From the Nominator

In a world where the discovery of credible facts about health and medical issues has become murky, "What the Science Says" was created as a clarifying antidote. Stanford Medicine is fortunate to draw experts in all fields, and the well of team research and informed opinion runs deep. This Insights series was created to tap that expertise on the topics many people care about deeply yet often struggle to find trustworthy information on. The initial release of topics included microplastics, alcohol consumption, sunscreen science, the sleep-mental health connection, and red-light therapy. The topics were covered by interviewing three Stanford Medicine experts on average. A stable of freelance writers who work regularly with Insights editor Mark Conley—including Sarah CP Williams, Rachel Tompa, and Katia Savchuk—wrote most of the initial "What the Science Says" pieces. But one, red-light therapy, was written by staffer Hanae Armitage. It has become the most-viewed piece of content on Stanford Medicine’s channels in the 14 months since it was posted, gaining 625,000 page views. The other topics have also registered among the most popular pieces sitewide (microplastics, 105,000 PVs; sleep-mental health, 75,000 PVs; alcohol, 55,000 PVs; and sunscreen, 45,000 PVs). For these pieces, the editor and writers work on the topic framework and questions for which we seek answers; once a topic is identified, the broader communications office staff is solicited for advice on pinpointing the right experts within the Stanford Medicine ecosystem; and then the writer does the interviews and collates that information into the reader-friendly structure built for these pieces.

From the Judges

We appreciated the accessible writing style and the strong focus on highlighting the work taking place across the institution. The submission incorporated a variety of stories and sources that each felt distinct while contributing to a cohesive narrative. The content balanced a breezy, engaging tone with substantive information, translating current scientific topics and research into language that was digestible for a broad audience without losing credibility or depth.