<em>The Atlantic</em> announces five staff and contributing writers ahead of health coverage expansion

As part of a major expansion of its writing and reporting on health and science, The Atlantic is announcing the hire of three new staff writers––Kristen V. Brown, Nicholas Florko, and Shayla Love––along with two contributing writers for health, Roxanne Khamsi and Rachel Sugar. All will begin with The Atlantic later this month.

Below is the announcement from editor in chief Jeffrey Goldberg:

First, let me welcome Kristen V. Brown as a staff writer. Kristen comes to us from Bloomberg, where she has been a leading voice on the subjects of genetics, biohacking, vaccine psychology, and reproductive health, among others. Kristen’s distinctive, relentless reporting on major health companies has led her to chart the rise of Hims and the fall of 23andMe. This summer, she launched Misconception, a remarkable podcast series about her own journey through the fertility industry. Kristen is an ambitious and creative reporter, and I’m so glad she's agreed to join us.

Also joining us as a staff writer is Nicholas Florko. He comes to us from STAT, where he has pioneered a beat on the many ways that business and regulatory decisions affect individual well-being. Nick is a natural Atlantic writer in that he is automatically drawn to topics of great complexity and controversy—supplements, food guidelines, vaping, cannabis, to name a few. Last year, he was a Livingston finalist for a three-part investigation into prisons’ refusal to treat hepatitis C. (He also bought raw milk on the black market.) We’re very pleased that he is coming to The Atlantic.

We’re also very happy to welcome Shayla Love as a staff writer. Shayla is a regular contributor to Aeon and The Guardian and she was previously a staff writer for Vice. She is a relentless reporter and a brilliant writer on psychology and human behavior. Much of her work probes the mechanics and mysteries of the human brain: See her recent, arresting New Yorker story about a disorder that makes people see monsters, or her Wired piece on collective mental time travel. Shayla’s stories are energized by the biggest questions about health today. (Ask her about her recent reporting trip to a remote island with a bunch of longevity bros.) At The Atlantic, she’ll cover the mind, in all its complexity. I’m so glad she’s joining us.

I’m also very pleased to share the news that Roxanne Khamsi and Rachel Sugar are joining us as contributing writers. Roxanne is a powerhouse science writer with a talent for pushing past conventional wisdom and finding stories before anyone else. Her COVID coverage was excellent—she wrote the first major news story arguing that the coronavirus was airborne, among many other essential pieces. She’s written for us about the virus’ worst effects on kids; the COVID-flu double whammy; and a doctor who challenged vaccine orthodoxy, and she will continue to cover the biological sciences for us.

Rachel writes the types of stories about food and culture that are impossible not to read. She can tell you why Bonne Maman jam is everywhere, why competitive eaters do what they do, and why people drink so early in airports. Rachel has too many good ideas to catalog here, and we can’t wait to publish her stories. Originality and humor characterize her work, and her stories about the many strange choices that people make will delight our readers.

Other recent editorial staff to have joined The Atlantic are Shane Harris as a staff writer to cover national security and intelligence; Jen Balderama, Serena Dai, and Allegra Frank, all senior editors for Culture; Ali Breland, as a staff writer covering extremism; and Boris Kachka as senior editor for Books. Several Atlantic editors have also moved to staff writers in the past few months: Julie Beck, Gal Beckerman, Ellen Cushing, and Matteo Wong.

Please reach out with any questions or requests: [email protected].