Maria Godoy Maria Godoy is a senior editor and correspondent with NPR's Science Desk.
Maria Godoy at NPR headquarters in Washington, D.C., May 22, 2018. (photo by Allison Shelley) (Square)
Stories By

Maria Godoy

Allison Shelley/NPR
Maria Godoy at NPR headquarters in Washington, D.C., May 22, 2018. (photo by Allison Shelley)
Allison Shelley/NPR

Maria Godoy

Senior Editor/Correspondent, NPR Science Desk

Maria Godoy is a senior science and health editor and correspondent with NPR News. Her reporting can be heard across NPR's news shows and podcasts. She is also one of the hosts of NPR's Life Kit.

Along with her NPR science desk colleagues, Godoy is the winner of a 2019 Gracie Award.

Previously, Godoy hosted NPR's food vertical, The Salt, where she covered the food beat with a wide lens — investigating everything from the health effects of caffeine to the environmental and cultural impact of what we eat. Under Godoy's leadership, The Salt was recognized as Publication of the Year in 2018 by the James Beard Foundation. With her colleagues on the food team, Godoy won the 2012 James Beard Award for best food blog. The Salt was also awarded first place in the blog category from the Association of Food Journalists in 2013, and it won a Gracie Award for Outstanding Blog from the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation in 2013.

Previously, Godoy oversaw political, national, and business coverage for NPR.org. Her work as part of NPR's reporting teams has been recognized with several awards, including two prestigious Alfred I. DuPont-Columbia University Silver Batons: one for coverage of the role of race in the 2008 presidential election, and another for a series about the sexual abuse of Native American women. The latter series was also awarded the Columbia Journalism School's Dart Award for excellence in reporting on trauma, and a Gracie Award.

In 2010, Godoy and her colleagues were awarded a Gracie Award for their work on a series exploring the science of spirituality. She was also part of a team that won the 2007 Nancy Dickerson Whitehead Award for Excellence in Reporting on Drug and Alcohol Issues.

Godoy was a 2008 Ethics fellow at the Poynter Institute. She joined NPR in 2003 as a digital news editor.

Born in Guatemala, Godoy now lives in the suburbs of Washington, DC, with her husband and two kids. She's a sucker for puns (and has won a couple of awards for her punning headlines).

Story Archive

Friday

Freder/Getty Images

To woo a cockatoo, scientists find having your own drumsticks and rhythm is key

Today on the show, All Things Considered co-host Mary Louise Kelly joins Regina G. Barber and Maria Godoy for our bi-weekly science roundup. They talk through some of the latest eye-catching science news, including the percussion-intensive mating life of cockatoos, what pink diamonds today tell us about the breakup of the ancient supercontinent Nuna and the latest on the Nipah outbreak in India.

To woo a cockatoo, scientists find having your own drumsticks and rhythm is key

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Thursday

This week in science: Nipah virus, Australian pink diamonds and how cockatoos mate

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Tuesday

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We've heard we need more fiber in our diets. Here are 8 easy tips for getting there

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Friday

Experts say the new COVID boosters are a much closer match to currently circulating variants than prior vaccines and boosters. JEFF KOWALSKY/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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JEFF KOWALSKY/AFP via Getty Images

Everything you need to know about the latest COVID booster

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Thursday

What to know about the new COVID-19 booster

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Wednesday

Experts say the new COVID boosters are a much closer match to currently circulating variants than prior vaccines and boosters. Frederick J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Frederick J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images

The new COVID boosters are coming: Here's what you need to know

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Tuesday

CDC advisers will meet to consider who should get the new COVID booster

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Tuesday

The U.S. is experiencing a late summer wave of COVID cases

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Tuesday

Sodas like Poppi and Olipop have added prebiotic ingredients intended to help nourish your gut bacteria. Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images for Poppi hide caption

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Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images for Poppi

Prebiotic sodas promise to boost your gut health. Here's what to eat instead

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Monday

Do pre-biotic drinks work? Our special series Living Better investigates

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Friday

Spending time with a dog can be good for your health

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Thursday

When humans interact with dogs, the feel-good hormone oxytocin increases — in the person and the dog. Sally Anscombe/Getty Images hide caption

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Sally Anscombe/Getty Images

Petting other people's dogs, even briefly, can boost your health

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Wednesday

Weekly Dose of Wonder: Spending time with a dog can be good for your health

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Friday

A summer of extreme heat is raising alarms of health risks. Here, a child plays in a waterfall feature at Yards Park in Washington, D.C., on June 26. Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images

Sunday

Heat can be deadly, as this sign in Death Valley National Park warns. Some of the hottest temperatures in the world have been recorded here. But it doesn't need to be 130 degrees out to be dangerous. David McNew/Getty Images hide caption

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David McNew/Getty Images

How heat kills: What happens to the body in extreme temperatures

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Friday

Danger signs to look out for: What happens to the body in extreme heat

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Saturday

A year ago, the schoolyard at the Add B. Anderson School in West Philadelphia was nothing but bare concrete. Now, it's a revamped green space that serves the whole community. Meredith Rizzo hide caption

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Meredith Rizzo

Thursday

Why transforming concrete schoolyards into parks could make for healthier cities

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Saturday

Wildfire smoke can be especially dangerous for kids. Here's how to protect them

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Friday

Smoky air is filled with microscopic flakes of particulate matter that can get into the lungs and even into the blood stream. Timothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Timothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty Images

Staying safe in smoky air is particularly important for some people. Here's how

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Sunday

Cutting back on ultra-processed food in your child's diet doesn't have to be a huge lift. Learn shortcuts and smart swaps, like giving them nuts for a snack instead of chips. Even if they're salted, the higher protein and healthy fats in nuts are an added benefit. Meredith Rizzo for NPR hide caption

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Meredith Rizzo for NPR

Thursday

Foods classified as ultra-processed are those that have many added ingredients such as artificial coloring, added sugars, emulsifiers and preservatives. An apple may undergo minimal processing when it gets made into applesauce. But when it gets made into a shelf-stable apple pie or candy gummies with added sugars, colorings and flavorings, these foods are considered ultra-processed. Meredith Rizzo for NPR hide caption

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Meredith Rizzo for NPR

What we know about the health risks of ultra-processed foods

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Thursday

Students at the University of Minnesota celebrate their induction into medical school. The U.S. has disproportionately few Black and Hispanic doctors. Some of the barriers to entering the profession start before even getting into medical school, recent research finds, including financial pressures and racism. Anthony Souffle/Star Tribune via Getty Images hide caption

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Anthony Souffle/Star Tribune via Getty Images

Diversity in medicine can save lives. Here's why there aren't more doctors of color

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Tuesday

Having diverse doctors saves lives, but students of color face barriers to med school

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