6 8 ) ▁is ▁a ▁US ▁journalist ▁and ▁scient ist . ▁Her ▁writing ▁focus es ▁on ▁neu ros cience , ▁gen et ics , ▁psych ology , ▁health ▁and ▁medicine , ▁and ▁occasionally ▁on ▁evolution ▁and ▁e col ogy . ▁ ▁She ▁is ▁the ▁joint ▁recip ient ▁with ▁David ▁Robert ▁Gr imes ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 4 ▁John ▁M add ox ▁Prize , ▁awarded ▁by ▁science ▁char ity ▁S ense ▁About ▁Science , ▁for ▁standing ▁up ▁for ▁science ▁in ▁the ▁face ▁of ▁personal ▁attacks . ▁ ▁Education ▁Will ingham ▁received ▁her ▁b ach elor ' s ▁degree ▁in ▁English ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 9 ▁and ▁her ▁Ph D ▁in ▁bi ology ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 1 , ▁both ▁from ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Texas ▁at ▁Austin . ▁She ▁completed ▁a ▁fellow ship ▁in ▁ped iat ric ▁u ro log y ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁California , ▁San ▁Francisco , ▁from ▁ 2 0 0 4 ▁to ▁ 2 0 0 6 , ▁where ▁she ▁studied ▁under ▁Laur ence ▁S . ▁B ask in . ▁ ▁Writing ▁Will ingham ' s ▁work ▁has ▁been ▁published ▁online ▁at ▁Scient ific ▁American , ▁A e on , ▁San ▁Francisco ▁Chron icle , ▁Washington ▁Post , ▁S late , ▁Und ark , ▁Know able , ▁The ▁Scient ist , ▁and ▁others ▁and ▁has ▁appeared ▁in ▁print ▁in ▁several ▁local , ▁regional , ▁and ▁national ▁out lets , ▁including ▁in ▁single - issue ▁publications ▁for ▁Cent enn ial ▁Media . ▁ ▁Will ingham ▁was ▁a