Erik Vance

I am a staff editor for The New York Times on the Well desk. My coverage focuses on fitness and a healthy lifestyle.

What I Cover

My work on the Well desk focuses on science-backed advice for people trying to live healthier, more fulfilling lives. For instance, it’s no secret that regular exercise is an important part of staying healthy as we get older, but it’s often hard to find activities you want to do, or to zero in on the exercises that are best for you. We turn to trainers and experts in exercise science to give science-backed advice for how to develop healthy workout habits.

My Background

I have worked as a writer for dozens of newspapers and magazines, including National Geographic, Scientific American and Nature, covering the environment, brain science and occasionally archaeology. I am also the author of “Suggestible You,” a book about how beliefs affect your body. I looked at phenomena like placebos, nocebos, false memories and hypnosis as I tried to understand how thoughts and expectations shape our experience.

I grew up in the Bay Area and studied biology at Principia College, in Elsah, Ill., eventually publishing a scientific paper on dolphin play behavior as an undergraduate. But after a few stints in laboratory work, environmental consulting and NGO work, I went to graduate school for science writing at the University of California, Santa Cruz.

Journalistic Ethics

As a Times journalist, I share the values and adhere to the standards of integrity outlined in our Ethical Journalism Handbook. I believe that storytelling is most useful and effective when it’s done with clarity, honesty and empathy, for both the reader and the subject of the story. This is especially important in the wellness sphere, which is filled with hype and misinformation and where popular trends often have little scientific evidence behind them. I strive to bring a critical, journalistic eye to all aspects of health advice.

• Email: erik.vance@nytimes.com

• X: @erikvance

• Anonymous tips: nytimes.com/tips