Kristel Tjandra Watanabe is a freelance science writer based in Oahu and a David Nason Journalism Scholar in the science communication M.S. program at the University of California, Santa Cruz. She holds a doctorate in chemistry and a Bachelor's in medicinal chemistry from the University of New South Wales, Australia. Before transitioning to science journalism, she worked as a postdoctoral scholar in Stanford's emergency medicine department.

Her writing spans diverse scientific topics, exploring the intersection of science and the humanities, with pieces featured in Science, Mongabay, MIT Technology Review, Drug Discovery News, and more. Kristel has also worked as an intern health reporter at KQED Radio and is currently a science writing intern at Live Science magazine. In 2022, she was awarded the Eric and Wendy Schmidt Award for Excellence in Science Communications.

Beyond journalism, Kristel is a resident scholar at the STEM Advocacy Institute and actively volunteers with InterVarsity and the National Association of Science Writers.