Brain & Behavior Research Foundation Grantee

Richard Sima is a neuroscientist turned science journalist who writes the Brain Matters column for The Washington Post’s Well+Being desk. After more than a decade of research, Sima transitioned from academia to journalism. His work covering the life, health and environmental sciences has appeared in outlets such as the New York Times, National Geographic, Scientific American, Discover Magazine, New Scientist and Eos. Prior to joining The Post in 2022, Richard worked as a fact checker for Vox podcasts, including for the award-winning science podcast “Unexplainable.” He was also a researcher for National Geographic’s “Brain Games: On the Road” TV show and served as a communications specialist at the International Arts + Mind Lab at Johns Hopkins University’s Brain Science Institute. Sima has a Ph.D. in neuroscience from Johns Hopkins University and an undergraduate degree in neurobiology from Harvard College. He also serves as the President of the D.C. Science Writers Association.