Team

Our Founder

Crystal Herron leaning against a redwood tree

Crystal Herron, PhD, ELS

(she/her)

I’m not one to talk about myself or toot my own horn. But I am passionate about what I do.

I enjoy wrangling words and heading down thesaurus rabbit holes. And I’m one of those weirdos who loves the challenge of condensing text to meet a word limit.

Like many researchers, I did not get adequate training in how to write well while I was in graduate school. In fact, most training programs and research institutions do not offer adequate support in writing. Yet, these institutions expect researchers to write successful manuscripts and grants. Their success depends on it.

Now I’m on a mission to support researchers’ success by helping them clearly and persuasively convey their research and ideas. I’ve spent the past decade learning from the greats in writing. And, in 2017, I launched Redwood Ink. Over my career, I’ve had the joy and honor of helping thousands of brilliant scientists, clinicians, and medical writers to write well and showcase their expertise.

I’m so delighted you’re here! Have a look around, and please get in touch if I can be of any help.

Official Bios

  • Crystal Herron, PhD, ELS, (she/her) is an editor, educator, and coach who helps scientists and clinicians communicate with clear, concise, and compelling writing. In 2017, she founded Redwood Ink to equip researchers and other professional writers with the principles, resources, and systems they need to write compelling manuscripts and grants that strive to improve health and health care.

  • Crystal Herron, PhD, ELS, (she/her) is an editor, educator, and coach who helps scientists and clinicians communicate with clear, concise, and compelling writing. Her distinctive style transforms conventional complex language into modern writing that engages, informs, and persuades readers.

    Crystal is also an international speaker and educator. She leads webinars, workshops, and courses to equip researchers and other professional writers with the principles, resources, and systems they need to write compelling manuscripts and grants that strive to improve health and health care.

    Crystal is a BELS-certified Editor in the Life Sciences. She has more than a decade of experience as an editor and nearly two decades of experience as an educator. Before pursuing her passion for words, she completed her PhD in biomedical science and then collaborated on diverse projects in clinical research.

    Crystal lives in the San Francisco Bay Area and loves baking, trail running, and exploring the outdoors with her dog. She values giving back to the community and volunteers with several national and local organizations.

What People Are Saying

"Crystal is an asset to any academic writer - She is approachable, efficient, supremely knowledgeable, detail-oriented and professional. She invests time understanding the intent and story behind each project, and then crafts her edits to make the manuscripts perfectly suited for its intended audience. Her consistent history and long list of successfully accepted, high impact publications is clear evidence of her efficacy and skill."

– PhD, Medical University of South Carolina

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