Deborah Blum

Science journalist and author; Pulitzer Prize winner

She received the 1992 Pulitzer Prize for reporting on ethical problems in primate research, addressing tensions between science, animal welfare and the public interest. In The Poison Squad and The Poisoner's Handbook she explored the history of toxicology, food safety and methods of detecting poisoning, connecting science with institutional responsibility. Her books and commentary examine situations where promises of progress must be weighed against risk, suffering and the quality of evidence. As a former director of MIT's Knight Science Journalism Program and founding publisher of Undark, she also supported science journalism capable of explaining difficult conflicts without reducing them to sensational contests of opinion.