📰 Spotlight on Stephanie DeMarco, Ph.D., Associate Editor & Team Lead, Drug Discovery News

Background

-Name: Stephanie DeMarco, Ph.D.

-Home Base: Los Angeles

-Role: Stephanie is an Associate Editor and Team Lead at Drug Discovery News (DDN), focusing on translational science that impacts health from academia to clinical development. With a PhD in Molecular Biology from UCLA, she enjoys transforming complex scientific developments into accessible and engaging narratives. Stephanie steers DDN’s content strategy across various platforms, including its print magazine and the DDN Dialogues podcast.

-Expertise: Her scientific training informs her meticulous approach to covering the nuances of translational science. Stephanie is particularly fond of innovations in microbiology and their broader health implications, given her background.

Beat Overview

-Publication: DDN explores the intersection of science and health, covering all aspects of translational medicine, from academia to clinical applications. The publication serves a discerning audience that values in-depth analysis of biopharmaceutical research, clinical developments, and emerging therapeutic technologies. Stephanie said that the DDN editorial team comprises four writers who all have PhDs. She and another writer focus on the print magazine’s longform stories that range from 1,000-3,000 words and consequently, require a longer lead time (she noted that she’s currently working on the September issue). Stephanie also oversees the DDN Dialogues podcast. The other two writers do shorter newsy stories, looking at single studies, Q&As, etc., that are published on the DDN site. The Science Spotlight and DDN Dose newsletters reach 58,000 subscribers, and the bimonthly DDN print magazine boasts 35,000 subscribers.

-Coverage Areas: Stephanie says that she’s “always trying to stay on top of what’s happening,” including cell therapy/manufacturing, GLP-1 drugs, and AI and machine learning, because “we write for scientists who are working in these areas.”

-Angles of Interest: Because DDN has a small team with limited bandwidth, Stephanie says they don’t cover as much breaking news as perhaps some of their competitors. Instead, she reflects that “we’re really focused on the storytelling aspects, and just getting really excited about the new science that’s coming out.” She says that she likes to dive into “how this new drug works, what makes it different” from existing therapies, emphasizing the story behind scientific breakthroughs and the people who drive them.

What to Watch

-Podcast Developments: At the moment, the DDN Dialogues podcast is a “one-woman show”, but Stephanie is getting more DDN writers involved in its production. In the podcast, she aims to extend the narrative depth of print features into audio, offering rich, story-driven discussions that mirror the magazine’s narrative style.

-Emerging Science Focus: Watch for increased coverage of breakthrough areas like machine learning applications in biopharma and advancements in gene therapy, both in print and on the podcast.

-Science Storytelling: Stephanie aims to spotlight the human element in science reporting, bringing to the fore the personal and professional stories of those behind the latest research and innovations.

Pitching Tips

-Bookended email checks: Stephanie typically checks email when she logs in around 8:30 a.m. PT and again toward the end of her work day, around 5 p.m.

-Audio Appeal: For podcast pitches, consider the auditory nature of the content. An ideal pitch might include potential interviewees who bring a mix of expert insight and personal stories, much like the recent diabetes gene discovery piece, where a patient’s family member was also interviewed.

–Visual and Narrative Richness: When pitching for the magazine, include potential for rich visual content and detailed storytelling elements that can help bring complex science to life.

-Planful Pitching: Stephanie advises PR pros to align pitches for in-depth story ideas to the magazine and podcast editorial calendars:

–Magazine

• July: Biologics, Spatial Biology, Ophthalmology, Clinical Trials
• September: Neuroscience, Infectious Disease, Drug Formulation, Biomarkers
• November: Gene Therapy, Hematology, Diagnostics, Stem Cells

–Podcast

• June: Microbiology
• July: Cardiology
• August: Infectious Disease
• September: Machine Learning and AI
• October: Gene Therapy
• November: Neuroscience
• December: Antibody Drugs

Pet Peeves

–Generic Responses: Stephanie is put off by pitches that feel templated or responses that lack depth during interviews. She values authenticity and the ability to engage in a genuine dialogue about the science.

-Missed Connections: Failing to match the pitch to DDN’s focus areas or current themes can lead to missed opportunities. Tailoring pitches to fit the specific scientific and narrative focus of DDN is crucial.

-Lack of Detail: Overly broad or vague pitches that do not clearly articulate the impact or novelty of the research can be frustrating. Be clear about what makes your story compelling for DDN’s audience.

Events and Conferences

-AACR: Recently attended, saying that it “was really cool seeing what drugs are being developed.”

-SFN: Stephanie says DDN usually covers this conference, but by “cover,” she means that a DDN writer is not reporting from the conference but is “usually going to talks to get story ideas and to get a better idea of the trends.”

-Additional conferences: She and the DDN editorial team writers will attend other conferences virtually this year.

Key Quote

“We just try to tell a really great story about science … and hopefully that will inspire, entertain readers and get them excited about the new science and spark some ideas.”

Lightning Round

-Best type of source: Researchers—the person who is the first author or is in the lab working with the pipettes.

-#1 tell of too much media training: When the answer sounds very generic and can’t answer follow-up questions.

-Favorite journalist: Ed Yong—his stories are amazing.

-Topic you wish you got to focus on more: Big fan of the intersection of science and art.

-One question you always ask in an interview: Near the end, I always ask what the researcher finds most exciting about their work.

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