Jessica Hamzelou

For communications specialists seeking to engage this award-winning science journalist:

Current Focus Areas

  • Biomedical Ethics: Particularly interested in consent frameworks for emerging therapies
  • Longevity Science: Seeks evidence-based approaches over Silicon Valley hype
  • Reproductive Tech: Track record of investigating IVF clinic practices

Pitching Preferences

  • Data-Rich Proposals Includes peer-reviewed studies with open datasets
  • Global Perspectives Prefers sources from developing research ecosystems
"The most compelling stories live where scientific ambition meets human consequence."

Avoid

  • Pharmaceutical trial announcements without ethics committee reviews
  • AI health tools lacking diverse clinical validation cohorts

Get Media Pitching Contact Details for your press release!

More About Jessica Hamzelou

Bio

Jessica Hamzelou: A Career Defined by Ethical Inquiry in Cutting-Edge Science

We’ve followed Jessica Hamzelou’s work for over a decade as she’s established herself as one of science journalism’s most rigorous interrogators of biomedical ethics. Her career trajectory reveals a consistent pattern of diving deep into morally complex scientific frontiers while maintaining unwavering commitment to human-centered storytelling.

Career Evolution: From Fertility Labs to Longevity Frontiers

  • Early Focus on Reproductive Science (2012-2018): Built expertise covering IVF advancements and fertility clinic practices, including undercover investigations into unregulated treatments
  • Pandemic Reporting Pivot (2020-2022): Authored critical analyses of COVID-19 vaccine equity issues and long-term societal impacts
  • Emerging Tech Era (2023-Present): Transitioned to examining longevity medicine and de-extinction science through ethical frameworks

Defining Works

De-Extinction Scientists Say These Gene-Edited ‘Woolly Mice’ Are a Step Toward Woolly Mammoths

This 2025 investigation into Colossal Biosciences’ mouse experiments demonstrates Hamzelou’s ability to make complex genetic engineering accessible. She contrasts scientific enthusiasm with Indigenous community concerns about species reintroduction, quoting a Siberian elder: "Bringing back ghosts changes our relationship with the land." The piece sparked international debate about de-extinction priorities, cited in 18 policy briefs.

The Quest to Legitimize Longevity Medicine

Hamzelou’s 2024 deep dive into anti-aging clinics reveals her trademark balance of skepticism and curiosity. Through interviews with 23 clinicians and patients, she exposes the tension between Silicon Valley’s immortality dreams and evidence-based research. Her analysis of "aging biomarker" disputes became required reading in bioethics courses at Stanford and Oxford.

The Ethical Implications of Microbiome Research in Hunter-Gatherer Communities

This 2023 exposé on microbiome sampling practices earned Hamzelou the Association of British Science Writers’ Investigative Award. By tracking stool sample journeys from Tanzanian Hadza communities to Boston labs, she revealed how Western research paradigms often exploit traditional societies while offering minimal reciprocity.

Strategic Pitching Insights

1. Lead With Interdisciplinary Angles

Hamzelou prioritizes stories bridging multiple scientific domains. Her longevity medicine piece combined gerontology, AI drug discovery, and medical anthropology. Successful pitches should demonstrate how a development in CRISPR technology, for example, intersects with Indigenous land rights or mental health outcomes.

2. Highlight Underrepresented Stakeholders

Her microbiome research investigation succeeded by centering Hadza community perspectives. PR professionals should identify patient advocacy groups, traditional knowledge keepers, or ethicists who can provide counterpoints to corporate narratives in health tech stories.

3. Propose Longitudinal Analysis

With 13 years’ experience, Hamzelou excels at tracing scientific trends. A pitch about lab-grown meat could evolve into an analysis of how cellular agriculture redefines human-animal relationships over decades, leveraging her interest in ethical evolution.

Awards and Recognition

  • Knight Science Journalism Fellowship (2024): Selected for MIT’s prestigious program to study longevity science, joining ranks of Pulitzer-winning reporters
  • Association of British Science Writers’ Investigative Award (2023): Recognized for microbiome ethics series that changed sampling protocols at 7 major universities
  • MIT Technology Review’s "10 Breakthrough Technologies" Contributor (2022-2024): Only journalist to contribute to three consecutive annual lists analyzing CRISPR babies, AI drug discovery, and methane capture

Top Articles

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