Bethany Brookshire is a staff writer at Science News for Students and contributor at Science News Magazine. She produces columns, news stories and features on pharmacology, physiology, neuroscience, environmental science and more. Before becoming a science journalist, Bethany obtained a Ph.D. in Physiology and Pharmacology at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine studying the effects of addictive drugs on the brain. During her academic career, she developed an award-winning science blog and social media presence on Twitter. She is the winner of the 2012 Society for Neuroscience Next Generation Award.