Scott LaFee is vice president of communications, overseeing a talented team responsible for disseminating and promoting the work and achievements of the Institute and its faculty to diverse audiences employing multiple media platforms.
Prior to joining Sanford Burnham Prebys in 2023, Scott was director of media relations and communications for health sciences research at UC San Diego for 13 years. Before that, he was science writer/editor at the San Diego Union-Tribune for 18 years, covering all scientific disciplines, and a contributor to multiple magazines, including New Scientist, Businessweek and People.
With Dilip Jeste, MD, he is co-author of “Wiser: The Scientific Roots of Wisdom, Compassion and What Makes Us Good” (2020); an Emmy Award winner in documentaries; and writes a syndicated health column called Wellnews, which appears in the Union-Tribune and other newspapers.
Scott holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism from California State University, Fresno; did post-graduate studies in Florence, Italy and has been a journalism fellow at Woods Hole Marine Biological Laboratory, Cornell University, UCLA and the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta.