Press Room

Scientific American today announces Laura Helmuth as its new Editor-in-Chief. Helmuth becomes the ninth Editor-in-Chief in the nearly 175-year history of the magazine. In her role, Helmuth will be responsible for overseeing the flagship magazine, scientificamerican.com and other branded products.  She will be based in the New York office with a start date of April 13. 

Helmuth is an editor with more than 20 years of experience covering all fields of health, science, technology, and the environment. Prior to joining Scientific American, she was the Science and Health Editor for The Washington Post and has held positions at National Geographic, Slate, Smithsonian, and Science. Helmuth was the President of the National Association of Science Writers from 2016 to 2018 and board member from 2012 to 2016. She has a Ph.D. in Cognitive Neuroscience from University of California at Berkeley.

Laura Helmuth will report to Stephen Pincock, VP Magazines, Editorial and Publishing, at Springer Nature, which publishes Scientific American. Announcing her appointment, Pincock said, “Laura’s broad science journalism background in multiple media settings, deep respect for the brand, and her strong personal presence make her a clear choice to lead Scientific American and grow its reach to new audiences as it enters its 175th year.”

“I am thrilled to be joining Scientific American, one of the most influential and respected magazines in the world,” said Laura Helmuth. “I hope to honor its history and build on its mission to publish engaging, enlightening, awe-inspiring coverage of the most important issues of our time. I’m eager to work with the magazine’s excellent staff, its network of some of the best freelance writers in the business, and a growing group of scientist-writers who understand how important it is to share their knowledge and expertise. The novel coronavirus circulating around the world reinforces the need for trustworthy and inclusive science and science communication. Scientific American’s mission has never been more important.”

“From the beginning, Scientific American has been devoted to the idea that technological innovation and scientific inquiry are pillars of progress for all, unbiased thinking and unlimited curiosity. They all deserve to be strengthened - especially in our times”, said Stefan von Holtzbrinck, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Springer Nature.  “Laura Helmuth’s vast experience, strong editorial vision, values and enthusiasm make her a natural choice to lead Scientific American, which addresses andinforms the public, as well as thought leaders in research and business and policy makers.”

Scientific American, the longest continuously published magazine in the U.S., is a truly global enterprise. Over the magazine’s history, it has published articles by more than 200 Nobel laureate authors including Albert Einstein, Francis Crick, Stanley Prusiner, and Richard Axel. Scientific American is published in 15 languages with 12+ million print and online readers worldwide, 20+ million global visits monthly, and a social media reach of 10+ million.

* Full bio and headshot of Laura Helmuth are available upon request

About Scientific American

Founded in 1845, Scientific American is the oldest continuously published magazine in the US and the leading authoritative publication for science and technology in the general media. Together with scientificamerican.com and 14 local language editions around the world it reaches more than nine million readers. Other titles include Scientific American Mind and Spektrum der Wissenschaft in Germany. Scientific American is published by Springer Nature, a leading global research, educational and professional publisher, home to an array of respected and trusted brands providing quality content through a range of innovative products and services. Springer Nature was formed in 2015 through the merger of Nature Publishing Group, Palgrave Macmillan, Macmillan Education and Springer Science+Business Media.