Helen Branswell, STAT's infectious diseases reporter, dies at 69

Remembrance

Helen Branswell, whose reporting on infectious diseases and public health drew acclaim, dies at 69

By Andrew Joseph

Sarah Gonzalez for STAT

Helen Branswell, a renowned infectious disease reporter who earned the respect of experts and public health officials around the world with her accessible, prescient dispatches on scourges from influenza to polio and Ebola to Covid-19, becoming a vital source of information for the public during the most chaotic of times, died Tuesday at age 69.

The cause was complications from cancer, said her sister, Brenda Branswell. “She loved her work,” she said. “She loved science and medical writing. She thought her job was a gift. She found it so interesting.”

Why Covid-19 vaccines are a freaking miracle (from Feb. 2022)

By Helen Branswell

Anthony Fauci on presidents, bird flu, and turning down a multimillion-dollar job (from July 2024)

By Rick Berke and Helen Branswell

Winter is coming: Why America’s window of opportunity to beat back Covid-19 is closing (from Aug. 2020)

By Helen Branswell

A titan of vaccine development sees his field’s achievements slip away (from March 2026)

By Helen Branswell

Revisit all of Helen Branswell's stories here.