I am a writer and journalist covering biology and medicine. I primarily write features but also cover news. I am a regular contributor to Nature, and their Outlook supplements. My work has also appeared in The Guardian, New Scientist, Quanta, Slate, Aeon, How It Works, Nature Electronics, Nature Medicine, Readers Digest UK, BBC Wildlife, The Independent and The Pharmaceutical Journal. I have also written features for The Simons Foundation and Cancer Research UK.

In 2020, I received the Association of British Science Writers’ Award for Engineering/Technology Story of the Year.

My first book - I, Mammal: The Story of What Makes Us Mammals - was published by Bloomsbury in November 2017 in the UK and January 2018 in the US. Translations have since been published in Poland, The Netherlands, Japan and Russia - and rights sold to Chinese and Estonian publishers.

In May 2021, I published The Brain Book for DK Publishing, an introduction to the brain for 5-9 year olds.

I was the founding Director of NeuWrite London, a regional group of NeuWrite, where writers and scientists meet to discuss science communication and journalism.

Prior to writing, I spent fifteen years doing neuroscience research at University College London and Columbia University, New York.  My PhD work was concerned with how mammals sense touch, and as a post-doc, I researched the biology and genetics of schizophrenia, then investigated the birth of new neurons in the adult mammalian brain.  I also collaborated on projects examining epilepsy and how antidepressants affect the brain.

I enjoyed my academic career.  Although I say this biasedly recalling the few experiments that worked, the minority of submissions that journals accepted, and only the grants applications that got funded.  That career had more peaks and troughs than the Andes.  I witnessed some astonishing science, much good science and some terrible science.  I worked with a handful of brilliant people, many excellent researchers but also with some real stinkers.  I've seen good ideas come to nothing, and I've seen bad ideas refuse to die. I love science, but it sure is difficult, and rarely straightforward.  I now try to capture that in my writing.

 Please feel free to contact me, I am always open to discussing new projects and to working with new outlets. CONTACT: liam drew writes [at] g mail com