Washington Post appoints Sima health and wellness columnist

The following excerpt was sent out from The Washington Post’s wellness editor Tara Parker-Pope:

I am delighted to announce that Richard Sima, a neuroscientist turned science journalist, will be joining The Washington Post’s expanding personal health and wellness team.

In this role, Richard will develop a weekly column about the neuroscience of everyday life, focusing on behavioral health and how matters of the mind can influence both our physical and mental wellbeing.

Richard is a trained neuroscientist with more than a decade of research experience. He attended Harvard College, graduating cum laude with high honors in neurobiology, and obtained his doctorate in neuroscience from Johns Hopkins University.

A passion for writing prompted Richard to leave academia to pursue a career in science journalism. He has written about the complexity of elephant trunks, optical illusions, the mental health benefits of reading and what a giant lily pad can teach us about building design. His work has appeared in the New York Times, National Geographic, Scientific American, Discover Magazine and New Scientist. He has co-authored academic papers published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Plos One and the Journal of Community Psychology.

Richard has worked as a fact-checker for Vox podcasts, including the award-winning science podcast “Unexplainable.” He was a researcher for National Geographic’s Brain Games: On the Road TV show and served as a communications specialist at the International Arts + Mind Lab at Johns Hopkins’s Brain Science Institute.

Richard is the president of the D.C. Science Writers Association and co-founder of the Johns Hopkins Science Policy Group, which advocates for evidence-based policies that advance science and safeguard public health.

Richard’s first day is Monday, Aug. 29.