# Ed Yong

> Ed Yong is a Pulitzer Prize-winning British-American science journalist best known for his eight years at The Atlantic, where he wrote over 750 stories including landmark COVID-19 coverage that earned him journalism's highest honor in 2021. Author of two acclaimed bestsellers - 'I Contain Multitudes' (2016) and 'An Immense World' (2022) - he translates complex biology and animal sensory science into vivid, empathetic prose that has won him the George Polk Award, Carnegie Medal, Royal Society Science Book Prize, and a 2024 Guggenheim Fellowship. Now an independent journalist, he publishes the newsletter 'The Ed's Up' and remains one of the most distinctive voices in science communication.

- **Role:** Independent Science Journalist and Author
- **Organizations:** The Atlantic (former), Liminal (affiliated)
- **From:** Malaysia
- **Nationality:** British-American
- **Education:** BA/MA in Natural Sciences (Zoology), Pembroke College, Cambridge, MPhil in Biochemistry, University College London
- **Known for:** Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Reporting (2021) - COVID-19 pandemic coverage, George Polk Award for Science Reporting, Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction (2023)

## Career timeline

- **2006** — Began science blogging
- **2007** — Launched 'Not Exactly Rocket Science' blog; began freelance journalism
- **2010** — Won National Academies Communication Award
- **2014** — TED Talk 'Zombie Roaches and Other Parasite Tales' (now 1.9M+ views)
- **2015** — Joined The Atlantic as staff science writer
- **2016** — Published 'I Contain Multitudes' (NYT bestseller)
- **2020** — Led The Atlantic's landmark COVID-19 pandemic coverage; named 'most important journalist of 2020' by Poynter
- **2021** — Won Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Reporting (COVID coverage)
- **2022** — Published 'An Immense World' (NYT bestseller, named best book of 2022 by Obama, New Yorker, Time, Economist, Guardian, and more)
- **2023** — Won Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction and Royal Society Trivedi Science Book Prize for 'An Immense World'; left The Atlantic after 750+ stories
- **2024** — Awarded Guggenheim Fellowship; launched newsletter 'The Ed's Up'
- **2025** — Young Readers Edition of 'An Immense World' published; won Science + Literature award from National Book Foundation and Alfred P. Sloan Foundation

## Achievements

- Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Reporting (2021) - COVID-19 pandemic coverage
- George Polk Award for Science Reporting
- Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction (2023)
- Royal Society Trivedi Science Book Prize (2023) for 'An Immense World'
- Guggenheim Fellowship (2024)
- Victor Cohn Prize for Medical Science Reporting
- Neil and Susan Sheehan Award for Investigative Journalism
- Benton Award for Distinguished Public Service
- AAAS Kavli Science Journalism Award for In-Depth Reporting
- National Academies Communication Award (2010)
- Two-time National Magazine Award finalist for Public Service
- Science + Literature award, National Book Foundation / Alfred P. Sloan Foundation (2025)
- Named 'most important and impactful journalist of 2020' by Poynter
- 'An Immense World' named Best Book of 2022 by Barack Obama, The New Yorker, Time, The Economist, The Guardian, and a dozen more outlets
- 'I Contain Multitudes' recommended by Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg; appeared as a Jeopardy! clue
- TED Talk on parasite behavior viewed 1.9M+ times

## Latest updates

- **2026-05** — Scheduled to speak at UCSB Arts & Lectures at Campbell Hall
- **2025-09** — Won Science + Literature award from the National Book Foundation and Alfred P. Sloan Foundation
- **2025-05** — Young Readers Edition of 'An Immense World' published with illustrations by Rebecca Mills
- **2024-04** — Awarded Guggenheim Fellowship for trailblazing science writing
- **2023-11** — Won Royal Society Trivedi Science Book Prize for 'An Immense World'
- **2023-07** — Left The Atlantic after 8 years and 750+ stories to pursue independent work

## Links

- Website: https://edyong.me/
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/edyong209

---

Profile page: https://yespress.io/ed-yong
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-04-23