Pratik Pawar

Science journalist based in India

Selected Writing

Science

How COVID-19 created a perfect storm for a deadly fungal infection in India
Amidst the chaos of the COVID-19 pandemic, numbers of rare but dangerous black fungal infections have skyrocketed. Science News, June 2021

Climate change may be leading to overcounts of endangered bonobos
A changing climate in Congo is making bonobo nests last longer, possibly skewing estimates of the great ape populations. Science News, July 2021

Can animals predict earthquakes? Study on an Italian farm hints at an answer
There are many documented cases of strange animal behavior before earthquakes. Scientists finally put some farm animals to the test. Discover, July 2020

Barn owlets share food with their younger siblings in exchange for grooming
In many bird species, the eldest siblings would simply outcompete the rest, but not barn owls. The Washington Post, June 2020

Science Policy

Strict biodiversity laws prevent Indian scientists from sharing new microbes with the world
“The claim on this wealth is meaningless if we cannot document it.” Science, October 2020

Miscellaneous

Netflix and Amazon Prime Video flout India's tobacco control regulations
Popular on-demand streaming services could be undermining India’s efforts in tobacco control. The Wire, April 2020

Dissecting the craft of biographical non-fiction writing: An interview with Samanth Subramanian
Samanth Subramanian’s A Dominant Character recounts the story of J.B.S. Haldane, whose life was torn between scientific integrity and political loyalty. The Open Notebook, October 2020

About

Headshot of the writer

Hi, I'm an independent science journalist based in India. My work has appeared in Connect Magazine, Discover, Science News, The Open Notebook, The Washington Post, The Wire, among other publications.

I was awarded the EurekAlert! Fellowship for International Science Reporters in 2020. I am also a recipient of the S. Ramaseshan Fellowship awarded by the Indian Academy of Sciences.

I cover stories about medicine and public health, ecology, and science policy. I'm interested in understanding the impact of research and science policy on society and the ethical and moral questions in such work. If you'd like to chat or say hi, drop me an email.