Natalia Pasternak is a microbiologist, science writer and communicator. Her work in research, teaching, and advocacy focuses on improving science communication, increasing vaccine uptake, and combating denialism and misinformation. She promotes critical thinking among future policymakers and helps foster international collaboration for evidence-based decision-making.
She is a columnist for The Skeptic (UK) and a former columnist for O Globo and Medscape (WebMD). For three years, she presented two weekly editions of the radio segment The Hour of Science, broadcast nationwide by Brazil’s CBN Radio. She is currently a professor at Columbia University (USA), visiting professor at Fundação Getúlio Vargas (Brazil), and a research collaborator at the Vaccine Development Laboratory at the University of São Paulo.
Pasternak holds a PhD and postdoctoral degree in Microbiology from the University of São Paulo. She has authored over 300 popular science articles, academic papers, and books. She is president of the Question of Science Institute (IQC) and editor of its namesake magazine. Twice named “Personality of the Year” in the Science category (2020 and 2021) by IstoÉ Magazine, she was listed by the BBC and The Jerusalem Post as one of the world’s most influential people. She is a member of PAHO’s Strategic Advisory Group on Vaccine-Preventable Diseases.