Experts

Amy Maxmen

Edward R. Murrow Press Fellow

Expertise

About the Expert

Expert Bio

Amy Maxmen is a science journalist who writes for Nature, the New York Times, Wired, and National Geographic, among other outlets. For over a decade, she has reported on global health, infectious diseases, and biological research around the world. Maxmen’s work looks beyond “the science” to reveal historical, political, or economic drivers of outcomes. She won a 2021 Victor Cohn Prize for her writing on the toll of inequality during the COVID-19 pandemic in California. Maxmen’s reporting on Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo garnered an AAAS Kavli award and the communication award from the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. Her coverage of drug-resistant malaria in Myanmar and Cambodia was awarded a first-place prize from the Association of Health Care Journalists. Maxmen’s story on the origin of humanity, reported in Ethiopia, is featured in the Best American Science and Nature Writing 2015. She earned a doctorate in evolutionary biology from Harvard University, where she published her research on sea spiders and the origin of arthropods in Nature, and her bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of California, Berkeley.

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Public Health Threats and Pandemics

Fentanyl and the U.S. Opioid Epidemic
Opioid addiction and abuse in the United States has become a prolonged epidemic, endangering public health, economic output, and national security.

Backgrounder by Claire Klobucista and Alejandra Martinez April 19, 2023

United Nations

Funding the United Nations: How Much Does the U.S. Pay?
Many UN agencies, programs, and missions receive crucial funding from the United States. The Trump administration sharply reduced funding to some UN agencies, but President Biden has largely reversed those cuts.

Article by CFR.org Editors March 13, 2023

Brazil

Deforestation in the Amazon
The Amazon rainforest absorbs more greenhouse gases than any other tropical forest. But in Brazil, deforestation has claimed nearly a fifth of its tree cover, which threatens biodiversity and contributes to climate change.

Infoguide by Hagit Ariav, Diana Roy, Danielle Renwick and Jeremy Sherlick October 19, 2022

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Middle East and North Africa

Turkey’s Growing Foreign Policy Ambitions
Turkey’s geography and membership in NATO have long given the country an influential voice in foreign policy, but the assertive policies of President Erdogan have complicated its role.

Backgrounder by Kali Robinson June 1, 2023

United States

What Does the U.S. National Guard Do?
The National Guard is a special part of the U.S. military that answers to both state governors and the president. While it began as a “strategic reserve,” the guard has grown into a pivotal partner in military operations.

Backgrounder by Anshu Siripurapu and Noah Berman May 26, 2023

Pakistan

Pakistan in Crisis, With Sadanand Dhume

Podcast
Sadanand Dhume, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and a South Asia columnist for the Wall Street Journal, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the political, economic, and climate crises roiling Pakistan.

Podcast with James M. Lindsay and Sadanand Dhume May 23, 2023 The President’s Inbox