Tegan Taylor
Tegan Taylor is a health and science reporter for the ABC and co-host of the ABC's multi-award-winning Coronacast.
She also co-hosts ABC Radio National's Health Report and hosts the live event series and radio/podcast Ockham's Razor. She's been known to pop up on RN Life Matters, Triple J and in the Best of Australian Science Writing.
In 2020, Coronacast won a Walkley award and the Eureka Prize for Science Journalism.
Tegan was previously a producer on the ABC's national digital news desk, a university lecturer and, long ago, a newspaper reporter.
Latest by Tegan Taylor
Voice tech is taking off. So where does this leave Deaf people?
Our digital world is increasingly reliant on voice-activated technology. Deaf people risk being left behind, so a project is developing an Auslan-speaking virtual assistant named Zelda.
Alex's new heart flew from Australia's east coast to the west, a feat not possible until now
A clinical trial kept donated hearts viable between donor and recipient for nearly nine hours — almost double the current gold standard.
Even moderate amounts of booze raise your cancer risk — and middle-aged women should take note
Michelle feels in control of her drinking — after all, she only has a few wines each night. But will that change when she sees the silent damage most of us don't know about?
Anthony Fauci watched as COVID ripped through the US. Now he has some advice for Australia
America's top infectious diseases expert acknowledges the differences between how his country and Australia managed the outbreak of coronavirus — and has some lessons for us on our vaccine rollout.
Which types of seafood contain most microplastics — and are they harmful?
Researchers have identified the seafoods that are most likely to contribute microplastics to the Australian diet — but we still don't know what effect, if any, the tiny particles have on human health.
Investigation finds why Victoria's healthcare workers were infected in their thousands
An investigation into the large number of Victorian healthcare workers who caught COVID-19 at work identifies some of the key factors that allowed so many to get infected — and what we can do to avoid a similar outbreak in the future.
Endometriosis is often accompanied by depression and gut issues. Now scientists better understand why
Mention depression and gut issues and many women with endometriosis will start nodding furiously. Now, scientists have discovered a genetic link between the three conditions.
A '90 per cent effective' COVID vaccine is great news but it's not at the finish line yet
Drug company Pfizer announces that its COVID-19 vaccine may be 90 per cent effective in stopping the virus — but it's not at the finish line yet. Here are five things you need to know about this announcement.
This engineer's algorithm can produce a better bionic ear in a fraction of the time
Cochlear implants can be a life-changing tool for people with hearing loss — but they're not perfect. Now, a biomedical engineer has come up with a new approach to testing improvements to the bionic ears so it is easier to tailor them to an individual's ability to hear noise.
The Inuit can survive on an all-meat diet, but can you?
To people who are tuned in to health research, a carnivorous diet seems ... iffy. But let's say you did follow it. Would it be possible to get everything you need from it? And how new is this idea really?
Does exercising harder help you live longer?
Regular exercise helps you live longer, right? And vigorous exercise is particularly good for you, isn't it? A big study of older people, thought to be the first of its kind, has been trying to tease out the answer.
'We need to take our focus off BMI': Huge study shows your weight doesn't matter as much as your diet
People who were overweight or obese who followed a Mediterranean-style diet were less likely to die from any cause than people in the "normal" weight range who didn't, a large, long-term study finds.
From smallpox to the Spanish Flu: What our vaccination history tells us about the fight against COVID-19
A vaccine has long been touted as our way out of this global coronavirus pandemic. What have previous vaccination campaigns looked like in Australia, and how might things go this time around?
What the 1918 and swine flus tell us about how this pandemic ends
Just over 100 years ago, an influenza infected a third of the world's population — but within just three years, the threat of this deadly flu had all but passed. So what changed — and how will the pandemic we're currently living through change?
Loss of smell due to COVID much worse and longer lasting than from the flu
Research is revealing why it takes some people so long to get their sense of smell back after COVID-19 — and they say it might even be a useful, non-invasive screening tool.
Should you be worried that COVID-19 vaccines are (almost) ready so quickly?
Several COVID-19 vaccine candidates are facing the last big hurdle before they could be available to the public. But previous vaccines have taken years to develop, so why are these ready so quickly, and will they be safe?
How worried should you be about news the coronavirus is mutating into different strains?
You may have seen headlines popping up during the pandemic that SARS-CoV-2 has split into "strains" that are more contagious, more virulent or even easier to vaccinate against. The reality is a little less cut and dried.
Why experts say we need to plan for a future that might not hold a coronavirus vaccine
The head of the World Health Organization has warned we may never get a silver bullet for COVID-19. Health experts say this was the wake-up call we needed because we can't put all our eggs in one basket. So what are the other baskets?
A mild case of COVID-19 doesn't mean you won't experience any long-term effects
Anecdotes are emerging of people who have recovered from COVID-19 but have strange, ongoing symptoms such as prolonged fatigue, breathlessness, brain fog and digestive symptoms. What does the evidence tell us about these longer-term effects of the virus?
Lockdown hasn't lowered coronavirus numbers. Experts explain why
The epicentre of Australia's COVID-19 outbreak, Melbourne and Mitchell Shire, is coming up on three weeks into lockdown but new case numbers remain stubbornly high. Why hasn't lockdown brought case numbers down more dramatically?
We are six months into the pandemic. What's changed?
Six months ago, health reporter Tegan Taylor pitched a story about a mystery pneumonia in China. Now she reflects on what we didn't know in January — and what we might learn before 2020 is over.
Who's a problem drinker? Someone who drinks more than me
Asking yourself a few uncomfortable questions can help identify if you need to rethink your relationship with alcohol.
Analysis
analysis:Victoria, and arguably Australia, is standing on the edge of a COVID-19 precipice
We've had success containing the coronavirus so far but now Victoria — and Australia — are teetering on a precipice. Dr Norman Swan and Tegan Taylor take a look both ways.
Victoria is back where we were at the start of the pandemic — but with one big difference
When the Victorian Premier announced a fresh six weeks of lockdown for Melbourne and surrounds, he described the situation as a "more precarious, challenging and potentially tragic position than we were at some months ago". The reason for this can be summed up in two words.
Your body clock isn't only about sleep. Food also plays a role
Your body clock is central to many parts of how we function, but any shift worker, new parent or late-night screen-watcher can tell you it's not always possible to live in harmony with the Earth's natural day-night cycle. What do you do if it gets out of sync?