Michal Ruprecht
WHEN

my editor assigned me a story about a local barbershop, I felt confident. Even though I had never gotten a haircut at a barbershop, I knew that my lifetime of building trust with people in different contexts would prepare me for this moment.

Since this experience, mistrust in the medical community continues to grow.

My name is  Michal Ruprecht . I am the son of two immigrants and I am a health journalist building trust among physicians, scientists and the public. I write disruptive stories that contribute to improved scientific and medical understanding among underserved communities.

I'm currently based in metro-Detroit, where I edit and fact-check content for  ABC News  as a member of the company's Medical Unit. I also contribute to  MedPage Today  and serve on their Editorial Advisory Board. Beyond reporting, I am an  Association of Health Care Journalists  American Cities Health Journalism Fellow and I serve on the  Society of Professional Journalists'  Student Advisory Board, advocating for press freedom and industry ethics.

I previously interned at  ABC News ,  MedPage Today  and The Nation’s Health, a publication of the  American Public Health Association . Prior to that, I was a beat reporter, assistant editor and investigative reporter for  The Michigan Daily , the University of Michigan's independent daily student newspaper.

At The Daily, I spearheaded a seven-month investigation into the culture of silence among student researchers. I also led the paper’s research beat and worked on two additional investigations. Beyond The Daily, I was the first reporter to cover Stanford’s incoming class of surgery residents and the attention they received for being nearly all women. I also published an investigation into the pervasive culture of piracy among medical students. In addition to medical education reporting, I led coverage of maternal mortality among Black women, childhood bereavement and gun violence.

I am a third-year M.D. student at  Wayne State University School of Medicine  and I am a board member at the  Michigan Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics  and  Riley’s Way Foundation . I graduated with honors and a B.S. in neuroscience from the  University of Michigan  in 2022, where I leveraged community action and social change to partner with individuals affected by the Flint water crisis. I wrote my senior thesis on a membrane protein and created three ceramic sculptures of the channel.

Outside of work, I am passionate about brewing jun kombucha, sculptural ceramics in the realm of BioArt, contemporary literary fiction, vinyasa yoga, international half marathons, taro bubble tea, open water swimming and caring for my Anthurium house plant. I've been an avid listener of the "How I Built This" podcast since 2017 and stay updated with STAT's Morning Rounds Newsletter.

I am available for freelance assignments and I can be reached at mruprecht@umich.edu, on Twitter @michalruprecht or on Signal at (707) 412-8684. Find some of my favorite clips on this page.

REPORTING

Medical education: Harassment in science: Health and public health: Healthcare delivery and policy: Sex and gender: Profiles and human-interest features: Audio and video: