Nora J. Foegeding, Ph.D.

Freelance Science Writer and Editor

What I enjoy most about being a science writer is the chance to learn from experts and shape their insights and discoveries into engaging media content.

With almost a decade of experience in science communications and academic research, I can tackle diverse topics and quickly glean key takeaways. I also enjoy contributing creative ideas to visuals and marketing strategies.

Please review my portfolio below for writing samples.

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Portfolio

/ Science News

Discoveries in Medicine
01/23/2023
Why do Some Pediatric Low-grade Gliomas Spread?

Pediatric low-grade gliomas are usually slow growing and unlikely to disseminate, in contrast to similar tumor types in adults. In rare cases, however, low-grade gliomas in children do spread, becoming aggressive and difficult to treat. With $200,000 in funding from the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation, pediatric neurosurgeon Michael Dewan, M.D., will lead an international study to identify the molecular changes that trigger this malignant switch.

NYU Langone Health Physician Focus
11/09/2022
Minimizing the Miss Rate: How AI Is Reshaping Colonoscopy

To improve the quality and efficacy of colonoscopy, estimated to miss upwards of 30 percent of polyps, endoscopists at NYU Langone Health are working with computer-aided polyp detection (CADe) systems that act as a second set of eyes.

Discoveries in Medicine
11/02/2022
Simple Sugars Confirmed as GERD Culprit in Study

Examining carbohydrates and GERD finds symptoms improve with a diet lower in simple sugars. Decreasing consumption of carbohydrates, particularly simple sugars, reduces the cardinal symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD): heartburn and reflux, according to a new study from investigators at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

/ Cancer Insights

Discoveries in Medicine
02/22/2023
Genomic Data Advances Precision Oncology

With over 16,000 structured genomic reports available in Epic, Vanderbilt University Medical Center is leading the pack among academic medical centers through its capabilities for precision oncology and clinical trial matching using digital health records. This accomplishment came about through Vanderbilt's decision to store structured data from external vendors in the EHR instead of the more commonly used limited-format PDFs.

Discoveries in Medicine
01/24/2023
Oligosaccharide in Milk Halts Chemo-Induced Mucositis

By boosting intestinal integrity and restoring the gut microbial community, human milk oligosaccharides may help protect against intestinal mucositis associated with cancer treatment, according to preclinical research from investigators at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

NYU Langone Health Physician Focus
01/03/2023
A Personalized mRNA Vaccine Reduces Melanoma Recurrence Risk

Following resection of advanced melanoma, combining a personalized mRNA vaccine with pembrolizumab was shown to reduce the risk of recurrence or death by 44 percent compared to pembrolizumab alone, according to results from the KEYNOTE-942 trial.

/ Changing Healthcare

Discoveries in Medicine
03/02/2023
How Low von Willebrand Factor Impacts Adolescent Girls

A national research team is working to improve care for adolescent females with heavy menstrual bleeding tied to low levels of von Willebrand factor (VWF), a protein essential for proper hemostasis. While low VWF in women is well-recognized for its link to heavy menstrual bleeding, the research team was focused on adolescents, specifically.

Discoveries in Medicine
01/10/2023
Model Customizes Opioid Prescribing After C-Section

A novel prediction model weighing just three factors - inpatient opioid use, tobacco use, and the presence of depression or anxiety - is an accurate tool for estimating outpatient opioid use after cesarean birth, according to a new report in Obstetrics and Gynecology .

Vanderbilt Discover
07/13/2022
Sexual Health Concerns Overlooked After Pelvic Trauma

Post-injury care plans should prioritize sexual dysfunction to give patients needed resources and counseling. Unaddressed erectile dysfunction after traumatic pelvic injury costs men an average 1.6 quality adjusted life years every decade, according to a study in the Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery .

/ Expert Perspectives

NYU Langone Health Physician Focus
01/30/2023
AI Set to Bring Expansive Benefits to Endoscopists

Seth A. Gross, MD, clinical chief of the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, was involved in one of the first randomized controlled trials of computer-aided detection (CADe) for screening and surveillance colonoscopy in the United States and currently serves on the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy's (ASGE) Artificial Intelligence in GI task force, which aims to help guide the evolution and implementation of AI technology in the field.

NYU Langone Health Physician Focus
02/01/2022
Mapping the Opportunity for Focal Therapy

Nationally renowned as an expert on prostate cancer and radical prostatectomy, Herbert Lepor, MD, is now convinced of the promise of focal ablation-an evolving nonsurgical approach to treating prostate cancers.

/ Infographics

NYU Langone Health Physician Focus
10/05/2022
Chemoprevention Agents for Colorectal Neoplasia

While there is growing interest among both patients and clinicians in chemoprevention for colorectal neoplasia, currently only aspirin or metformin should be considered, according to expert recommendations commissioned by the American Gastroenterological Association.

NYU Langone Health Physician Focus
06/22/2022
Neurological Impact in COVID-19 Patients

A new paper published in Alzheimer's and Dementia finds that key biomarkers of neurodegeneration are elevated in patients hospitalized with COVID-19, potentially providing insight into the growing evidence of significant neurological effects in survivors of the illness. Some biomarkers matched or exceeded levels observed in patients with Alzheimer's disease.

NYU Langone Health Physician Focus
06/22/2022
Elective Paraesophageal Hernia Repair in Elderly Patients

Mortality following elective paraesophageal hernia (PEH) repair remains below 0.5 percent until age 80, according to a recent publication in Surgical Endoscopy . The study, one of the largest to evaluate elective PEH repair in recent years, supports a shift from watchful waiting to operative repair for patients age 65 or older with asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic PEHs.

/ Case Slideshows

NYU Langone Health Physician Focus
03/29/2022
The Uncertainty of Avoiding Radical Cystectomy

Having deferred radical cystectomy for years, a patient with a long history of recurrent high-risk non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC), who became unresponsive to bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG), responded well after ultimately undergoing surgery and urinary diversion.

NYU Langone Health Physician Focus
01/31/2022
Physicians Resolve Large Hiatal Hernia

While large hiatal hernias are well known to cause heartburn, vomiting and regurgitation, their role in causing iron deficiency anemia is easily overlooked. One 68-year-old male went years receiving treatment for his anemia of "unknown origin" with regular iron infusions and blood transfusions.

NYU Langone Health Physician Focus
12/22/2021
Widening the Path to Successful Pouch Surgery

Select patients with inflammatory bowel disease can undergo a proctocolectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) when intestinal inflammation has not been controlled by medications. The procedure offers symptom relief and long-term improvement in quality of life while also reducing neoplasia risk.