I oversee the public affairs and communications activities at The Hastings Center, the oldest independent bioethics research institute. I edit Bioethics Forum, a blog of commentary on bioethics in the news. Before joining Hastings I was a journalist and book author covering health and medicine for The New York Times and other publications. I am the author of "A Field Guide to Boys and Girls" and co-author of "The Harvard University Guide to Achieving Optimal Memory."