Writing and Editing

Ellen is a scientific communications expert with more than 25 years of experience. She's written or edited more than 500 articles for audiences ranging from sixth graders to physicians. What she enjoys most is editing and making text as clear and polished as possible.

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Raves

 
 

"Kudos to your editor [Ellen] for their time and efforts. It is clear that they went through the paper with a fine-tooth comb, from slight one-word changes here and there to correcting a citation...I am happy with the final product, and I think overall, it is improved over our initial submittal without impacting any of the information."

— Manuscript Author, Journal of Environmental Health

 

"Ellen is an exceptional editor. I had the opportunity to work with her on a project that contained many components. She is well-organized, thoughtful, and has tremendous expertise in a variety of style requirements. She made significant improvements to the materials she was given and she did so in a respectful way, always providing options for consideration. Our project was improved immeasurably by her contributions. I highly recommend Ellen. Not only is she thorough, reliable, and flexible, she is also an absolute joy to work with."

— Senior Communications Manager, Washington Health Alliance

 

"Ellen did a fantastic job editing my program’s annual report. She knows the style guides inside and out and made word choice and grammatical corrections that took the report to the next level of professionalism. I was proud to share it with leaders inside and outside our organization. Ellen has excellent communication skills, is easy to work with, and flexible. I am happy to recommend her as a copyeditor and would enthusiastically work with her again."

— Manager, Treuman Katz Center for Pediatric Bioethics

Writing Samples

 
 

•      Sleep deprivation leads to sex-specific effects and memory problems.

Inside Neuroscience (Spring 2024). Society for Neuroscience.

•      Studying Acomys cahirinus rodents and ES cell lines to understand fibrosis versus tissue regeneration in wound healing.

Office of Science-Industry Partnerships (2024). Seattle Children’s Research Institute.

•      Using stem cell lines to gain insight into overproliferation leading to brain tumors and malformations.

Office of Science-Industry Partnerships (2024). Seattle Children’s Research Institute.

•     mHealth wearables and smartphone health tracking apps: A changing privacy landscape.

Information Services & Use, 41(1–2), 71–79.

•     Science writing for kids: Tools, tips and techniques for a tough audience.

Science Writers. National Association of Science Writers.

•      Using mouse models to screen potential drugs that could treat the most common forms of epilepsy and seizures.

Office of Science-Industry Partnerships (2024). Seattle Children’s Research Institute.

•      Identifying and testing chromatin-altering drugs for reduced toxicity, treatment resistance, and relapse.

Office of Science-Industry Partnerships (2024). Seattle Children’s Research Institute.

•      Using biosensors and other digital health technology to link stress biomarkers with immune system changes and medical outcomes.

Office of Science-Industry Partnerships (2024). Seattle Children’s Research Institute.

•      CSCCE Glossary: Inclusive language in community building.

CSCCE Glossary

 
 

More Raves

 
 

"Ellen knows what concise, effective writing looks like, and sometimes we as writers are too close to the subject matter to see it objectively. Ellen is an exceptional editor who brought out the best in [my text]. Ellen helped me make the most of a PowerPoint presentation. Beyond her knowledge of how to make the most of words and ideas, she brought a genuine concern for the world that really contributed to a great finished product."

— Director of Media Relations, St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital

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"I was deeply impressed with her expert eye on improving the content and clarity of the documents. Her suggestions were excellent and insightful and demonstrated a deep grasp of the detailed issues involved and a great talent in both effective editing and powerful communication skills. She was extremely responsive in a very timely and collegial manner and I would not hesitate to seek her collaboration again."

— Clinical Bioethicist, American Society for Bioethics and Humanities

 

"Ellen is a superb writer and editor; I have seen her raw talent and understand how she has honed her craft with focus and dedication. Ellen is exceptional in her communication: she always seeks to clearly understand the needs of her clients, then makes decisions that fulfill everyone's needs and invariably leads to successful project completion. Her clarity, genuine care, and exceptional craft all contribute to her leadership; she can deliver a very high level of detail while meeting rapid turnaround times and juggling multiple projects without missing a step. Ellen has greatly influenced my own work, and I am eternally grateful for her positive influence on my career growth."

— Research Scientist, Department of Chemistry, University of Kansas

 Past Clients

 

CONTACT me

 
 
 
 
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Even More Raves

 
 

"Ellen utilizes a wealth of scientific knowledge and extraordinary writing expertise in styles, grammar, and nonbiased language to complete each copy editing project. This combination of scientific and writing expertise is invaluable to scientific publications, resulting in a final product that is scientifically sound, logical, grammatically and stylistically sound, and comprehendible. Her editing is always thorough, thoughtful, and consistent. Ellen is a pure joy to work with, always meeting deadlines, being flexible when needed, and never needing oversight."

— Client, Scientific Journal Editor

 

“Ellen has been a tremendous asset in copy editing for Issues in Science and Technology. She obviously knows grammar and punctuation rules inside and out, but she also has a great feel for flow and wording. She is careful and detail-oriented, precise in her editing and judicious in her choices. She rapidly got up to speed on our publication’s style quirks and takes on dense and knotty prose with élan. When necessary she asks insightful questions of both the author and editors. Her suggested phrasing alternatives are invariably on point. And—a virtue never to be taken for granted—she on time, returning polished, vastly improved essays on deadline. It has been a true pleasure working with Ellen, and we look forward to continuing to partner with her on future projects.”

— Managing Editor, Issues in Science and Technology

 

Ellen’s scientific writing is precise, succinct, yet accessible Her working style is precisely what one wants on a team attempting to draft a highly technical, detailed research grant that proposes to move the field forward with innovative research. She is personable yet professional. Ellen asked thoughtful questions, assembled and summarized complex literature, and always brought a pleasant vibe to team meetings. I found her to be reliable, engaging, and productive. I have complete confidence in her judgment, skills, and ability to navigate complex work environments.”

— Andrew Forsyth, PhD, consultant, University of California and US Agency for International Development.

Let’s Chat

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