Check in for press covering J.J. Brown books in the news.
The Genes of Wrath: Jennifer J. Brown, Oct 2025
Host Matthew Zachary interviews Jennifer J. Brown on her 2025 memoir book publication, “When the Baby Is Not OK: Hopes & Genes.” From the Out of Patients with Matthew Zachary episode about this podcast interview:
“Jennifer J. Brown is a scientist, a writer, and a mother who never got the luxury of separating those roles. Her memoir When the Baby Is Not OK: Hopes & Genes is a punch to the gut of polite society and a medical system that expects parents to smile through trauma. She wrote it because she had to. Because the people who gave her the diagnosis didn’t give her the truth. Because a geneticist with two daughters born with PKU still couldn’t get a straight answer from the very system she trained in.
“We sat down in the studio to talk about the unbearable loneliness of rare disease parenting, the disconnect between medical knowledge and human connection, and what it means to weaponize science against silence. She talks about bias in the NICU, the failure of healthcare communication, and why “resilience” is a lazy word. Her daughters are grown now. One’s a playwright. One’s an artist. And Jennifer is still raising hell.
“This is a conversation about control, trauma, survival, and rewriting the script when the world hands you someone else’s lines.
“Bring tissues. Then bring receipts.”
Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, YouTube and more, beginning October 7, 2025.
J.J. Brown at the Brooklyn Book Festival, Sept 2025
When the Baby Is Not OK: Dr. Jennifer Brown Interview On Parenting Through the Unexpected, May 2025
Host Dr. Kee Chan interviews Jennifer J. Brown on her new book, the mom memoir When the Baby Is Not OK: Hopes & Genes. From the What is Public Health With Dr. Kee Chan episode about this podcast interview:
“What happens when a routine newborn screening turns into life-changing news?
“In this episode of ‘What is Public Health’ podcast, I talk with Dr. Jennifer Brown — scientist, mom, and author of When the Baby is Not Okay: Hopes & Genes. We dive into her personal story of navigating the emotional roller coaster that followed her daughter’s unexpected screening results, and how it led her to write a book that’s part memoir, part call to action.
“Jennifer shares what it was like to go from researcher to parent facing uncertainty, what she wishes more people knew about newborn screening, and how families can find strength, support, and hope during overwhelming times. We also talk about how newborn screening has changed over the years, what still needs improvement, and why protecting these public health programs really matters.
“This episode is for anyone who’s ever faced an unexpected diagnosis, supported a loved one through a health journey, or wants to better understand how newborn screening can be a powerful tool for early care.
“It’s a reminder that even in moments of uncertainty, there is strength, connection, and hope — and that through stories like Dr. Brown’s journey, we can all learn how to better support families and protect the programs that help them thrive.”
Available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, beginning May 6, 2025.
From Diagnosis to Advocacy: What Rare Disease Teaches Us About CME (Continuing Medical Education), May 2025
Host Dr. Alexandra Howson interviews Jennifer J. Brown on her new book, When the Baby Is Not OK: Hopes & Genes at Write Medicine. From the Write Medicine site about this podcast interview:
“How do we create continuing education that prepares clinicians to deliver life-changing diagnoses with both precision and compassion?
“In this episode, we explore what happens when the scientist’s role as a communicator intersects with the lived experience of parenting a child with a rare disease. I’m talking with Dr. Jennifer Brown, a geneticist who recently published a memoir, When the Baby is not OK: Hopes and Genes, based on her experience of parenting children diagnosed with PKU through newborn screening.
For CME professionals, this episode is a call to rethink how we center narrative, ethics, and emotional intelligence in our content, especially when evidence alone isn’t enough to support meaningful patient care.
- Learn how outdated narratives and clinical language can alienate patients—and how reframing them can build trust and support retention in care.
- Hear why integrating lived experience into CME is essential for designing education that resonates beyond the exam room.
- Discover how personal storytelling, ethical reflection, and patient advocacy can enrich data-driven CME writing.
- Listen to discover how Dr. Jennifer Brown’s dual lens—as a geneticist and parent—can sharpen your skills as a more empathetic, informed CME professional.”
Available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, beginning May 25, 2025.
Author Jennifer J. Brown Talks About Her New Memoir with Daughter, Lillian Isabella, Feb 2025
What was the inspiration behind writing the book? How did it feel to find out the baby had a rare health condition? What can families do to celebrate our lives?
Thoughtful questions from Lillian Isabella, who is actually the baby on the book’s cover photo. And she’s quite OK now.
A daughter – mother interview about writing and publishing When the Baby Is Not OK: Hopes & Genes. Available on YouTube beginning February 5, 2025.
To read the book, purchase at your local independent bookstore or the links below.
US Hardcover US / Bookshop.org / Paperback US / Apple Books / Barnes & Noble / Kindle US / Kobo US / Fable
UK Hardcover UK / Paperback UK / Kindle UK / Kobo UK
Canada Hardcover CA / Paperback CA / Kindle CA / Kobo CA / Indigo CA