Priya Chandran

Priya completed a master's degree in public health before moving into science journalism, having realised during her studies that most people never encounter the research itself — only the headlines built on top of it. She spent four years writing for science and health outlets, developing a careful method for reading studies critically: checking sample sizes, study design, and whether a headline's claim actually matches the data. She has a particular interest in how public health guidance evolves and gets communicated. She lives in Cardiff and keeps an unreasonably organised spreadsheet of articles she means to read someday.
11 Articles

Why Sleep Has Many Functions Rather Than One Simple Purpose

Sleep supports memory, physiology and brain function, but scientists do not reduce its purpose to one mechanism or evolutionary explanation.

From Variolation to Vaccination: The History of Smallpox Prevention

Smallpox prevention developed through variolation, Jenner's cowpox experiments and later vaccination programmes; it was not a single discovery by one…

How Public Health Campaigns Tried to Change Behaviour

Public health messaging has used posters, broadcasting, policy and community engagement; information alone rarely explains behaviour change.