Health + Medicine – The Conversation

Tub of protein powder spilled over, the word 'PROTEIN' traced in the powder

Tub of protein powder spilled over, the word 'PROTEIN' traced in the powder

More protein in your breakfast or snacks won’t give you more muscle without more work – a biologist separates the science from the marketing

Linda M. Boland, University of Richmond

A group of teenagers sit around a table outside.

A group of teenagers sit around a table outside.

16% of Pennsylvania teens have considered suicide – but everyday connection may help

Xue Zhang, Penn State and Jonathan Wright, Penn State

New therapies help people with schizophrenia – but access is woefully inadequate

Matthew Kurtz, Wesleyan University

Senior Asian woman leaning forward on a couch during a therapy session, looking concerned.

Senior Asian woman leaning forward on a couch during a therapy session, looking concerned.

The CDC has a new director – now comes the hard part

Syra S. Madad, Harvard Kennedy School and Nahid Bhadelia, Boston University

Traumatic memories are often fragmented – a psychologist explains how and why that happens

Michele Patterson Ford, Dickinson College

Young Asian woman sits on a sofa looking sad and worried.

Young Asian woman sits on a sofa looking sad and worried.

What happens when your hospital is also your insurance company? We’re starting to see the effects

Geronimo Bejarano Cardenas, Brown University and Grace Mackleby, University of Southern California

Hospital building with red emergency sign

Hospital building with red emergency sign

Global health

Why millions of people around the world will contract measles in 2026

Kathryn H. Jacobsen, University of Richmond

A woman holds oxygen mask over her baby's face in a hospital

A woman holds oxygen mask over her baby's face in a hospital

Taxi drivers rarely die of Alzheimer’s – how complex mental maps and spatial reasoning protect your brain

Hatim Sharif, The University of Texas at San Antonio

Vector image of brain hovering above a city, lines connecting it to various points marked with red circles

Vector image of brain hovering above a city, lines connecting it to various points marked with red circles

For refugees to the US, discrimination can make healthcare harder to get

Hyojin Im, Virginia Commonwealth University

A woman wearing a headscarf looks nervous while sitting on an exam table in a medical setting.

A woman wearing a headscarf looks nervous while sitting on an exam table in a medical setting.

Can a vaccine built for one Ebola virus stop another? The World Health Organization is about to find out

Paul Hunter, University of East Anglia

An Ebola healthworker waits to be sprayed.

An Ebola healthworker waits to be sprayed.

Read more about global health

Health Policy

Two women looking at a chest x-ray one of them is a doctor wearing a white coat and stethoscope.

Two women looking at a chest x-ray one of them is a doctor wearing a white coat and stethoscope.

US government is pushing to gain unprecedented access to your medical records – as data protections are weakening

Jennifer D. Oliva, Indiana University

Executive order on vaccines bypasses an evidence-based process that has kept kids safe

Jake Scott, Stanford University

Donald Trump sitting at a desk with the American flag behind him, Robert F Kennedy Jr standing next to him, the two men rare clasping hands

Donald Trump sitting at a desk with the American flag behind him, Robert F Kennedy Jr standing next to him, the two men rare clasping hands

Why Americans seeking affordable doctor visits and medicines abroad may misjudge healthcare quality

Kelli Frias, American University and Deidre Popovich, Texas Tech University

The headless torso of a doctor, wearing a stethoscope around their neck and holding a calculator in one hand and a stack of $100 bills, with a tiny shopping cart full of pills sitting in front of them

The headless torso of a doctor, wearing a stethoscope around their neck and holding a calculator in one hand and a stack of $100 bills, with a tiny shopping cart full of pills sitting in front of them

Trump administration is withholding more than $1B in Medicaid funds from California and Minnesota, in latest example of weaponizing real and imagined fraud

Ben Zdencanovic, University of Cambridge

Agents, many wearing jackets or vests emblazoned with 'FBI,' exit a building with what appears to be a trove of documents.

Agents, many wearing jackets or vests emblazoned with 'FBI,' exit a building with what appears to be a trove of documents.

South Dakota’s abortion pill advertising ban runs into free speech roadblock

Lucinda M. Finley, University at Buffalo

Abortion on and off buttons are shown.

Abortion on and off buttons are shown.

Read more about health policy

Healthy lifestyles

Elite sports are laboratories of health and performance innovation, but not every experiment belongs in your routine

Adam Annaccone, University of Texas at Arlington

A middle-aged woman drinks a protein shake after her hard workout in the gym

A middle-aged woman drinks a protein shake after her hard workout in the gym

How to do your own online health research like a scientist – a biostatistician’s step-by-step guide

Lucy McGowan, Wake Forest University

Person wearing scrubs and a stethoscope using a laptop

Person wearing scrubs and a stethoscope using a laptop

Flawed studies linking hormone therapy to breast cancer made doctors reluctant to prescribe it for menopause relief – especially for breast cancer survivors

Versha Pleasant, University of Michigan

Person sitting up in bed facing a fan

Person sitting up in bed facing a fan

Time for a clock change? Congress considers daylight saving time … again

Beth Ann Malow, Vanderbilt University

Two wall clocks side by side - one saying 2 o'clock and the other saying 3'oclock - with the latter surrounded by tulips

Two wall clocks side by side - one saying 2 o'clock and the other saying 3'oclock - with the latter surrounded by tulips

Read more about healthy lifestyles

Reproductive health

A handmade sign saying ICE stop separating families held up in front of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement building

A handmade sign saying ICE stop separating families held up in front of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement building

US immigration policies interfere with prenatal care and parenting choices, hurting people and communities

Jallicia Jolly, Amherst College

I’m a doctor who helped rename PCOS to PMOS – a 10-year process of listening to 14,000 patients and health professionals speak on how to improve care

Melanie Cree, University of Colorado Anschutz

Hand holding magnifying glass over icon of uterus, icons of the heart, lungs, kidney, liver and intestines surrounding it

Hand holding magnifying glass over icon of uterus, icons of the heart, lungs, kidney, liver and intestines surrounding it

Nearly half of maternal deaths in Pennsylvania occur more than 6 weeks after giving birth

Yenupini Joyce Adams, University of Notre Dame

A Black mother kisses her newborn on its head.

A Black mother kisses her newborn on its head.

Reduced health insurance payments for hospital births had a bigger impact on sterilization rates than correcting an injustice

Liana Woskie, Tufts University and Kimberly Turner, University of Pittsburgh

Pregnant Black woman holding her belly

Pregnant Black woman holding her belly

People with premenstrual dysphoric disorder have higher rates of suicidal thinking, planning and attempts

Eliza Zhitnik, UMass Amherst and Jamie Hartmann-Boyce, UMass Amherst

A woman sits on the floor with her hands clasped around her abdomen as if uncomfortable, as she leans against a couch with her head back.

A woman sits on the floor with her hands clasped around her abdomen as if uncomfortable, as she leans against a couch with her head back.

Read more about reproductive health care

Infectious disease

Microscopy image of cylindrical blobs clumped together and filling a surface

Microscopy image of cylindrical blobs clumped together and filling a surface

Flesh-eating bacteria are devouring limbs in warming waters worldwide − here’s how to protect yourself

Bill Sullivan, Indiana University

First mRNA flu shot approved by FDA bodes well for improving drugs of the future – though a few hurdles remain before mRNA can move beyond vaccines

Li Li, UMass Chan Medical School

Illustration of single helix strand stretching across a diffuse background

Illustration of single helix strand stretching across a diffuse background

Cholera still kills thousands each year – in places without clean water, it’s far from history

Katrine L. Wallace, University of Illinois Chicago

Sudanese woman washing her hands with water from a cooler

Sudanese woman washing her hands with water from a cooler

Legionnaires’ disease outbreak in Philadelphia in 1976 was mysterious and deadly – 50 years later, scientists know the cause but outbreaks continue

Charles N. Haas, Drexel University and Robert Promisloff, Drexel University

Black-and-white photo of four men in cloth hats with regalia sit and talk

Black-and-white photo of four men in cloth hats with regalia sit and talk

World Cup creates perfect conditions for infectious diseases to spread – here are the biggest threats health experts are watching for

Andrés Henao, University of Colorado Anschutz

A soccer ball in the grass wearing a respiratory mask

A soccer ball in the grass wearing a respiratory mask

Read more about COVID-19

Caregiving

If you think someone has an eating disorder, should you say something? A dietitian explains how to express concern without body shaming

Miranda Roberts, University of Wisconsin-Stout Polytechnic

Close-up of a person's hand wrapped around another person's hand

Close-up of a person's hand wrapped around another person's hand

In memory care deserts, senior centers can help close the gap in brain-related healthcare

Rasheera Dopson, Northern Arizona University; Eric Cerino, Northern Arizona University; Megan McCoy, Northern Arizona University, and Paulina German, Northern Arizona University

Two smiling older people tend potted plants on a table, with others in the foreground helping out.

Two smiling older people tend potted plants on a table, with others in the foreground helping out.

Millions of family caregivers manage complex diets for older relatives – often with little nutritional guidance

Minakshi Raj, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

An older man and his daughter at a table, eating fruit from a bowl and laughing

An older man and his daughter at a table, eating fruit from a bowl and laughing

Screen time guidelines for kids and adolescents have shifted as research paints a more nuanced picture

Gabriel E. Hales, Michigan State University

two youg boys in a classroom look at a tablet screen

two youg boys in a classroom look at a tablet screen

Read more about caregiving

Mental health

A group of young football players with blue jerseys and their coach stand in a circle and place their hands on top of one another in the middle.

A group of young football players with blue jerseys and their coach stand in a circle and place their hands on top of one another in the middle.

Many youth athletes quietly struggle with eating disorders – Colorado mandates new training that could turn things around

Erin Harrop, University of Denver

Teens are turning to AI chatbots for emotional support – here’s how to keep kids safe

Phoebe S. Moore, UMass Chan Medical School; Megan Kelly, UMass Chan Medical School, and Yael Dvir, UMass Chan Medical School

Teen holding smartphone with chat conversation late at night at home.

Teen holding smartphone with chat conversation late at night at home.

What is emotional regulation? A child psychologist explains

Jessica Griffin, UMass Chan Medical School

Scattered yellow dice with painted emojis on each face

Scattered yellow dice with painted emojis on each face

Nearly 20% of new moms have anxiety or depression, but a promising psychedelic treatment is on the horizon

Camille Hoffman, University of Colorado Anschutz

A woman sits in a hallway while an infant plays in the room beyond her.

A woman sits in a hallway while an infant plays in the room beyond her.

Childhood experiences of LGBTQ+ stigma can harm romantic relationships decades later – psychologists explain how to reconnect with yourself and your partner

Melissa Gates, Binghamton University, State University of New York and Christina Balderrama-Durbin, Binghamton University, State University of New York

Person looking into the distance as their partner smiles at them

Person looking into the distance as their partner smiles at them

Read more about mental health

Mind and body

Illustration of white silhouettes of three overlapping side profiles, one missing a puzzle piece in its head and one split into four puzzle pieces

Illustration of white silhouettes of three overlapping side profiles, one missing a puzzle piece in its head and one split into four puzzle pieces

One of the most common brain disorders is one of the most misunderstood – how functional neurological disorder is both ‘all in your head’ and beyond it

Mackenzi Moore, University of Colorado Anschutz

Cyclospora spreads through human waste – so how did it get on food?

Joan Rose, Michigan State University

A sign reads 'reclaimed water being used for irrigation, do not drink or swim.'

A sign reads 'reclaimed water being used for irrigation, do not drink or swim.'

Should you wash your prewashed lettuce? An infectious disease expert explains how to eat your greens safely during the cyclospora outbreak

Lisa Cuchara, Quinnipiac University

Close-up of red and green lettuce heads

Close-up of red and green lettuce heads

Chronic pain is missing from America’s heat warnings

Feinuo Sun, University of Texas at Arlington

A woman reaches for tomatoes with a fan in the background.

A woman reaches for tomatoes with a fan in the background.

Lightning strikes kill thousands globally each year, but for those who survive, the storm is far from over

Daile Zhang, University of North Dakota

Person with an umbrella walking as lightning strikes in the background.

Person with an umbrella walking as lightning strikes in the background.

Read more about the mind and body connection

Technology in health care

Many cancer survivors have impairments that make using mobile devices and websites difficult

Rachel F. Adler, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Devorah Kletenik, Brooklyn College

A older woman with a scarf on her head sitting on a couch.

A older woman with a scarf on her head sitting on a couch.

What Pennsylvania’s AI chatbot lawsuit teaches us about the psychology behind medical trust

Gretchen Chapman, Carnegie Mellon University

A man in glasses and a navy blue suit stands behind a microphone.

A man in glasses and a navy blue suit stands behind a microphone.

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

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

Illustration of glowing circles entering a tunnel of concentric circles

Read more about technology in health care

Research insights

Florida lost 450,000 ACA enrollees in 2026 as premiums rose an average of 37% nationally, new data shows

Robert Applebaum, Miami University

woman standing at a microphone in front of a sign that reads, Affordable Care Act premiums will rise more than 75%

woman standing at a microphone in front of a sign that reads, Affordable Care Act premiums will rise more than 75%

US teens are smoking and vaping less than their peers abroad

Holly Jarman, University of Michigan; Claire L. Ma, University of Michigan, and Jamie Hartmann-Boyce, UMass Amherst

Smoke-free campus sign posted on a school fence

Smoke-free campus sign posted on a school fence

The typical gig worker is changing – and struggling more than ever to make ends meet

Jacob Lederman, University of Michigan Flint

A Doordash worker with a face mask rides his bicycle along a path on the West Side Highway in New York City during the COVID pandemic.

A Doordash worker with a face mask rides his bicycle along a path on the West Side Highway in New York City during the COVID pandemic.

What makes muscles contract? A physiologist explains how muscles move

Kiki Crawford, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

young girl flexing her right arm at the beach

young girl flexing her right arm at the beach

Read more health research