Health + Medicine – The Conversation

Patient sitting in chair while two people in white coats hunch over a table of medical and research supplies

Billions of dollars, decades of progress spent eliminating devastating diseases may be lost with undoing of USAID

Sarah Greene, Washington University in St. Louis and Philip Budge, Washington University in St. Louis

Older adults photographed from the back, holding up a phone with a doctor doing a video call

Telehealth is widely used by older adults insured by Medicare, new research shows

Terrence Liu, University of Utah

GLP-1 drugs may fight addiction across every major substance, according to a study of 600,000 people

Ziyad Al-Aly, Washington University in St. Louis

Pill bottle of Wegovy pills sitting atop a package of Wegovy and Ozempic injectables.

How Instagram addictiveness lawsuit could reshape social media – platform design meets product liability

Carolina Rossini, UMass Amherst

a teen girl weaing pajamas looks at a phone while sitting on a bed in a dark room

Nearly a third of Pennsylvania gamblers are at risk of problem gambling − but few seek treatment

Gillian Russell, Penn State and Glenn Sterner, University of Kentucky

Young adult male wearing sweatshirt and headphones sits in front of computer screen with playing cards on display

Public health needs steady budgets – and federal funding uncertainty causes real harms, even if the money is later restored

Max Crowley, Penn State

A health care worker with the South Carolina Department of Public Health talks to a patient outside a mobile clinic offering free measles vaccinations in February 2026.

News in context

Stressed out by politics? You’re not imagining it, and research shows that social media is largely to blame

Stephen Neely, University of South Florida

Angry person sitting on a couch pointing at phone

Kansas revoked transgender people’s IDs overnight – researchers anticipate cascading health and social consequences

Jae A. Puckett, Michigan State University; L. Zachary DuBois, University of Oregon, and Noelle Martin, Michigan State University

Silhouette of person dressed as Statue of Liberty holding a transgender flag up against a blue sky, the Supreme Court looming in distance

Taboo tics like shouting curses and slurs are uncommon in Tourette syndrome − but people who have them suffer harsh social stigma

Rena Zito, Elon University

John Davidson at the BAFTA Awards on Feb. 22, 2026.

When ICE sweeps a community, public health pays a price – and recovery will likely take years

Nicole L. Novak, University of Iowa and William D. Lopez, University of Michigan

People in winter hats hold signs protesting against ICE in Minneapolis.

Health Policy

A group of tents on the sidewalk house homeless folks in downtown Los Angeles

What decades of research reveal about involuntary substance use treatment – and why evidence points elsewhere

Susan E. Collins, University of Washington

Florida’s proposed cuts to AIDS drug program threaten patient care and public health

Jonathan Appelbaum, Florida State University

free HIV testing booth at Pride Festival in Miami

FDA’s abrupt flip-flop on Moderna’s mRNA flu shot highlights growing risks to drug-makers of investing in vaccines

Ana Santos Rutschman, Villanova University

Trump’s EPA decides climate change doesn’t endanger public health – the evidence says otherwise

Jonathan Levy, Boston University; Howard Frumkin, University of Washington; Jonathan Patz, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Vijay Limaye, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Cars drive past a sign reading 'Caution: Extreme Heat Danger'

New dietary guidelines prioritize ‘real food’ – but low-income pregnant women can’t easily obtain it

Bethany Barone Gibbs, West Virginia University and Alex Crisp, University of Iowa

A pregnant woman in overalls carries a red shopping basket in a grocery store.

Healthy lifestyles

There aren’t enough geriatricians – here’s how older adults can still get the right care

Jerry Gurwitz, UMass Chan Medical School

Colorado has high levels of radon, which can cause lung cancer – here’s how to lower your risk

Jan Lowery, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

An illustrated house sits next to an illustrated magnifying glass with the words "Radon gas."

Addiction affects your brain as well as your body – that’s why detoxing is just the first stage of recovery

Emma Fenske, DO, Oregon Health & Science University

A counselor holding a tablet reaches out supportively to a downcast woman sitting on a couch.

Colorectal cancer is increasing among young people, as James Van Der Beek’s death reminds us – cancer experts explain ways to decrease your risk

Christopher Lieu, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and Andrea Dwyer, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

James Van Der Beek smiling into camera, in front of blue press backdrop

Reproductive health

A woman stands in a drugstore aisle, choosing between two brands of tampons.

Menstrual pads and tampons can contain toxic substances – here’s what to know about this emerging health issue

Jenni Shearston, University of Colorado Boulder

Texas cities have some of the highest preterm birth rates in the US, highlighting maternal health crisis nationwide

Kobi V. Ajayi, Texas A&M University

Preterm baby lying on an infant hospital bed.

I treat menopause and its symptoms, and hormone replacement therapy can help – here’s the science behind the FDA’s decision to remove warnings

Genevieve Hofmann, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

Back pain during pregnancy is often dismissed as a passing discomfort − a nurse explains why it should be taken seriously and treated

Julie Vignato, University of Iowa

Pregnant African American woman sitting on the end of a bed, holding her back as if in pain.

Fetal autopsies could help prevent stillbirths, but too often they are used to blame mothers for pregnancy loss

Jill Lens, University of Iowa

A naked newborn baby sleeping on its side on a soft off-white blanket

Infectious disease

Wooden blocks spelling out measles, and a stethoscope

US experiencing largest measles outbreak since 2000 – 5 essential reads on the risks, what to do and what’s coming next

Alla Katsnelson, The Conversation

Viral outbreaks are always on the horizon – here are the viruses an infectious disease expert is watching in 2026

Patrick Jackson, University of Virginia

Illustration of COVID-19 viruses covering a world map

COVID-19 mRNA vaccines could unlock the next revolution in cancer treatment – new research

Adam Grippin, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and Christiano Marconi, University of Florida

Scanning electron micrograph image of immune cells attached to cancer cells, against a purple background.

COVID-19 vaccines for kids are mired in uncertainty amid conflicting federal guidance

David Higgins, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

Children stick their heads out of a stopped yellow school bus and waving.

5 years on, true counts of COVID-19 deaths remain elusive − and research is hobbled by lack of data

Dylan Thomas Doyle, University of Colorado Boulder

A wall painted with hearts of varying sizes, with a person leaning against it, looking forlorn.

Caregiving

A growing nursing shortage is made worse by nurses’ daily challenges of patients and their families rolling their eyes, yelling and striking

Carolyn Dickens, University of Illinois Chicago

Two middle-aged health professionals kneeling in a hallway, with one comforting the other.

Rheumatoid arthritis has no cure – but researchers are homing in on preventing it

Kevin Deane, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

Caregiver in scrubs massages an elderly woman's fingers

‘Are you married?’ Why doctors ask invasive questions during treatment

Jill Inderstrodt, Indiana University

Female patient filling out form at doctor's office front desk

Doulas play essential roles in reproductive health care – and more states are beginning to recognize it

Adetola F. Louis-Jacques, University of Florida and Seun Mauton Ajoseh, University of Florida

woman massages pregnant woman's back as she leans on yoga ball

Mental health

Black man in turtleneck sits with hands folded talking to Black woman who holds clipboard and pen

Formerly incarcerated Black men say they’re ‘doing OK’ while trying to cope with depression and PTSD

Helena Addison, Yale University

Free 10-minute online programs aimed at overcoming depression led to real improvements – new research

Benjamin Kaveladze, Dartmouth College

Cartoon of a middle-aged woman walking out of a cage that has rain clouds and lightning balloons into a blue, cloudy sky.

The intensity and perfectionism that drive Olympic athletes also put them at high risk for eating disorders

Emily Hemendinger, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

Side view of the legs of a young woman in a dress and skirt practicing ice figure skating.

Best way for employers to support employees with chronic mental illness is by offering flexibility

Sherry Thatcher, University of Tennessee and Emily Rosado-Solomon, Babson College

A woman who appears to be tired and possibly sad while doing her job leans against a wall.

How to keep dementia from robbing your loved ones of their sense of personhood – tips for caregivers

R. Amanda Cooper, University of Connecticut

A senior woman patient smiles and holds her hand across her chest as a nurse places her hand on the woman's shoulder.

Mind and body

Graphic of a fish confronting a fish-shaped school of much smaller fishes

‘Learning to be humble meant taming my need to stand out from the group’ – a humility scholar explains how he became more grounded

Barret Michalec, Arizona State University

What air pollution does to the human body

Jenni Shearston, University of Colorado Boulder

Only the tops of the buildings are visible through the layer of smog in this view of the skyline from a distance.

PFAS in pregnant women’s drinking water puts their babies at higher risk, study finds

Derek Lemoine, University of Arizona; Ashley Langer, University of Arizona, and Bo Guo, University of Arizona

A woman's hands fill a glass with water. She has a tattoo on her wrist and rolled up sleeves.

Zombies, jiangshi, draugrs, revenants − monster lore is filled with metaphors for public health

Tom Duszynski, Indiana University

Recent studies prove the ancient practice of nasal irrigation is effective at fighting the common cold

Mary J. Scourboutakos, Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at Old Dominion University

woman resting under a blanket surrounded by tissues, medication and a hot drink

Technology in health care

Reddit and TikTok - with the help of AI - are reshaping how researchers understand substance use

Layla Bouzoubaa, Drexel University

Detail of male drug user''s hands using a smart phone

Focused sound energy holds promise for treating cancer, Alzheimer’s and other diseases

Richard J. Price, University of Virginia

Illustration of glowing circles entering a tunnel of concentric circles

How 3D printing is personalizing health care

Anne Schmitz, University of Wisconsin-Stout and Daniel Freedman, University of Wisconsin-Stout

a girl with brightly colored prosthetic hands walks beside a woman pushing a baby in a stroller

Are you one of the millions about to have cataract surgery? Here’s what ophthalmologists say you need to know

Allan Steigleman, University of Florida and Elizabeth M. Hofmeister, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences

Research insights

Stroke survivors can counterintuitively improve recovery by strengthening their stronger arm – new research

Candice Maenza, Penn State and Robert Sainburg, Penn State

Person in scrubs encouraging a person lifting one dumbell

Antibiotic resistance could undo a century of medical progress – but four advances are changing the story

André O. Hudson, Rochester Institute of Technology

Illustration of blue boxing glove extending from arm of a white coat covered with medical symbols (pills, stethoscope, syringe) punching a funnel of microbes

Eating less ultraprocessed food supports healthier aging, new research shows

Moul Dey, South Dakota State University

Top view of a table laden with foods including burgers, fries, wings and milkshakes

Exposure to neighborhood violence leads some Denver teens to use tobacco and alcohol earlier, new study shows

Anna Maria Santiago, Michigan State University and Iris Margetis, Michigan State University

Several people hold glass bottles up for a cheers.