Newsletters

Computer illustration of blood vessels branching out in different directions

Muscle weakness in cancer survivors may be caused by treatable weakness in blood vessels – new research

Jalees Rehman, University of Illinois Chicago

A lifelike AI instructor studies an illustration of the human brain.

AI in health care could save lives and money − but change won’t happen overnight

Turgay Ayer, Georgia Institute of Technology

The AI therapist will see you now: Can chatbots really improve mental health?

Pooja Shree Chettiar, Texas A&M University

AI-produced image of a robot therapist sitting in a chair holding a clipboard while a robot patient cries in its hands
How weather changes cause migraines – a neurologist explains the triggers and what you can do to ease the pain

Danielle Wilhour, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

A women with freckles holds her fingers against her temple and closes her eyes. She has the look of someone with a severe headache.
Wildfire smoke can make your outdoor workout hazardous to your health – an exercise scientist explains how to gauge the risk

John C. Quindry, University of Montana

Silhouette of a woman running outdoors in hazy air
Misinformation lends itself to social contagion – here’s how to recognize and combat it

Shaon Lahiri, College of Charleston

A silhouette of a gigantic hand manipulating a man connected to marionette strings.

News in context

Read the latest Health + Medicine articles

Conservatives notch 2 victories in their fight to deny Planned Parenthood federal funding through Medicaid

Rachel Rebouché, Temple University

People hold a gigantic pink banner that says 'defund Planned Parenthood' in white letters, with the Supreme Court in the background.
Employers are failing to insure the working class – Medicaid cuts will leave them even more vulnerable

Sumit Agarwal, University of Michigan

An elderly doctor with glasses places a stethoscope to a baby in a doctor's office.
The aftermath of floods, hurricanes and other disasters can be hardest on older rural Americans – here’s how families and neighbors can help

Lori Hunter, University of Colorado Boulder

Three generations of a family stand in front of the remains of home hit by a tornado. They're looking at a photo album they found.
Rural hospitals will be hit hard by Trump’s signature spending package

Lauren S. Hughes, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and Kevin J. Bennett, University of South Carolina

Entrance to small hospital emergency room - a one story brick building with an awning that says EMERGENCY

Health Policy

A protester holds a sign aloft that says 'Women on Medicaid deserve choices too,' with another sign in the background that says 'Keep Abortion Legal,'

Supreme Court rules that states may deny people covered by Medicaid the freedom to choose Planned Parenthood as their health care provider

Naomi Cahn, University of Virginia and Sonia Suter, George Washington University

The Supreme Court upholds free preventive care, but its future now rests in RFK Jr.’s hands

Paul Shafer, Boston University and Kristefer Stojanovski, Tulane University

A woman in a light blue raincoat holds a sign covering her face that says SAVE THE ACA.
Data on sexual orientation and gender is critical to public health – without it, health crises continue unnoticed

John R. Blosnich, University of Southern California

Close-up of manila folders with color-coded numbered stickers on their sides
When you lose your health insurance, you may also lose your primary doctor – and that hurts your health

Jane Tavares, UMass Boston and Marc Cohen, UMass Boston

Female doctor reviews test results with a male patient at health clinic examination room.
RFK Jr’s shakeup of vaccine advisory committee raises worries about scientific integrity of health recommendations

Santosh Kumar Gautam, University of Notre Dame

A nurse in a face mask administers a COVID-19 vaccine to a woman.

Read more about health policy

Healthy lifestyles

Nostalgic foods and scents like fresh-cut grass and hamburgers grilling bring comfort, connection and well-being

Chelsea Reid, College of Charleston

Two children in swimsuits shoot water at one another in the foreground as a grandfather-aged man grills in the background.
Sleep loss rewires the brain for cravings and weight gain – a neurologist explains the science behind the cycle

Joanna Fong-Isariyawongse, University of Pittsburgh

Freshly awakened young woman stretches her arms upward, facing a sunny window.
Your brain learns from rejection − here’s how it becomes your compass for connection

Begüm Babür, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

Child sitting on bench watching other children play with a ball
MAHA report on children’s health highlights harms of ultraprocessed foods – a food scientist explains the research

Paul Dawson, Clemson University

An assortment of unhealthy foods
Read more about healthy lifestyles

Reproductive health

Rear view of a woman taking a pregnancy test at home

3 years after abortion rights were overturned, contraception access is at risk

Cynthia H. Chuang, Penn State and Carol S. Weisman, Penn State

How abortion laws focusing on fetal viability miss the mark on women’s experiences

Katrina Kimport, University of California, San Francisco and Tracy A. Weitz, American University

A couple looks anxiously at an ultrasound screen.
Hormone therapy may cut cardiovascular risk in younger menopausal women

Matthew Nudy, Penn State

Older women in an exercise class
Colorado and other states have expanded access to abortion, but not for adolescents

Kate Coleman-Minahan, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

An abortion clinic with an ultrasound machine and an empty clinic bed.
Prenatal supplements largely lack the recommended amount of omega-3 fatty acids to help prevent preterm birth − new research

Mary J. Scourboutakos, Eastern Virginia Medical School

Pregnant woman sitting on couch with a plate of healthy food on her pregnant belly.
Read more about reproductive health care

COVID-19

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

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

5 years of COVID-19 underscore value of coordinated efforts to manage disease – while CDC, NIH and WHO face threats to their ability to respond to a crisis

Katherine A. Foss, Middle Tennessee State University

Inside a white tent, doctors wearing masks test a patient for COVID-19.
5 ways schools have shifted in 5 years since COVID-19

Rachel Besharat Mann, Wesleyan University and Gravity Goldberg, Wesleyan University

Four green pop up tents are arranged in a classroom with students seated inside them.
COVID-19 is the latest epidemic to show biomedical breakthroughs aren’t enough to eliminate a disease

Powel H. Kazanjian, University of Michigan

person enters city pharmacy advertising COVID-19 vaccinations
Is it COVID-19? Flu? At-home rapid tests could help you and your doctor decide on a treatment plan

Julie Sullivan, Emory University and Wilbur Lam, Georgia Institute of Technology

Plastic rapid test with COVID-19 and Flu A+B testing strips
Read more about COVID-19

Caregiving

When doctors don’t believe their patients’ pain – experts explain the all-too-common experience of medical gaslighting

Elizabeth Hintz, University of Connecticut and Marlene D. Berke, Yale University

View of a person clutching their groin area as if in pain.
Shaken baby syndrome can cause permanent brain damage, long-term disabilities or death – a pediatrician examines the preventable tragedy

Lori Frasier, Penn State

A brown-eyed infant with a downturned mouth and a sad look.
How the hidden epidemic of violence against nurses affects health care

Jason Blomquist, Boise State University

Health care worker in blue scrubs standing by the window, arms crossed, rubbing their eyes
Stroke survivors may be saddled with an invisible disability known as spatial neglect – but a simple treatment offers significant improvement

A.M. Barrett, UMass Chan Medical School and Kevin Houston, UMass Chan Medical School

An elderly woman holding on to a cane looks out a window.

Read more about caregiving

Mental health

Two small sacks of cocaine, a syringe, cocaine on a spoon and opioids spilling out of a pill bottle sit on a table.

Speedballing – the deadly mix of stimulants and opioids – requires a new approach to prevention and treatment

Andrew Yockey, University of Mississippi

Philadelphians with mental illness want to work, pray, date and socialize just like everyone else – here’s how creating more inclusive communities is good for public health

Mark Salzer, Temple University

View from behind of man sitting on edge of bed looking out of window lined with houseplants.
Philly psychology students map out local landmarks and hidden destinations where they feel happiest

Eric Zillmer, Drexel University

A view of people sitting in grass in leafy, grassy park
Chronic stress contributes to cognitive decline and dementia risk – 2 healthy-aging experts explain what you can do about it

Jennifer E. Graham-Engeland, Penn State and Martin J. Sliwinski, Penn State

An elderly woman, looking sad and lonely, sits on a park bench.
Gratitude comes with benefits − a social psychologist explains how to practice it when times are stressful

Monica Y. Bartlett, Gonzaga University

Close-up view of a person's hand holding a blue-colored pencil, beginning to write in a journal.
Read more about mental health

Mind and body

A page of a comic book that shows two Black women having a conversation about sex

I’m an expert in crafting public health messages: Here are 3 marketing strategies I use to make Philadelphia healthier

Sarah Bauerle Bass, Temple University

Ticks carry decades of history in each troublesome bite

Sean Lawrence, West Virginia University

A closeup of a tick crawling on wood.
Is methylene blue really a brain booster? A pharmacologist explains the science

Lorne J. Hofseth, University of South Carolina

Methylene blue in a glass bottle in front of other chemical containers in a laboratory
Adolescents who smoke or vape may believe tobacco’s perceived coping benefits outweigh accepted health risks

Adriana Espinosa, City College of New York and Lesia M. Ruglass, City College of New York

Young person facing backward in red hoodie exhaling a thick cloud of vaping smoke.
LGBTQ+ patients stay up-to-date on preventive care when their doctors are supportive, saving money and lives throughout society

Nathaniel M. Tran, University of Illinois Chicago

Close-up of rainbow flag sticker on the pocket of a doctor's white coat, also adorned with a stethoscope, glasses, pen and surgical mask
Read more about the mind and body connection

Technology in health care

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

A close-up photograph of a green eye.
Several companies are testing brain implants – why is there so much attention swirling around Neuralink? Two professors unpack the ethical issues

Nancy S. Jecker, University of Washington and Andrew Ko, University of Washington

Brightly colored threads in the outline of a brain shape float against a dark background with constellation-like patterns.
A blood test that screens for multiple cancers at once promises to boost early detection

Colin Pritchard, University of Washington

Gloved hand holding a tube of blood
Read more about technology in health care

Research insights

1 in 3 Florida third graders have untreated cavities – how parents can protect their children’s teeth

Olga Ensz, University of Florida

Little girl holds her hand on her face in a dentist chair.
More than half of US teens have had at least one cavity, but fluoride programs in schools help prevent them – new research

Christina Scherrer, Kennesaw State University and Shillpa Naavaal, Virginia Commonwealth University

A group of elementary school children crowding before the camera and smiling.
Older adults with dementia misjudge their financial skills – which may make them more vulnerable to fraud, new research finds

Ian McDonough, Binghamton University, State University of New York

Cropped shot of a senior couple doing their household finances while sitting at home
Teens say they can access firearms at home, even when parents lock them up, new research shows

Katherine G. Hastings, University of British Columbia and Rebeccah Sokol, University of Michigan

Happy teenagers laughing while sitting with their friends on a bench on an autumn day.
Read more health research