Rachel Fairbank

Freelance health and science writer

United States

Rachel Fairbank is a freelance science writer based in Texas. She received a B.S. in biology from Cornell University, completed the coursework for a Ph.D. in developmental biology at Baylor College of Medicine and got an MFA in creative writing from the University of Houston, where she spent four years as a staff science writer, covering their College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics.

As a freelance writer, she covers a mixture of health, science, parenting, boxing and food. Her work has appeared in a number of outlets, including Lifehacker, Texas Monthly, Nature, National Geographic, the Houston Chronicle, the Washington Post and the New York Times.

Portfolio

Fitness

Washington Post
01/01/2022
Starting an exercise routine can feel overwhelming. Here's how to begin.

Placeholder while article actions load In late fall 2020, more than six months into the pandemic, Irene Huston, a customer service manager in Ashburn, Va., won a month's worth of classes at the Row House, a fitness studio that combines low-impact rowing with floor-based strengthening exercises.

Lifehacker
09/17/2021
The Speed Bag Is a Highly Underrated Workout

If you've ever walked into a martial arts gym, you're familiar with the rapid thud-thud-thud-thud-thud of the speed bag. That small, air-filled bag that hangs on a swivel may look innocuous-especially when set against the hulking presence of the bigger, heavier bags-but it happens to be a seriously underrated form of exercise, the benefits of which extend far beyond the gym.

Health

Lifehacker
06/03/2020
What Happens After You Leave the ICU?

If you've never been hospitalized, you might think of the day a patient leaves the hospital as a singular event in their recovery: a sign that they are either fully recovered from their illness, ailment or injury, or are very close to it.

EverydayHealth.com
11/29/2021
Can High Cholesterol Cause Blood Clots?

An important part of assessing heart health is a cholesterol screening, which is part of your annual physical. High cholesterol (specifically certain blood levels of cholesterol, like LDL) has been linked to cardiovascular conditions such as heart attack and stroke, with the World Health Organization (WHO) reporting that cardiovascular disease was responsible for approximately 32 percent of global deaths in 2019.

Mental Health

Lifehacker
07/09/2021
What Kind of Burnt Out Are You? (And Why It Matters)

By now, many of us are burnt out. In addition to the stresses about our health and safety, we've had to worry about job losses, changes in working conditions, as well as juggling family and work in a way that is even more exhausting than the usual.

Parenting

Lifehacker
07/27/2021
How to Recognize Signs of ADHD in Girls

Attention hyperactivity disorder, more commonly known as ADHD, is a disorder for which a lack of treatment can have a number of lifelong impacts. Usually, when people think of ADHD, they think of a little boy who can't sit still.

Lifehacker
01/24/2022
How to Handle a Clingy Child

The "clingy phase" is a common one among little kids. They may feel the separation anxiety hit when it's time to go to daycare or school-or they may not want to let you out of their sight even in your own home.

Lifehacker
12/06/2021
Understanding the 'Goodness-of-Fit' Theory Can Help You Be a Better Parent

It's a cliché to say very child is different, but it's unquestionably true that different kids need different types or support and will thrive in different environments. A child with a laidback temperament might thrive in a traditional classroom setting, while one who is full of energy might be disruptive, and one struggling with social anxiety might find it all overwhelming.

Op-Eds

Washington Post
09/09/2021
Perspective | I got my coronavirus booster early. It was infuriatingly easy.

Placeholder while article actions load I recently received a booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine. I am not immunocompromised. I do not have any conditions that would put me at higher risk if I were to get covid-19. I do not live in a nursing home or work in a health-care setting.

Houston Chronicle
02/09/2017
Houston is hell on cyclists and pedestrians. We can change that.

Last Friday morning, while cycling to campus, Rice University professor Marjorie Corcoran was struck and killed by the Metro train at the 6300 block of Fannin. According to the Rice Thresher, Corcoran was a professor of physics and astronomy, an advocate for women in science and science education.

Boxing

Texas Monthly
04/13/2021
Texas Amateurs Shake Off Ring Rust at USA Boxing National Championships

When the pandemic started shutting everything down in March 2020, Kayla Gomez, a youth amateur boxer, scrambled to figure out how to continue training. Gomez, a seventeen-year-old from El Paso who competes in the 112-pound flyweight division, was fortunate to be from a boxing family.

Long COVID

Nature
03/31/2023
Long COVID exercise trials proposed by NIH raise alarm

Advocates ask the US biomedical agency to rethink the design of its RECOVER initiative, citing possible harm and funding waste. Advocates ask the US biomedical agency to rethink the design of its RECOVER initiative, citing possible harm and funding waste.

WIRED
05/18/2023
How Chronic Illness Patients Are 'Hacking' Their Wearables

Fitbits and Apple Watches weren't designed for people with atypical health conditions. But the tech can be extremely useful-with some creativity. In the months after giving birth to my son in March 2019, my Fitbit started recording some unusual heart rate readings.