Writing health, science, tech | TIME, SciAm, Wash Post | 2026-27 Knight-Wallace Fellow @ University of Michigan
Maryland
Joined January 2010
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Middle-age isn't just a transition. It's a destination with unique aims and tensions.
It's now being reshaped by work and longevity.
For many in the sandwich generation, being in the middle is the big squeeze.
For others, it's the rewarding substance. time.com/article/2026/04/13/…
Matt Fuchs retweeted
'Everything I disagree with is stupid unless proven otherwise!'
@FuchsWriter and @camjenglish explain why pro-science voices need to:
- Follow the evidence consistently
- Accept uncertainty where it exists
Matt Fuchs retweeted
Debunking "junk science" is fun, and necessary.
But what happens when our skepticism goes too far?
"Skepticism can become more than a process for truth-finding...maybe even a brand or an identity," says veteran science journalist @FuchsWriter.
A brisk walk helps break up sedentary time.
But if you already have a baseline of fitness and you're aiming for a long healthy life, recent research points to a missing ingredient
fuchsm.substack.com/p/walkin…
Matt Fuchs retweeted
Real impact happens on and off the court. 🌟🎾 Our 2025 Impact Report is officially live! Read the full story and explore the milestones we achieved together: vist.ly/5env2
#ustamidatlantic #ImpactReport #PlayTennis
Matt Fuchs retweeted
Today in @NatureBiotech we report OptiPrime, a mechanism-based machine learning model for predicting prime editing (PE) efficiencies and suggesting pegRNAs to achieve a user-specified edit. OptiPrime incorporates biochemical knowledge about PE into its mathematical structure, enabling training on ~300,000 PE efficiencies collected using 40 experimental conditions in multiple labs, and outcome predictions of PE variants such as twin prime editing not used in its training. OptiPrime enabled the rapid identification of efficient PE strategies across a variety of applications in vitro and in vivo, and could outperform months or years of manual experimental optimization.
Try out OptiPrime here: optipri.me
PDF: drive.google.com/file/d/13JZ…
1/15
Brain immunity may undergo a major midlife overhaul. “Understanding these cellular transitions may provide new opportunities to develop interventions that preserve brain function and reduce vulnerability to neurodegenerative disease”
nih.gov/news-events/news-rel…
Matt Fuchs retweeted
🥳 Is there really a “universal” ageing clock?
⏳FYI .. my clock ≠ yours
💅Every body has its own biological timeline 🌞
nature.com/articles/s41586-0…
Matt Fuchs retweeted
🏋🏽♀️ Always inspiring ... 💃🏽My midlife is fitter, healthier, stronger, and better than my younger self! - Pls checkout lovely articles by @FuchsWriter fuchsm.substack.com/p/the-wa…
At checkups, my doctor asks how often I exercise.
I say, "A lot."
Next question.
Wouldn't a treadmill test showing how I compare with others my age be more useful? Like pediatrics and geriatrics, should we have a new midlife specialty focusing on performance and prevention?
I explore the potential for a new healthcare specialty focusing on people in their 40s and 50s here:
fuchsm.substack.com/p/should…
Matt Fuchs retweeted
Lawnmower-like Enzyme Rewinds Decades of Molecular Aging in Human Tissue | The Scientist the-scientist.com/lawnmower-…
Matt Fuchs retweeted
The Biggest Tell That Something Was Written by AI
Look closely and you’ll see that every part of the text is not quite right.
🔗⮛
"The frightening story of the rise in dementia cases as the US population ages obscures real progress that is already being made to prevent it — and the even greater progress that could follow."
vox.com/future-perfect/49174…
Matt Fuchs retweeted
This sentence. 🤌
"Physical activity is a canonical characteristic of humans... the normalization of the lack of physical activity has led to the perception that physical activity is an intervention even though it remains as the modus vivendi engrained in our genes."
Wow.
We might be able to identify mitochondrial dysfunction with a simple treadmill test.
This new paper by @doctorinigo proposes that two key metrics can serve as a “reliable, early physiological signature of subclinical mitochondrial dysfunction.”
• A blood lactate level above 2.5 mmol/L
• A fat oxidation rate below 0.4 g/min during moderate exercise (50 to 60 percent of VO2 max)
Matt Fuchs retweeted
Long-term exposure to certain types of air pollution linked to increased risk of Parkinson’s disease, Cambridge researchers find 🔗⮛
"Without basic scientific research, supported by the kind of farsighted public investment that allows large-scale, undirected, curiosity-driven inquiry, the scientific pipeline will run dry."
quillette.com/2026/07/06/the…
Your typical "superager" walks at a fast clip despite the silver hair and wrinkles. But some superagers look and move more like someone in their prime.
That's because they're middle-aged. Cynthia McNamee is an example. At 50, she can still sprint at 20 mph.
Here's how.
Be proactive through preventive screening and trying new things. "I want to see what this body can do now and at any age. Track is my creative way to stay fit."
To read more, check out the Prime Factors Substack article
fuchsm.substack.com/p/whats-…