Clare Watson is a freelance science journalist who has been reporting and fact-checking for ScienceAlert since 2020.

Her work has appeared in Nature , Undark , Hakai, Cosmos , Australian Geographic and more, covering everything from opalized fossils and seafood fraud to the hype about hydrogen and stem cell therapies.

Previously, Clare worked as a research scientist, trying to find ways to treat pancreatic c ancer and motor neurone disease. But she ended up writing about science after a series of encounters with an astronomer, a turtle conservation project and an MRI machine.

Outside of work, Clare enjoys hiking, mountain biking, surfing and long-distance ocean swims.

Twitter: @clarewhatson