Meghan writes about time-travellers, mental health, and wine bars. She writes about the collapse of the cod fishery, the history of sequins, and the gender data gap—and now, she’s writing about bugs. At Seed, she focuses on sifting the universal story from a mess of facts and figures, translating science to make it accessible and captivating to any audience.

Raised next to the Pacific in Vancouver, Canada, Meghan now lives by the Atlantic in Boston. She received her BA in English and Theatre from Middlebury College, and her MFA in Creative Writing from American University. In New York, she made the shift from arts non-profit to the world of tech and startups, and as a freelancer, she’s worked with brands from Spotify to Slack to create content across a range of mediums. Her essays and journalism can be found in publications such as Teen Vogue, Bon Appetit, and the Guardian, and she’s currently at work on her first novel.

When not writing, Meghan is nurturing a new microbiome—that of her 7-month-old daughter, Mira—with her husband, Vic, a professor of philosophy at Boston University. They share their apartment with their grumpy orange cat Tim Riggins, a growing collection of weird thrift-store vases, and entirely too many books.

---

In conversation with Meghan:

Six word story of your life.
Ocean to ocean, pen in hand.

What was your first brush with science?
Leaping into the Pacific as a kid and realizing that an entire unseen world with its own rhythms and mysteries exists right alongside our own. I mean, whales! How crazy are whales?!

Why do you think bacteria are important?
They were here long before us and will be here long after we’re gone.

How do you define science?
An endless wondering why.

How do you define health?
Having the space and support to care for your whole self.

What are you currently reading / listening / watching?
Like a Mother: A Feminist Journey Through the Science and Culture of Pregnancy

Favorite microbiome-nurturing food?
I love a good legume.

Microbiome perturbation you’re trying to give up.
I’ve heard rumours that dyeing your hair disturbs your scalp microbiome, but my vanity prevents me from investigating that further.

Favorite science joke or best mindgasm fact?
The microbial communities on a mother’s nipple and in a baby’s mouth are in constant communication, allowing the nutritional and immunological composition of breast milk to change daily based on a baby’s needs.

One fact most people don’t know about you:
I used to write Buffy the Vampire Slayer fanfiction.

Social channels?
Insta: @megnesmith, Twitter: @megjnesmith