Staff writer David Epstein joined SPORTS ILLUSTRATED in Sept. 2006 and quickly established himself as an authority on medical and science issues in sports. He coauthored (along with senior writer Selena Roberts) one of SI.com's signature stories of 2009: the revelation that Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez tested positive for steroids in 2003.

Epstein has been recognized by a number of bodies for his outstanding science journalism. Notably, he was honored by the Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Association for his 2007 SI cover story Following the Trail of Broken Hearts, about a congenital cardiovascular abnormality that took the life of a friend and former training partner. He also won the Horgan Award for science writing while a student at the Graduate School of Journalism at Columbia University. His areas of specialty include science and medicine, track and field and mixed martial arts. He was part of SI's Olympic team in Beijing, where his beats included boxing, track and field and the environment. In may 2009 Epstein began a three-month intership with ProPublica, an independent, nonprofit newsroom that produces investigative journalism in the public interest.

Epstein graduated from Columbia University in 2002 with a B.S. in environmental science and astronomy, and holds master's degrees in journalism and environmental science from the school. Prior to joining SPORTS ILLUSTRATED, Epstein worked as a reporter on the city desk of the New York Daily News and the online publication, Inside Higher Ed. He also worked as an ecology researcher in the Arctic and served on a seismic research vessel in the Pacific Ocean. His work has appeared in Discover, Scientific American, US News and World Report and The Guardian, among other publications.

An avid runner, Epstein was a member of Columbia's varsity track squad (he ran the 800) and was twice named to the All-East and All-Metropolitan teams. Asked his favorite sport to cover, Epstein says he is partial to the Olympic track and field competition. "It's the only sport with potential world champions from every inhabited continent and I enjoy interacting with athletes from different cultures, many of whom are competing on a stage vastly different from anything they've ever experienced," he says.

Epstein cites Dr. Bernd Heinrich, Darcy Frey, playwright Martin McDonagh as writing inspirations.

EXTRA POINTS

Favorite SI Vault stories: Marfan Syndrome: A Silent Killer (Feb. 17, 1986) and Soul Survivor (Dec, 2, 2002). "Both of these pieces, one about the death of volleyball player Flo Hyman and the other about the on-field death of football player Devaughn Darling, gave eloquent treatment to medical conditions that were nearly invisible to the public and often misunderstood or mishandled even by medical professionals. SI has a long history of narrative, public-service journalism that includes these two pieces, and, I hope, some of my own."
Hobbies: Running, hiking.
Favorite book: Why We Run: A Natural History by Dr. Bernd Heinrich. "He examined the evolutionary roots of human endurance, and applied his research to his own training. The result? He won the world ultramarathon championships. If you're into sports science, that's a tough ending to beat."
Favorite nonsports websites: ProPublica.org, eurekalert.org and gothamschools.org.
Hidden talent: "I can spin a wide variety of objects on my finger, and if Blue Man Group had a farm system, I'd be in Class-AA for marshmallow catching. But I try to keep these tremendous talents hidden in the office."

Updated 21 October 2009