 13:33 β€” πŸ‘ 8807    πŸ” 2793    πŸ’¬ 188    πŸ“Œ 153
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ScienceWriters2025 conference An update for the science-writing community about a change regarding this year’s conference, [ScienceWriters2025](https://sciencewriters2025.org/).

UPDATE: We remain committed to organizing a conference this year after #SciWri25 hosts withdraw. More than ever, providing an opportunity for the professional science writing community to convene, learn, and support each other is critical.

READ MORE+HELP OUT: www.nasw.org/article...

06.03.2025 17:50 β€” πŸ‘ 71    πŸ” 44    πŸ’¬ 6    πŸ“Œ 10

As reported, the entire staff of 538 was laid off this morning. This is a severe blow to political data journalism, and I feel for my colleagues. Readers note: As we were instructed not to publish any new content, all planned updates to polls data and averages are canceled indefinitely. Huge loss :(

05.03.2025 16:28 β€” πŸ‘ 3056    πŸ” 884    πŸ’¬ 166    πŸ“Œ 203

w/ thanks to @ashleythesmart.bsky.social @brookeborel.bsky.social for edits!

03.03.2025 22:49 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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As Adults Age With MS, Should They Shed Their Meds? The risks and benefits of immunosuppressive drugs for multiple sclerosis shift with age, but who should quit β€” and when?

Over the past few years, my work has orbited one central question: What does it mean to live at the cutting edge of science, experiencing a disease researchers don't fully understand? This story, my latest for Undark, probably comes closest to describing what that's like: undark.org/2025/03/03/m...

03.03.2025 22:35 β€” πŸ‘ 6    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Handy advice!

24.02.2025 19:23 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Decentralized: Navigating the future of inclusive clinical trials | AHCJ Webinar
YouTube video by HealthJournalism Decentralized: Navigating the future of inclusive clinical trials | AHCJ Webinar

How can decentralized clinical trials make research more inclusive? This @healthjournalism.org webinar, moderated by Doris Duke Civic Science Fellow @smjyoti.bsky.social, explores how bringing studies into communities can improve representation and research quality. www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOcu...

24.02.2025 16:58 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Our collective commitment NASW was founded more than 90 years ago with a mission to β€œfight for the free flow of science news.” That mission is imperative, yet threatened by recent challenges to the First Amendment and the free...

The National Association of Science Writers is strongly committed to the free exchange of scientific information, diversity in science and science communication, and combating propaganda. Here are encouragement & resources & a call for ideas from @sciencewriters.org: πŸ§ͺ www.nasw.org/article/our-...

20.02.2025 18:11 β€” πŸ‘ 177    πŸ” 49    πŸ’¬ 6    πŸ“Œ 3

@charlesgaba.com is a hero and downloaded CDC’s entire website. A small group of us has come together to preserve this critical resource and make it accessible to the scientific community.

More to come. These data are public and they are ours. Deletion disobedience is one way to fight back.

02.02.2025 18:00 β€” πŸ‘ 2619    πŸ” 1011    πŸ’¬ 54    πŸ“Œ 52
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4 angles to consider when covering the far-reaching effects of the NIH pause The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has experienced unprecedented restrictions on their operations in Trump's first week.

Great tip sheet by two of the best in the biz, @smjyoti.bsky.social @klburke.bsky.social

29.01.2025 02:58 β€” πŸ‘ 11    πŸ” 8    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0