Elisabeth Rosenthal

Elisabeth Rosenthal is a medical journalist and international public health leader. She is the author of six critically-acclaimed books and numerous award-winning articles that explore science and global health. Her work has been featured in The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine, and other top publications, where she offers a remarkable blend of science, journalism, and firsthand narratives.

Born in Brooklyn, New York, Elisabeth earned her B.A. in French and Political Science from Princeton University and her M.D. in Internal Medicine from Harvard Medical School. She has since worked as a physician, professor, reporter, and author.

Elisabeth has also served as an editor-in-chief of the Harvard Medical School publication "The Practitioner" and an international fellow for the Bulletin of the World Health Organization. In 2020, she was listed as one of TIME's 100 Most Influential People for her work as editor-in-chief of Kaiser Health News.

In 2001, Elisabeth wrote her first book, “The Death of Terri Schiavo,” which examined the controversial case surrounding a woman’s end-of-life medical decisions. The book delved into medical ethics and questions of faith and family. In 2011, she published “Engaging the Brain: A Personal Exploration,” which explored the latest neurological discoveries.

Elisabeth's 2014 book, “An American Sickness: The Cost of Health Care and the Remedy,” was called "anti-healthcare-corporatism” by The Wall Street Journal. The book examined the systemic failures and profiteering at the heart of the American health care system. The work was awarded the Elliott Vichman Award for Health Care Journalism in 2018 and was featured on “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah.”

In 2019, Elisabeth continued her expertise in global health with “Countdown: Our Last, Best Hope for a Future on Earth?” The nonfiction book investigates the global environmental crisis from a health perspective with the help of 9,000 experts covering over 15,000 pages of data.

Elisabeth's books are each powerful and thought-provoking in their own right. “Engaging the Brain” offers an exhaustive exploration of the science and ethics of neurological treatments, while “An American Sickness” examines a broken system in the United States. “Countdown” paints a vivid portrait of the human cost of global warming and the ongoing fight to preserve the environment.

Elisabeth Rosenthal is more than just a writer. She draws from her experience as a physician, professor, and global health leader to give readers a comprehensive look at medicine and public health. Her work has been widely recognized for its insight and clarity, making her an invaluable resource for those seeking to expand their knowledge.