Ian Sample
Ian Sample reports on frontier science and its impact on people’s lives, translating complex physics, genetics and medicine into clear, accessible stories for the Guardian. He is science editor at the masthead and a long‑standing specialist in science journalism. His coverage ranges from discoveries that reshape understanding of the universe to emerging technologies that challenge existing norms in health and society.
Fundamental physics and the structure of the universe
Sample follows fundamental physics from the hunt for the Higgs boson through to current questions about the structure of the universe.
He has written a book about the search for the Higgs particle and uses that work, alongside broadcast explanations, to show why the discovery matters for theories of mass and the basic workings of the cosmos. In his reporting he picks out specific breakthroughs, such as astronomers detecting complex organic molecules nicknamed “raspberry sugar” in a dust cloud in the Milky Way, and sets them against wider questions about how matter forms and evolves. His pieces in this area typically balance the technical detail of particle physics or astrophysics with plain descriptions of what the findings change, whether in scientific models or in how audiences think about space and time. The through‑line is precise explanation of high‑end physics grounded in clear language, often using vivid individual discoveries to anchor broader shifts in understanding.
Genetics, reproduction and human behaviour
A substantial strand of Sample’s recent work focuses on genetics, reproduction and the traits that shape human behaviour. He has reported on research making human eggs from skin cells, explaining how the technique could transform options for people experiencing infertility or hoping for genetically related children through new reproductive technologies.
He covers evolutionary biology, including sexual selection and how different pressures on male and female growth can drive changes in height and body size over time. His pieces on Neanderthal genes and sleep patterns explore how inherited variants influence whether people tend to be “night owls” or early risers, linking prehistoric ancestry to everyday routines. He reports on relationship science through work on whether “opposites attract”, detailing studies that find partners in successful relationships often share traits such as political views, education levels and drinking habits rather than being strongly contrasting.
Across these stories, he connects laboratory findings on genes, gametes and inherited traits to practical questions about family formation, health, and how people understand themselves and their partners.
Reproductive medicine, new procedures and ethical questions
Sample frequently covers reproductive medicine and new procedures that raise ethical and regulatory questions. His reporting on mitochondrial donation and so‑called “three‑parent” babies explains how clinicians combine DNA from three people to prevent serious inherited diseases, and what that means for patients, regulators and wider public debate.
He writes on next‑generation therapies, including gene therapy and gene‑editing tools, focusing on whether those who most need such treatments will be able to access them as they move from trials to practice. In these pieces he pays close attention to how technologies move from research to clinic, describing the science of the interventions while laying out questions of oversight, equity and long‑term risk. The emphasis is on clear accounts of the procedure and its outcomes, coupled with straightforward reporting on who benefits, who may be excluded, and how decision‑makers respond.
This strand of his work positions complex reproductive and genetic innovations within the day‑to‑day realities of patients, clinicians and policymakers.
Explaining science across formats
Beyond written articles, Sample is a regular voice on the Guardian’s Science Weekly podcast, where he serves as science editor and co‑host. In episodes with colleagues he discusses multiple stories from the week, ranging from studies on sex differences and socialisation to forecasts of a “super El Niño” and its projected death toll, and analyses of outbreaks such as meningitis. In this format he breaks down methods, uncertainty and implications in conversational language, using interviews and discussion to give context around headlines. His broadcast work mirrors his print coverage: the same focus on clear explanation of complex findings, attention to human stakes, and an interest in how scientific evidence feeds into public understanding and policy. Taken together, his role as science editor, author and podcast presenter marks him out as a specialist in turning dense research across physics, genetics and medicine into straightforward narratives that retain detail while staying readable.
4 more education journalists.
Abby Russchen
Abby Russchen ties education, community institutions and individual stories together, showing how policies and decisions register in people’s lives. She reports for CBC on education and community life, working across text, video and photography for different CBC platforms. Her education coverage centres student achievement, provincial and national test results, classroom technology and the forces shaping learning conditions, connecting policy language and expert analysis to observable changes in performance. She treats AI, screens and digital tools as part of the education beat, focusing on their impact on student well-being. She also reports on community institutions and local services, from bank closures and changing city status to small-business growth. Her human-interest features follow people, public memory and recognition, and her long-form background supports detailed, fact-grounded narratives across formats.
Alexa Phillips
Alexa Phillips reports on education as a financial system, tracing who pays, who benefits and who bears the risk when policy changes reshape schools and universities. She covers education policy, funding and regulation for The i Paper, with a consistent focus on money, power and their impact on students and staff. Her reporting follows fees, budgets and reform into classrooms and lecture halls, using concrete figures to show how tax changes, funding mechanisms and loan reforms translate into course cuts, job losses and access. Phillips brings wider experience on public services and regulation, including work on gambling oversight and healthcare access, so education sits in a larger accountability story. She writes straightforward, reported news pieces that combine policy detail, financial data and case studies, built from official records and regular call‑outs to readers affected by the systems she covers.
Alexandra Holyk
Alexandra Holyk is a multi-skilled journalist at CTV News who reports on education and youth issues through the daily lives of students, families, and local communities. She covers school and campus decisions, student safety, youth behaviour, and neighbourhood incidents, with a focus on how they affect the people directly involved. Her work includes stories on graduation choices, concerns about Black students in a school board, federal research funding at the University of Waterloo, and students who helped after a cyclist collision. She also covers vandalism and other local disruptions around schools and neighbourhoods. Holyk pitches, researches, shoots, writes, edits, and presents stories for broadcast and digital platforms. Her previous work includes video journalism for provincial coverage, along with reporting for campus and regional outlets and major Canadian newspapers and business media.
Annabelle Olivier
Annabelle Olivier ties system-level themes in Quebec’s school system to the immediate realities of parents and students, treating education as a lived experience rather than an abstract policy field. She is a digital journalist with CBC News, covering education and related public policy. Her work spans data breaches and digital privacy in schools, institutional conflicts and labour disputes that disrupt study plans, education on the campaign trail, and school infrastructure and land use. She reports on incidents like mass emails exposing sensitive parent data, suspended classes that leave students feeling like bargaining chips, and proposals to turn racetracks into schools. Her background in digital production at another major Canadian broadcaster shapes an online-first reporting style, grounded in specific incidents, clear descriptions, and detailed, verifiable facts drawn from documents, statements and interviews.