Stella Mayerhoff | Science Journalist ✍🏼

Proud to be a @ucscscicomm.bsky.social slug!

As a scientist, I've traveled the world—from Puerto Rico to the Democratic Republic of Congo—studying monkeys and apes. I now draw inspiration from my time in the field, writing to share the sense of adventure and real-world impact science offers!

thank you @stellamayerhoff.bsky.social for covering our work in this article!

Laura Gwilliams (left), Jill Kries (second from left) and other members of the Gwilliams lab discuss the neuroscience of language. In the lab's latest paper, Kries, Gwilliams, and KU Leuven's Maaike Vandermosten investigated the underlying mechanisms of post-stroke aphasia. Image by Jess Alvarenga.

In stroke patients with aphasia, the brain spends too little time processing ambiguous sounds, suggesting new targets for precision therapies. (@lauragwilliams.bsky.social, @kriesjill.bsky.social)

Read the story by @stellamayerhoff.bsky.social here: neuroscience.stanford.edu/news/why-bra...

UCSC Science Communication Club Speaker Series Stella Mayerhoff Science writer, current SciCom MS student, PhD Candidate in Cognitive Psychology Tuesday Feb 24, 2026 12:00-1:30pm Biomed 300 All are welcome! Lunch will be provided Come for a short career talk and time for Q&A with our speaker!

Interested in a #SciCom career, but don’t know where to start?

I'll be giving a talk about how I got into SciCom for the UCSC Science Communication Club Speaker Series!

All are welcome, and lunch will be provided. I hope to see you there!

@ucsantacruz.bsky.social @ucscscicomm.bsky.social

Why the brain misunderstands speech after stroke In stroke patients with aphasia, the brain spends too little time processing ambiguous sounds,

Removing a mole and removing a molar differ by a single sound: /r/. One sound changes the word you hear—and maybe even which doctor you call.

Check out my article for @stanfordbrain.bsky.social to learn how these sounds cause confusion in the brain after a stroke.

Thank you so much! I hope you enjoyed the story, even if it’s a tough one.

My true story about the magic and heartbreak I experienced while studying bonobos in the Democratic Republic of Congo is featured on the latest episode of the storytelling podcast, RISK!

You can find it at www.risk-show.com/podcast/how-..., or anywhere you listen to podcasts.

@riskshow.bsky.social

Power Over Parkinson’s: Learning to overcome “We want to provide support for people in Monterey County who are on the journey of Parkinson’s disease, which is quite a journey,” says Terrill Dahl, POP board secretary.

“If I could do anything for people with Parkinson’s, it would be to take away the inherent shame. Our studio and our community of people is a place where they can come and be who they are and be seen for the capable, wonderful, intelligent people that they are.”

Check out my latest story!

Monterey Peninsula’s Seal Team: ‘The Jane Goodalls of harbor seals’ These volunteers work tirelessly to protect one of the region’s most sensitive marine mammals, and have quietly built one of the most comprehensive databases of harbor seal behavior and population …

This is a story has a piece of my heart.

It was an absolute honor to meet members of the Seal Team, a group of community volunteers—mostly retirees—who have quietly built one of the most extensive databases of harbor seal behavior in the world.

www.montereyherald.com/2025/12/24/m...

Check out my latest story!

Saratoga High senior discovers link between whale songs and human sonatas Saratoga High School senior Lucy Zhang presented her research on the link between whale songs and human musical compositions to the American Geophysical Union.

Check out my latest article in @mercurynews.com to learn how a talented student used her musical ear to discover something familiar in whale songs! 🎵 🐋 🎹

I hope you have as much fun reading this story as I had writing it!

A rare bright spot for whales: Decades of conservation pay off for endangered population in Canada Populations of northern bottlenose whales (Hyperoodon ampullatus), playful animals that resemble large dolphins, stretch across the Atlantic Ocean, with each group of whales living year-round in a par...

Check out this story I wrote for @mongabay.com!

Northern bottlenose whales off the coast of Nova Scotia offer a rare conservation success story. These whales, once easily slaughtered due to their friendly and inquisitive nature, show promising signs of recovery.

#Conservation #Whales #Canada

This story is a devastating one, but I’m grateful for the opportunity to share it.

Thank you to The Story Collider’s team for your deeply meaningful work, and an extra thank you to Meisa Salaita for challenging me to tell a story with depth and heart.

You can listen to my story at the link below.

Happy #Wicked: For Good Week! 💖💚🍿

I miss working with these magical students!

#SciCom #3DGirlsInc #ScienceATL #WickedForGood #DefyingGravity

Noel stands in front of a research poster.

Noel takes a photo after receiving the first place poster award.

Congratulations to our outstanding research assistant, Noel Kuebrich, for winning the First Place Poster Award at the Georgia State University Psychology Undergraduate Research Conference! 🏆🎉

Noel did a fantastic job creating and presenting their first poster!

*Warning: Side effects of ComSciCon Atlanta include an increase in #SciCom experience and, in rare cases (see: Stella Mayerhoff), an eventual career shift into science communication. Please attend responsibly.

#comsciconatl #graduatestudents #scicomm #steameducation #professionaldevelopment | ComSciCon Atlanta We’re thrilled to announce that applications for ComSciCon-Atlanta 2026 are now open! 🎉 ComSciCon-ATL is a fully funded three-day conference that empowers graduate students to develop their science c...

Are you a graduate student in the southeastern US?
Check out ComSciCon Atlanta! 🔬🍑🥼

It's a fully-funded conference for grad students, organized by grad students. The point is to learn, so don't worry if you have no science communication experience or don't plan on pursuing a career in #SciCom!*

Forest makeover boosts Pebble Beach fire defense “There are so many benefits. It benefits public safety, firefighter safety. Overall, the program makes everything a lot better.”

My first story as a Monterey Herald intern came out this weekend!

Check out my front page article about the incredible work being done to keep Del Monte Forest fire-safe and healthy. 🔥🌳

www.montereyherald.com/2025/11/08/f...

#SciCom #Monterey #MontereyHerald #PebbleBeach @ucscscicomm.bsky.social

5 points 🤣

Stella is crouched down in the circular opening of an orange, metal tube. Behind her, you can see a light and a bed attached to the tube walls with chains. The tube sits within a mechanical-looking room.

I went diving into a new story today! Does anyone know what I'm sitting in?

10 points for the correct answer.
5 points for the best incorrect answer.

I'd say there's no pressure, but there's definitely pressure.

(Hints are hidden in this post!)

@ucscscicomm.bsky.social

A view of a large tank at the Shedd Aquarium with a dolphin jumping out of the water. The photo is taken from the audience, and a few heads are visible in the bottom of the photo. The floor-to-ceiling windows behind the tank give a view of Lake Michigan, creating somewhat of an illusion that the take goes far off into the distance.

I loved visiting the Shedd Aquarium as a kid. I remember sitting here, closing my eyes, and promising myself I’d work with animals one day.

I’ve spent a decade studying animals and came back to Chicago for #SciWri25. I now write about the wonders of wildlife.

Little Stella, we kept our promise.

Stella is dressed up as Ms. Frizzle from The Magic School Bus. She’s wearing a red orange wig and a blue dress with planets on it. She’s holding a yellow bag made to look like a school bus and her cat, who is dressed as Liz.

Take chances, make mistakes, and get messy!
🚌 Seatbelts, everyone! 🚌

#MsFrizzle #MagicSchoolBus #SciComm

Calling all STEMM students and postdocs! Are you looking work in #SciComm? ⤵️

Apply now to be a part of the next cohort of AAAS Mass Media Fellows! Spend the summer using your STEMM background as a journalist writing the news. English & Spanish placements available. http://bit.ly/3KugH6D

I spent all day speaking to scientists about conservation, only to come home to my cat attacking a white-faced capuchin. 🐒

(No real capuchins were harmed in this video…but stuffed animals? I’m not so sure. 🤷🏻‍♀️)

Thank you, @ucscmonsters.bsky.social!

I went to a conference about monsters as a science journalist, not even as a scientist, and could think of 20 cognitive studies someone could do based this one talk.

So, scientists, don’t forget to go to a monster conference.

I don’t say this to be self-deprecating. I say this because it’s so easy to forget the value of interdisciplinary work, particularly when considering vastly different areas of study.

I’ve written about transactive memory systems as they relate to my cognitive offloading research, but I never (and I mean never, ever, ever) would’ve considered how they relate to the dehumanization of marginalized groups.

I was already fascinated as he spoke about his research when he started throwing little treats to my cognitive scientist brain, incorporating topics like transactive memory systems and the uncanny valley effect.