Leila Okahata
@leilaokahata.bsky.social
science writer & communicator @ University of Oregon | covering biosciences, health, technology | ucla '23 microbio | uo '27 immersive media | she/her
Portfolio: https://www.clippings.me/leilaokahata
Portfolio: https://www.clippings.me/leilaokahata
Pinned
Leila Okahata
@leilaokahata.bsky.social
· Feb 10
Of all the stories I've written, this might be the cutest. 🍄 🐶 Follow two sibling scientists and their good boy Rye as they uncover Oregon’s hidden truffle diversity.
Thanks to their pet's special nose, researchers are tracking truffles for science and conservation: news.uoregon.edu/sibling-scie...
Thanks to their pet's special nose, researchers are tracking truffles for science and conservation: news.uoregon.edu/sibling-scie...
Instead of flippers and a snorkel, my first dive into Oregon's rocky reefs and kelp forests started with a pair of smart glasses.
The virtual experience became the heart of my latest story on grad students who turned the coastline into an augmented reality tour 🦦: news.uoregon.edu/students-cha...
The virtual experience became the heart of my latest story on grad students who turned the coastline into an augmented reality tour 🦦: news.uoregon.edu/students-cha...
Students chart Otter Rock Marine Reserve in augmented reality
UO joins with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife to connect technology with conservation
news.uoregon.edu
August 18, 2025 at 9:55 PM
Instead of flippers and a snorkel, my first dive into Oregon's rocky reefs and kelp forests started with a pair of smart glasses.
The virtual experience became the heart of my latest story on grad students who turned the coastline into an augmented reality tour 🦦: news.uoregon.edu/students-cha...
The virtual experience became the heart of my latest story on grad students who turned the coastline into an augmented reality tour 🦦: news.uoregon.edu/students-cha...
My last story with the CVI is about time and the people who carry its weight in the lab.
Adam Prince manages the inventory of our blood samples, some collected as far back as the 1980s. Each vial holds immune cells from a patient, teaching us how to make better cancer vaccines, even decades later:
Adam Prince manages the inventory of our blood samples, some collected as far back as the 1980s. Each vial holds immune cells from a patient, teaching us how to make better cancer vaccines, even decades later:
At the CVI, Adam Prince works with over 30,000 frozen blood samples, some dating to the 1980s. Stored in liquid nitrogen, this living archive reveals how the immune system responds to our cancer vaccines, even decades later.
Meet Adam #OnTheCancerResearchFrontier: www.uwcvi.org/post/on-the-...
Meet Adam #OnTheCancerResearchFrontier: www.uwcvi.org/post/on-the-...
June 27, 2025 at 10:51 PM
My last story with the CVI is about time and the people who carry its weight in the lab.
Adam Prince manages the inventory of our blood samples, some collected as far back as the 1980s. Each vial holds immune cells from a patient, teaching us how to make better cancer vaccines, even decades later:
Adam Prince manages the inventory of our blood samples, some collected as far back as the 1980s. Each vial holds immune cells from a patient, teaching us how to make better cancer vaccines, even decades later:
Working closely with @ellenpeters.bsky.social has changed how I think and talk about numbers. Do I say “40%” or “4 in 10” (or even "2 in 5"!)? That small choice can shape how people understand numeric information and decide what to do with it.
As always, thanks for a lovely chat, Ellen!
As always, thanks for a lovely chat, Ellen!
I've had the privilege of working with two amazing physicians, Drs. Clara Lee and Paul Han, about communicating with patients.
Many thanks to @leilaokahata.bsky.social for her wonderful ability to write press releases, news.uoregon.edu/content/when...
@uosojc.bsky.social @uoregon.bsky.social
Many thanks to @leilaokahata.bsky.social for her wonderful ability to write press releases, news.uoregon.edu/content/when...
@uosojc.bsky.social @uoregon.bsky.social
When doctors skip the numbers, patients may misjudge health risks
Experts outline five ways to help patients understand risk estimates — and make better decisions
news.uoregon.edu
May 28, 2025 at 4:23 PM
Working closely with @ellenpeters.bsky.social has changed how I think and talk about numbers. Do I say “40%” or “4 in 10” (or even "2 in 5"!)? That small choice can shape how people understand numeric information and decide what to do with it.
As always, thanks for a lovely chat, Ellen!
As always, thanks for a lovely chat, Ellen!
I'm back on the mic! 🎙️ I just hosted my first podcast episode in a long while, and in this one I explore something very Oregonian: hazelnuts. I spoke with plant ecologist Lauren Hallett, who's helping design hazelnut orchards to be more climate resilient.
open.spotify.com/episode/1Axj...
open.spotify.com/episode/1Axj...
S1E11: Making hazelnuts more climate resilient
This is Oregon · Episode
open.spotify.com
May 8, 2025 at 9:15 PM
I'm back on the mic! 🎙️ I just hosted my first podcast episode in a long while, and in this one I explore something very Oregonian: hazelnuts. I spoke with plant ecologist Lauren Hallett, who's helping design hazelnut orchards to be more climate resilient.
open.spotify.com/episode/1Axj...
open.spotify.com/episode/1Axj...
“I am somebody that wouldn’t like science to just stay in the lab...and I think ultimately that requires you to be kind of an inventor, not just a scientist.”
Honored to meet the UO scientists whose inventions are shaping medicine, energy, and technology: news.uoregon.edu/academy-name...
Honored to meet the UO scientists whose inventions are shaping medicine, energy, and technology: news.uoregon.edu/academy-name...
Academy names three UO researchers as ‘emerging inventors’
Two chemists and a microbiologist are new members of the National Academy of Inventors
news.uoregon.edu
May 6, 2025 at 6:17 PM
“I am somebody that wouldn’t like science to just stay in the lab...and I think ultimately that requires you to be kind of an inventor, not just a scientist.”
Honored to meet the UO scientists whose inventions are shaping medicine, energy, and technology: news.uoregon.edu/academy-name...
Honored to meet the UO scientists whose inventions are shaping medicine, energy, and technology: news.uoregon.edu/academy-name...
“People feel emotions when engaging with the news, so why not harness them for good?”
New stories can leave audiences feeling hopeless when pressing issues aren't presented with a way forward. But a new study found solutions journalism can move people to act: news.uoregon.edu/solutions-jo...
New stories can leave audiences feeling hopeless when pressing issues aren't presented with a way forward. But a new study found solutions journalism can move people to act: news.uoregon.edu/solutions-jo...
February 12, 2025 at 9:15 PM
“People feel emotions when engaging with the news, so why not harness them for good?”
New stories can leave audiences feeling hopeless when pressing issues aren't presented with a way forward. But a new study found solutions journalism can move people to act: news.uoregon.edu/solutions-jo...
New stories can leave audiences feeling hopeless when pressing issues aren't presented with a way forward. But a new study found solutions journalism can move people to act: news.uoregon.edu/solutions-jo...
Reposted by Leila Okahata
Our very own Dr. Nora Disis was the inaugural Wayne Kuni Award for Cancer Innovation by the Kuni Foundation. In honor of its founder, Wayne Kuni, the $1 million award recognizes transformative, disruptive contributions to the field of cancer research.
Read more: www.uwcvi.org/post/dr-nora...
Read more: www.uwcvi.org/post/dr-nora...
January 30, 2025 at 5:12 PM
Our very own Dr. Nora Disis was the inaugural Wayne Kuni Award for Cancer Innovation by the Kuni Foundation. In honor of its founder, Wayne Kuni, the $1 million award recognizes transformative, disruptive contributions to the field of cancer research.
Read more: www.uwcvi.org/post/dr-nora...
Read more: www.uwcvi.org/post/dr-nora...
Of all the stories I've written, this might be the cutest. 🍄 🐶 Follow two sibling scientists and their good boy Rye as they uncover Oregon’s hidden truffle diversity.
Thanks to their pet's special nose, researchers are tracking truffles for science and conservation: news.uoregon.edu/sibling-scie...
Thanks to their pet's special nose, researchers are tracking truffles for science and conservation: news.uoregon.edu/sibling-scie...
February 10, 2025 at 7:30 PM
Of all the stories I've written, this might be the cutest. 🍄 🐶 Follow two sibling scientists and their good boy Rye as they uncover Oregon’s hidden truffle diversity.
Thanks to their pet's special nose, researchers are tracking truffles for science and conservation: news.uoregon.edu/sibling-scie...
Thanks to their pet's special nose, researchers are tracking truffles for science and conservation: news.uoregon.edu/sibling-scie...
❤️💬 "It's strange what hindsight does. Takes all the layers of emotions and flattens them, turns them either good or bad. It can take time to see the shadows as something beautiful." – The Last Gifts of the Universe by Riley August 🌌
January 13, 2025 at 5:42 PM
❤️💬 "It's strange what hindsight does. Takes all the layers of emotions and flattens them, turns them either good or bad. It can take time to see the shadows as something beautiful." – The Last Gifts of the Universe by Riley August 🌌
I'm so happy this story has set sail after six months in the making! From a humble tent outpost to now a flourishing research campus, the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology has come a long way in 100 years. See how it evolved since 1924 in my latest story 🦀: news.uoregon.edu/century-bene...
December 16, 2024 at 4:40 PM
I'm so happy this story has set sail after six months in the making! From a humble tent outpost to now a flourishing research campus, the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology has come a long way in 100 years. See how it evolved since 1924 in my latest story 🦀: news.uoregon.edu/century-bene...
Reposted by Leila Okahata
ANNOUNCEMENT: The National Association of Science Writers once again welcome entries for its journalism awards and its institutional writing awards. Submit #SciWriAwards nominations on behalf of yourself, peers, colleagues, or mentees by February 1, 2025: www.nasw.org/article... 💚🧪📝
December 4, 2024 at 8:25 PM
ANNOUNCEMENT: The National Association of Science Writers once again welcome entries for its journalism awards and its institutional writing awards. Submit #SciWriAwards nominations on behalf of yourself, peers, colleagues, or mentees by February 1, 2025: www.nasw.org/article... 💚🧪📝
Reposted by Leila Okahata
Periodic reminder: You can submit your own work for consideration for The Best American Science and Nature Writing. (Editors, ofc, you can, too.) Info and submission form is all here, please share: jaimegreen.net/basn
#scicomm #sciwri #sciencewriters #sciencewriting #naturewriters #naturewriting
#scicomm #sciwri #sciencewriters #sciencewriting #naturewriters #naturewriting
The Best American Science and Nature Writing | Jaime Green
Submission and nomination guidelines for The Best American Science and Nature Writing.
jaimegreen.net
November 14, 2024 at 5:45 PM
Periodic reminder: You can submit your own work for consideration for The Best American Science and Nature Writing. (Editors, ofc, you can, too.) Info and submission form is all here, please share: jaimegreen.net/basn
#scicomm #sciwri #sciencewriters #sciencewriting #naturewriters #naturewriting
#scicomm #sciwri #sciencewriters #sciencewriting #naturewriters #naturewriting
Reposted by Leila Okahata
This #GivingTuesday, consider supporting the only Asian American-serving news outlet dedicated to science, climate, and environmental coverage!
We aim to raise $1,500 by the end of the day; all donations are triple-matched up to $1,000!
Let's grow science with words:
We aim to raise $1,500 by the end of the day; all donations are triple-matched up to $1,000!
Let's grow science with words:
The Xylom - Open Collective
We grow science with words. The only Asian American-serving science newsroom: independent, nonprofit, run by Gen-Z!
opencollective.com
December 3, 2024 at 2:32 PM
This #GivingTuesday, consider supporting the only Asian American-serving news outlet dedicated to science, climate, and environmental coverage!
We aim to raise $1,500 by the end of the day; all donations are triple-matched up to $1,000!
Let's grow science with words:
We aim to raise $1,500 by the end of the day; all donations are triple-matched up to $1,000!
Let's grow science with words:
Reposted by Leila Okahata
✨ A starter pack of science writers 🧪✍️, including medical writers 🩺, technical writers 🚀, and freelance writers👩🏻💻
#research #science #academia #SciComm #SciWri #SciSky #MedSky #AcademicSky #AcademicBlueSky #AcademicChatter #Academics #AcademicWriting #ScienceWriting #ScienceWriters #PhD #Freelancers
#research #science #academia #SciComm #SciWri #SciSky #MedSky #AcademicSky #AcademicBlueSky #AcademicChatter #Academics #AcademicWriting #ScienceWriting #ScienceWriters #PhD #Freelancers
December 3, 2024 at 3:11 PM
✨ A starter pack of science writers 🧪✍️, including medical writers 🩺, technical writers 🚀, and freelance writers👩🏻💻
#research #science #academia #SciComm #SciWri #SciSky #MedSky #AcademicSky #AcademicBlueSky #AcademicChatter #Academics #AcademicWriting #ScienceWriting #ScienceWriters #PhD #Freelancers
#research #science #academia #SciComm #SciWri #SciSky #MedSky #AcademicSky #AcademicBlueSky #AcademicChatter #Academics #AcademicWriting #ScienceWriting #ScienceWriters #PhD #Freelancers
#LatestRead: The Teller of Small Fortunes by @julieleong.bsky.social
Oh how much I loved reading a mixed identity narrative in a cozy fantasy novel as fourth gen Asian American ✨️ Wonderfully escapist and reflective
Oh how much I loved reading a mixed identity narrative in a cozy fantasy novel as fourth gen Asian American ✨️ Wonderfully escapist and reflective
December 2, 2024 at 10:32 PM
#LatestRead: The Teller of Small Fortunes by @julieleong.bsky.social
Oh how much I loved reading a mixed identity narrative in a cozy fantasy novel as fourth gen Asian American ✨️ Wonderfully escapist and reflective
Oh how much I loved reading a mixed identity narrative in a cozy fantasy novel as fourth gen Asian American ✨️ Wonderfully escapist and reflective
Reposted by Leila Okahata
“After seeing my mom go through chemotherapy, I want to see us make cancer vaccines a reality.”
Meet Madeline Dennis, a CVI researcher who's developing a breast cancer vaccine — a deeply personal commitment inspired by her mother's BRCA journey.
Read via #MeetTheTeam: www.uwcvi.org/post/on-the-...
Meet Madeline Dennis, a CVI researcher who's developing a breast cancer vaccine — a deeply personal commitment inspired by her mother's BRCA journey.
Read via #MeetTheTeam: www.uwcvi.org/post/on-the-...
On the Cancer Research Frontier: Madeline Dennis, Postdoctoral Fellow
On the Cancer Research Frontier is a series spotlighting the scientists, doctors, nurses, patients, and philanthropists at the CVI...
www.uwcvi.org
December 2, 2024 at 9:51 PM
“After seeing my mom go through chemotherapy, I want to see us make cancer vaccines a reality.”
Meet Madeline Dennis, a CVI researcher who's developing a breast cancer vaccine — a deeply personal commitment inspired by her mother's BRCA journey.
Read via #MeetTheTeam: www.uwcvi.org/post/on-the-...
Meet Madeline Dennis, a CVI researcher who's developing a breast cancer vaccine — a deeply personal commitment inspired by her mother's BRCA journey.
Read via #MeetTheTeam: www.uwcvi.org/post/on-the-...
Reposted by Leila Okahata
We have a new look! ✨ At the CVI at @uwmedicine.bsky.social, we are unveiling a polished rebrand that represents our ongoing commitment to creating a world where cancer is managed, treated, and ultimately prevented by vaccines.
Explore our new site: www.uwcvi.org
Explore our new site: www.uwcvi.org
November 26, 2024 at 10:00 PM
We have a new look! ✨ At the CVI at @uwmedicine.bsky.social, we are unveiling a polished rebrand that represents our ongoing commitment to creating a world where cancer is managed, treated, and ultimately prevented by vaccines.
Explore our new site: www.uwcvi.org
Explore our new site: www.uwcvi.org
Reposted by Leila Okahata
A faculty interview with a 41-year-old Olympic rower, an exploration of the shift in conservative rhetoric, researchers discuss new infographics for wildfire smoke risks, and more. Read all the stories you missed this week in the SOJC Newsfeed! Click here: journalism.uoregon.edu/about/news
August 3, 2024 at 12:19 AM
A faculty interview with a 41-year-old Olympic rower, an exploration of the shift in conservative rhetoric, researchers discuss new infographics for wildfire smoke risks, and more. Read all the stories you missed this week in the SOJC Newsfeed! Click here: journalism.uoregon.edu/about/news
Got to go on my first field trip for a story! Researchers from
@uoregon.bsky.social are developing a way to make hazelnut orchards more climate resilient. A promising approach: a mix of native wildflowers and volcanic rock dust.
Read the latest from me: news.uoregon.edu/uo-ecologist...
@uoregon.bsky.social are developing a way to make hazelnut orchards more climate resilient. A promising approach: a mix of native wildflowers and volcanic rock dust.
Read the latest from me: news.uoregon.edu/uo-ecologist...
November 4, 2024 at 4:37 PM
Got to go on my first field trip for a story! Researchers from
@uoregon.bsky.social are developing a way to make hazelnut orchards more climate resilient. A promising approach: a mix of native wildflowers and volcanic rock dust.
Read the latest from me: news.uoregon.edu/uo-ecologist...
@uoregon.bsky.social are developing a way to make hazelnut orchards more climate resilient. A promising approach: a mix of native wildflowers and volcanic rock dust.
Read the latest from me: news.uoregon.edu/uo-ecologist...
“What we don’t know could cure a disease or could kill us,” said Svetlana Maslakova who discovered 11 new species of beach-dwelling worms just an hour's drive from San Francisco. These dozen are a testament to the ocean’s incredible and underexplored biodiversity: news.uoregon.edu/new-ocean-wo...
September 23, 2024 at 9:51 PM
“What we don’t know could cure a disease or could kill us,” said Svetlana Maslakova who discovered 11 new species of beach-dwelling worms just an hour's drive from San Francisco. These dozen are a testament to the ocean’s incredible and underexplored biodiversity: news.uoregon.edu/new-ocean-wo...
I had the honor of meeting and shaking hands with NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan! 🤝 It was a small moment but on a huge day for the University of Oregon. It was a privilege to witness this historic visit firsthand.
Catch all the highlights of the day here: news.uoregon.edu/uo-hosts-nat...
Catch all the highlights of the day here: news.uoregon.edu/uo-hosts-nat...
UO hosts National Science Foundation director for the first time | Oregon News
news.uoregon.edu
September 16, 2024 at 11:08 PM
I had the honor of meeting and shaking hands with NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan! 🤝 It was a small moment but on a huge day for the University of Oregon. It was a privilege to witness this historic visit firsthand.
Catch all the highlights of the day here: news.uoregon.edu/uo-hosts-nat...
Catch all the highlights of the day here: news.uoregon.edu/uo-hosts-nat...
“If you feel anxious about the environment, your feelings are validated. They are not coming from the wrong place because your concern means that you care. So don’t let your anxiety get in the way of your ability to take action."
Transforming anxiety into action: around.uoregon.edu/content/uo-r...
Transforming anxiety into action: around.uoregon.edu/content/uo-r...
UO research shows how climate anxiety can catalyze activism
Worry about the fate of the planet can spur environmental action, but only up to a point
around.uoregon.edu
July 1, 2024 at 4:11 PM
“If you feel anxious about the environment, your feelings are validated. They are not coming from the wrong place because your concern means that you care. So don’t let your anxiety get in the way of your ability to take action."
Transforming anxiety into action: around.uoregon.edu/content/uo-r...
Transforming anxiety into action: around.uoregon.edu/content/uo-r...
After 3 years of recurring, fiery eruptions in Iceland, scientists predict the country has entered a new volcanic era that may last decades, possibly centuries.
Witness the lava flows and meticulous efforts to study this powerful event via @uoregon.bsky.social: around.uoregon.edu/icelands-vol...
Witness the lava flows and meticulous efforts to study this powerful event via @uoregon.bsky.social: around.uoregon.edu/icelands-vol...
June 26, 2024 at 3:45 PM
After 3 years of recurring, fiery eruptions in Iceland, scientists predict the country has entered a new volcanic era that may last decades, possibly centuries.
Witness the lava flows and meticulous efforts to study this powerful event via @uoregon.bsky.social: around.uoregon.edu/icelands-vol...
Witness the lava flows and meticulous efforts to study this powerful event via @uoregon.bsky.social: around.uoregon.edu/icelands-vol...
In case you need to hear this: keep your headlines short!
I frequently find myself at a tug-of-war between being comprehensive versus concise in my news headlines. But new research shows that general audiences are drawn to simple headlines more than complex ones: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
I frequently find myself at a tug-of-war between being comprehensive versus concise in my news headlines. But new research shows that general audiences are drawn to simple headlines more than complex ones: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Reading dies in complexity: Online news consumers prefer simple writing
News readers engage more with simple writing, suggesting that journalists should write simply to attract attention online.
www.science.org
June 18, 2024 at 4:00 PM
In case you need to hear this: keep your headlines short!
I frequently find myself at a tug-of-war between being comprehensive versus concise in my news headlines. But new research shows that general audiences are drawn to simple headlines more than complex ones: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
I frequently find myself at a tug-of-war between being comprehensive versus concise in my news headlines. But new research shows that general audiences are drawn to simple headlines more than complex ones: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
“When it comes to cognitive and mental health, the one thing we can do is be open to learning new and meaningful things. And I think what games do well is provide you with a framework on how to learn and challenge yourself in ways that you can enjoy.”
around.uoregon.edu/content/digi...
around.uoregon.edu/content/digi...
Digital games may be an overlooked ally in mental health
Brain-training games don’t improve cognitive health but can help aid in mood regulation
around.uoregon.edu
June 5, 2024 at 11:00 PM
“When it comes to cognitive and mental health, the one thing we can do is be open to learning new and meaningful things. And I think what games do well is provide you with a framework on how to learn and challenge yourself in ways that you can enjoy.”
around.uoregon.edu/content/digi...
around.uoregon.edu/content/digi...