Eilís O'Neill
Reporter
About
Eilís is a reporter covering health. She focuses on health inequities, substance use and addiction, infectious diseases, mental health, and reproductive and maternal health.
Eilís came to KUOW in 2016. Before that, she worked as a freelance reporter, first in South America, and then in New York City. Her work has aired on NPR’s Morning Edition and All Things Considered, APM’s Marketplace, Reveal from the Center for Investigative Reporting, and other programs.
Eilís' work as part of a team covering Covid-19 outbreaks and vaccine hesitation in Washington won a regional Murrow award, as did a series about children who lost parents to Covid-19. Her series about the opioid crisis on the Olympic Peninsula won several regional Society for Professional Journalists awards as well as a national Public Media Journalists Association award.
Eilís grew up in Seattle and was a high school intern at KUOW, in the program that later became RadioActive. She has a Master's in Science, Health, and Environment Reporting from Columbia University. She lives in Seattle with her husband and two children.
Location: Seattle
Languages: English, Spanish
Pronouns: she/her
Stories
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Seals love devouring salmon at Ballard Locks. One way to stop them: Tail-slapping noises
Seals eat a lot of salmon as the fish migrate through the Ballard Locks’ fish ladder to try to reach spawning grounds on the other side. For decades, humans have been trying different ways to keep seals and sea lions away from the fish ladder. Now, scientists are trying a new method to outsmart the seals.
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Why western Washington air doesn't smell so smoky anymore (but is still harmful)
The air in the Puget Sound region is still really unhealthy because of wildfires, but it doesn't smell as smoky as it did last week. That's because something has changed.
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Keeping your student athlete strong and engaged amid pandemic can be a workout
Most fall sports for students in elementary through high school in the Seattle area are canceled this year. But experts say kids can still stay active and learn new skills.
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'A really rough night.' Protesters say police used excessive force on Labor Day
People protesting for civil rights in Seattle’s International District on Monday night say police officers used excessive force in at least two instances, resulting in a head fracture, according to a witness.
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The plan if wildfire smoke descends on Seattle during a pandemic? There is none
The plume of smoke we’ve seen in past years hasn’t descended on Seattle, but if it does, researchers fear worse health effects than in normal years, because of the pandemic. Officials in the Puget Sound area don't have a plan for protecting residents if the air gets smoky — beyond telling people to just stay home.
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Go outside, and other tips for preserving sanity through the dark pandemic winter ahead
Staying home and physically distanced from loved ones has taken a toll on many people’s mental health. Experts are worried the situation will be even worse in the fall and winter, when colder, wetter, shorter days could force people to spend even more time in their homes.
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The surprising ways people with OCD responded to coronavirus: 'I've been training for this my whole life'
As the pandemic stretches on, everyone is tired of staying at home and anxious about catching the virus. But for those with obsessive-compulsive disorder, the novel coronavirus brings extra challenges.
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Coalition of Black activists reviews the state of Seattle's defund movement
‘We are the experts in what will keep us safe, and what will make us whole.’
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60-year-old Washington state dam is being blasted to pieces to let fish swim free
Once the crews have finished their work, the Nooksack Dam will be gone, and Chinook salmon and other fish will be able to travel to the river’s upper reaches.
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The key to racial diversity in the outdoors: 'Making sure that people feel safe'
Bird-watcher Joey Manson has made it his mission to make sure everyone — especially people of color — feels safe outdoors in Seattle.