Wendy Haaf

Wendy Haaf

Freelance writer specializing in evidence-based health content.

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About

Hospitals, research institutions, universities, and health non-profits: need to explain the work your organization does and why it matters in terms non-scientists can understand? For 30+ years, I’ve interviewed researchers, clinicians, and patients, turning what I learn from them into stories readers can relate to.

Using these skills, I can craft useful, engaging, evidence-backed articles and content for your organization , whether your target audience is potential donors, patients, health professionals, alumni, parents, or another group altogether.

Other reasons to hire me? I know how to find expert sources, and sift through and assimilate large amounts of information.

But don’t take my word for it.

✰ I’m always amazed that you can process as much information as you do and lay it out so clearly. , Murray Lewis, Editor-in-Chief, Good Times magazine

With years of accumulated knowledge on a wide range of health topics, I can ask better, more informed questions of expert interviewees. And while I specialize in health and medicine, I’ve also written extensively about mental health, parenting, aging, retirement and food.

✰ Very well-done! In my experience, very few (writers) can convincingly handle this topic in an engaging, interesting, unbiased, and accurate manner and translate effectively to a ‘lay’ readership. , Dr. Murray Huff, Professor Emeritus of Medicine & Biochemistry, Western University

Plus, I’ve been told I’m easy to work with.

✰ Your stories are always a treat to read , and edit! , Anna Cristofaro, former senior editor, Good Times magazine

✰ You’re a fantastic writer; accommodating, and utterly reliable. , Ellen Rosenberg, former managing editor, Glow magazine

When I’m not toiling away on copy for my clients (under the supervision of my office manager, Daisy the cat), you can probably find me in the kitchen, or digging through piles of plant-based recipes. I love to talk, think, and write about food, and chopping onions is as close as I get to meditating

Professional Memberships ASJA (American Society of Journalists & Authors) Association of Health Care Journalists Canadian Freelance Guild National Association of Science Writers Clients

Awards

Gold Service Health & Family 2003 Gold 2006 (2), 2005 (2), 2004, 2003 Silver 2006, 2005, 2003, 2002 Bronze 2006, 2005 Honourable Mention 2011

Ready to discuss how I can help your brand, business or institution?

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What's New?

Drop by my posts page to find my most recently-published work.

Posts

Portfolio

Health Health Mental Health Mental health Profiles Profiles Food & Travel Food & travel Business Business Content Content Feedback

As a retired trauma ortho RN I like to stay up to date. I am impressed not only with your writing, but also your thorough research. Your article on what to expect pre- and post-op for hip replacement was so useful that I cut it out and gave my own family MD a copy in hopes he would share it with any patient considering hip surgery.

Wendy Storey Good Times, Feb. 2009

The May issue’s “Living With Dry Eye” is an excellent article. I have been involved with optometrists and ophthalmologists for 15 years, and have never had the problem so succinctly explained.

Neil Horswill Good Times, June 2018

While taking my mother to a doctor’s appointment, I picked up a copy of Good Times. It was the October issue, containing the article, “You and Your Thyroid”, and my mother was seeing the doctor because of thyroid issues. The article prompted some questions that we were able to ask the doctor, and it was very helpful.

Maria Dolson Good Times, Dec 2017

I just read Wendy Haaf’s excellent article “Women and Heart Disease”. In November 2019, I had routine heart-disease tests and was told my heart was just fine. Three months later, chest pains when I was lying down sent me to the hospital. I was diagnosed with bronchitis, though I had no cough or cold. I was back in ER six times from March until September. I was tested over and over and told that I had not had a heart attack. My symptoms worsened, and I ended up undergoing open-heart surgery… Women need to be more assertive when it comes to their hearts, no matter what their age.

Suzanne Nugent Good Times, April 2021 More Feedback Contact ME Let's talk about your project Click here

Wendy Haaf wendylhaaf.comgoodtimes.ca/?s=haafbrightfocus.org/personnel/wendy-haaf

Wendy is an award-winning independent health/science writer whose work has appeared in Mind Over Matter, Good Times, Canada’s History, Today’s Parent, Chatelaine, the Globe and Mail, Hospital News and WebMD, among others. She has also written for non-profits, academic institutions, and hospitals, including BrightFocus Foundation, the Canadian Digestive Health Foundation, University Health Network, and Western University’s School of Medicine and Dentistry.

Some of the topics Wendy has covered extensively include brain health, Alzheimer’s, dementia, age-related macular degeneration, diabetes, cardiovascular health, and arthritis.

Professional Member Journalist, Content Marketing Writer Location Southwestern Ontario Canada Other Memberships Association of Health Care Journalists (AHCJ) Canadian Freelance Guild National Association of Science Writers Subjects General Health & Medicine Lifestyle Science Wellness Fitness & Nutrition

Skills

Annual reports Advertorials Articles Blog posts Case studies Content marketing Editing Feature writing News releases Profiles Q&A Web copy Ghostwriting Writing Credits

BrightFocus Foundation, Canadian Living, Chatelaine, Good Times, Globe & Mail, Mind Over Matter (Women’s Brain Health Initiative), National Post, Today’s Parent, WebMD, IG Wealth Management, Western Alumni Gazette, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons (Canada) newsletter.

Awards, Honors, Appointments National Magazine Awards (Canada)

Gold (Service & Family) , 2003. Today’s Parent, Safe Streets, Safe Kids supplement (bike helmets, vehicles, walking, getting to school).

Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada Journalism Awards for Excellence in Women’s Health Reporting

Honourable Mention , 2011. Today’s Parent Pregnancy, Induction Overload.

National Mature Media Awards (US)

Gold , 2006. Good Times, How to Keep Driving Safely.

Gold , 2006. Good Times, Live Longer, Stop Smoking.

Silver , 2006. Good Times, The Greatest Gift (Organ Transplant).

Bronze , 2006. Good Times, Morning Stiffness.

Silver , 2005. Good Times, Arthritis Research.

Gold , 2004. Good Times, After the Stroke.

Gold , 2003. Good Times, Pain Management.

Silver , 2003. Good Times, Santa’s Having His Annual Physical.

Silver , 2002. Good Times, Difficult Diagnosis.

How Heart Disease Threatens Women Feature writing, Good Times magazineApril 2021

Magazine health feature for people 55+. While women fear breast cancer, we’re five times more likely to die of heart disease. This article explains risk factors unique to women (including a history of certain pregnancy complications), how they can reduce the likelihood of developing heart disease, and how to recognize symptoms of a heart attack.

Read Spinal Muscular Atrophy is No Longer the Life-Limiting Disease it Once Was , Post Media Content Works/National PostNovember 2023

Sponsored content feature that appeared in a national (Canadian) newspaper. Not long ago, children born with the most severe form of this disease died before age two, having never been able to sit, speak, or even eat like other kids. This article explains how a new generation of treatments has changed the outlook for children with this genetic disease, through the story of one family.

Read Too Young to Forget: Childhood Dementia Article, Women's Brain Health Initiative (Mind Over Matter magazine)April 2025

Article for a non-profit. While rare individually, when looked at collectively, a group of inherited childhood diseases that cause dementia-like symptoms and ultimately death, is roughly as common as cystic fibrosis. This article explains what is known about the causes of some of these diseases, as well as the strides one researcher has made towards finding treatments for one of these heartbreaking conditions.

Read Breaking Down Barriers Content Marketing, ALLCAPS Content (For UHN -- University Health Network)January 2022

Sponsored content for a hospital system. This article explains that members of racialized communities have a harder time finding organ donors, and what one leading Canadian hospital is doing to change that.

Read A Plan for Balancing Independence and Safety for a Loved One Living With Dementia Blog posts, ALLCAPS Content (for MedicAlert Canada)August 2023

Blog post for a Canadian charity. This piece explains what a wandering plan is, and how it can help improve the likelihood of a safe return when someone with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease goes missing.

Read Hard to Swallow Article, ALLCAPS Content (for UHN)March 2024

Sponsored content for a hospital system. Eating is a pleasure that's denied many people with swallowing problems. These life-altering conditions are known medically as dysphagia, and they're very common, affecting an estimated 10 to 13 percent of people over 45. This story outlines the impact dysphagia had on one man's life, and how a speech-language pathologist/scientist is working to improve the assessment and treatment of swallowing disorders.

Read Aliria's Remarkable Legacy: Ultra-rare Mutations Point to New Alzheimer's Therapies Article, Mind Over Matter magazine/Women's Brain Health InitiativeOctober 2025

Health feature for a charitable non-profit. In 2017, researchers who had been studying a Colombian family with a genetic mutation that causes early-onset Alzheimer’s disease (AD) discovered that one family member in particular had defied this genetic fate. While relatives with the mutation developed mild cognitive impairment in their early 40s, and Alzheimer's disease by around age 50, Aliria Rosa Piedrahita de Villegas remained cognitively normal into her 70s. This article explains how the researchers unravelled the secrets of this woman's remarkable brain, and why their findings could point the way to new ways of preventing or treating AD.

Read Bone Deep: The Surprising Link Between Osteoporosis and Dementia Feature writing, Women's Brain Health Initiative (Mind Over Matter magazine)October 2025

Feature for a non-profit. Physicians who specialize in caring for older adults have long known that people with Alzheimer’s disease commonly develop osteoporosis and vice versa. It was generally thought that this was due to the fact that age is a major risk factor for both diseases. Recently, however, some researchers have been unravelling how the biology of the two diseases might be related. This article outlines some of their findings.

Read Turning Back the Biological Clock on Aged and Injured Eye Cells Content Marketing, BrightFocus FoundationDecember 2024

Sponsored content for a charity that funds medical research. This piece explains the work of Dr. Shintaro Shirahama, who is studying an epigenetic reprogramming technique that could potentially restore eye cells that play a key role in macular degeneration to a youthful, healthy state. This de-aging method could help stop the disease at an early stage, preventing vision loss. Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of severe vision loss among people 50 and older.

Read Plant-Based Milks and Your Diet Article, Good Times magazineJanuary 2024

Magazine column for people 55+. Just how healthy are plant-based alternatives to cow's milk? The nutritional value of these products can vary significantly, depending on the type, and brand. This column explains how the various options stack up.

Read Contact Wendy Haaf Have a project or work opportunity you’d like to discuss? Send a Message

Posts Lessons from Zebrafish: Restoring ‘Ground Zero’ in Macular Degeneration by wendyhaaf August 21, 2026August 21, 2026

A US researcher is zeroing in on what makes zebrafish able to spontaneously regenerate injured eye tissue, specifically the RPE, a layer of cells that is… Read More »Lessons from Zebrafish: Restoring ‘Ground Zero’ in Macular Degeneration

Student-Led Blood Pressure Progam Helps Older Adults by wendyhaaf August 16, 2026August 16, 2026

Did you know that approximately one in four Canadian adults has high blood pressure? This silent condition is a major risk factor for heart disease,… Read More »Student-Led Blood Pressure Progam Helps Older Adults

Closing the Care Gap for Chronic Pain by wendyhaaf August 16, 2026August 16, 2026

Before Amanuel Samago, PhD, came to Canada from Ethiopia in 2024, the idea that people could lack adequate access to health care in a wealthy… Read More »Closing the Care Gap for Chronic Pain

Can Brain Waves Predict Chronic Pain?

by wendyhaaf August 16, 2026August 16, 2026

Josh Hoddinott, PhD, originally came to Western University to bring together two of his interests: psychology and music. Until recently, he studied how the brain… Read More »Can Brain Waves Predict Chronic Pain?

Mapping the Brain’s Response to Cannabis by wendyhaaf August 16, 2026August 16, 2026

Getting to talk to scientists who are eager to share their excitement about their subject area is one of the best parts of my job.… Read More »Mapping the Brain’s Response to Cannabis

Shots Fired: Canada’s Vaccine Legacy Under Threat by wendyhaaf August 16, 2026August 21, 2026

I never got around to writing a blog post about a big story I wrote last year for Canada’s History magazine (my first for them)… Read More »Shots Fired: Canada’s Vaccine Legacy Under Threat

Are Adult Skin Care Products Safe for Kids?

by wendyhaaf May 27, 2026September 10, 2026

Since TikTok isn’t among the social media platforms I use, I hadn’t heard much about the ‘get ready with me’ videos created by ‘tweens that… Read More »Are Adult Skin Care Products Safe for Kids?

Childhood Obesity and the Brain by wendyhaaf May 2, 2026May 2, 2026

A growing body of research suggests that higher body weight in childhood and adolescence may promote changes in the brain that could hold implications for… Read More »Childhood Obesity and the Brain

NAD: Separating Hype from Science on the ‘Longevity Molecule’ by wendyhaaf May 2, 2026May 2, 2026

Can bolstering levels of a substance called NAD+ in our bodies extend lifespan, or prevent age-related diseases such as Alzheimer’s? NAD+ is a molecule that… Read More »NAD: Separating Hype from Science on the ‘Longevity Molecule’

Is Gel Nail Polish Bad for Your Health?

by wendyhaaf February 22, 2026September 10, 2026

If you know me, or have even briefly met me, you won’t be surprised by the fact that I know next to nothing about professional… Read More »Is Gel Nail Polish Bad for Your Health?

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