Pakinam Amer is a Knight Science Journalism fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), an investigative journalist, a virtual reality and emerging technology enthusiast, and previously the chief editor of Nature Middle East, the regional edition of Nature magazine. During her career as a journalist, she worked for print, wire and online media including the Associated Press, the German Press Agency, and Egypt Today. Before becoming a science journalist, Pakinam reported on current affairs, politics and conflict in Egypt and the Arab world. Pakinam also produced and hosted the Middle East’s first science podcast in English for Nature Research. She's a self-professed 'nerd' with a passion for game design, comics, science fiction and long-form narratives.