Health + Medicine – The Conversation

More than a dozen white smokeless tobacco pouches scattered on a reflective black surface next to an open round container in indoor lighting.

More than a dozen white smokeless tobacco pouches scattered on a reflective black surface next to an open round container in indoor lighting.

How the pro-nicotine ‘wellness’ movement rebranded an addictive drug

Hasmeena Kathuria, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Parent holding child's head against chest with hand threaded through hair.

Parent holding child's head against chest with hand threaded through hair.

When your child asks if they’ll be harmed like the people on the news, what do you say? Psychologists provide tips on how to talk about identity

Anahi Collado, University of Colorado Boulder and Colleen Cummings, Georgetown University

Noise pollution is a serious but often forgotten public health problem

Laura Coco, San Diego State University

woman wearing ear protection works with drill press

woman wearing ear protection works with drill press

The higher your body fat percentage, the less accurate your smartwatch is at measuring calories you burn when exercising – new study

Jason Kostrna, Florida International University

two men putting smartwatches on a man wearing mask sitting on a bike

two men putting smartwatches on a man wearing mask sitting on a bike

Does my kid have COVID-19 or just a cold? A pediatric nurse explains how to tell – and why it matters

Ann Sheehan, Michigan State University

Three elementary-aged children working at a table in school, the one in the middle is blowing her nose

Three elementary-aged children working at a table in school, the one in the middle is blowing her nose

Black moms and pregnant women forced out of their homes in metro Detroit face health and safety threats

Shawnita Sealy-Jefferson, The Ohio State University

A mother stands behind son.

A mother stands behind son.

Global health

Nepal could show the world how to recover sustainably from a major disaster

Sara Shneiderman, University of British Columbia and Amy Leigh Johnson, Berry College

Buddhist monks sit on red tarps in a muddy expanse conducting death rituals

Buddhist monks sit on red tarps in a muddy expanse conducting death rituals

Teenage girls may know how to prevent pregnancy – that doesn’t mean they have the power to do it

Deevia Bhana, University of KwaZulu-Natal

Couple embracing pregnant belly

Couple embracing pregnant belly

Dengue-carrying mosquitoes expand their reach into new territories – including Florida

Andrés Henao, University of Colorado Anschutz

Aedis aegypti mosquito biting a person

Aedis aegypti mosquito biting a person

How South Korea is tackling its super-aging problem – and what other aging nations can learn from its experience

Jeongmin Park, Penn State and Alexis R. Santos, Penn State

a young South Korean woman helps an elderly South Korean woman into a car

a young South Korean woman helps an elderly South Korean woman into a car

Read more about global health

Health Policy

A mother and daughter hike through a desert landscape.

A mother and daughter hike through a desert landscape.

Separating the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine could decrease access for Colorado parents

Jennifer Reich, University of Colorado Denver

CDC vs. Pennsylvania: Why conflicting public health messages jeopardize public safety

Katrine L. Wallace, University of Illinois Chicago

A gloved hand holding a vial of red that says Measles Test, a rack of beakers is in the background.

A gloved hand holding a vial of red that says Measles Test, a rack of beakers is in the background.

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

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

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

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

Jennifer D. Oliva, Indiana University

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.

Read more about health policy

Healthy lifestyles

Stop trying to maintain constant productivity: Your ability to cope with stress changes with the seasons and your own biological clocks

Masha Remskar, Arizona State University

stressed out mother on a Zoom call as her young child sits next to her

stressed out mother on a Zoom call as her young child sits next to her

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

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

A clipboard holds an info sheet titled 'Measles.'

A clipboard holds an info sheet titled 'Measles.'

Pittsburgh’s kindergartners fall below the measles safety threshold, testing the city’s vaccine legacy

Rebecca Smullin Dawson, Allegheny College

Shingles can cause severe chronic pain – new research on how exosomes alter neurons offers pathways to treatment

Andrew Bubak, University of Colorado Anschutz

Microscopy image of a blob composed of concentric circles, the innermost a vivid red

Microscopy image of a blob composed of concentric circles, the innermost a vivid red

How does Salmonella contaminate everything under the sun? A food safety specialist explains how you can stop its spread

Kimberly Baker, Clemson University

Illustration of cylindrical bacteria floating all around a carton of eggs, with the egg in the center cracked and leaking

Illustration of cylindrical bacteria floating all around a carton of eggs, with the egg in the center cracked and leaking

Can an ancient virus be brought back to life? What 500-year-old smallpox DNA reveals

Aris Katzourakis, University of Oxford

Blue gloved hand holding a vial of smallpox vaccine in front of the monkeypox virus graphic on a monitor

Blue gloved hand holding a vial of smallpox vaccine in front of the monkeypox virus graphic on a monitor

‘Must I take all my antibiotics?’ Why infectious disease experts are rethinking this longstanding rule

Amy J. Mathers, University of Virginia

Close-up of a person's hands holding a glass of water and pill on blurred background.

Close-up of a person's hands holding a glass of water and pill on blurred background.

Read more about COVID-19

Caregiving

Dementia care navigators help Latino Coloradans get the support they need

Hillary Lum, University of Colorado Anschutz

A man wearing a yellow shirt and a white medical tag around his neck sits in bed and clasps hands with someone who is not pictured.

A man wearing a yellow shirt and a white medical tag around his neck sits in bed and clasps hands with someone who is not pictured.

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

Read more about caregiving

Mental health

An older couple, woman and man, sit arguing on a therapists's couch during their session.

An older couple, woman and man, sit arguing on a therapists's couch during their session.

Why so few older Americans get counseling – and how it could help

Lee Ann Rawlins Williams, University of North Dakota

Are too many Americans taking antidepressants?

Andrew McLean, University of North Dakota

Young woman with troubled expression holds a pull to her lips in one hand and a glass of water in the other

Young woman with troubled expression holds a pull to her lips in one hand and a glass of water in the other

Online mental healthcare is here to stay: Here’s how to navigate your options and find the right clinician

Shari Harding, UMass Chan Medical School

Illustration of woman with a clipboard emerging from a computer, talking with a woman sitting at her desk

Illustration of woman with a clipboard emerging from a computer, talking with a woman sitting at her desk

I’m part of the team writing the next bible of psychiatry – for the first time, the DSM will use biology to understand mental disorders

Anand Kumar, University of Illinois Chicago

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.

Read more about mental health

Mind and body

Silhouettes of people in uniform from behind at the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, buildings rising into the sky

Silhouettes of people in uniform from behind at the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, buildings rising into the sky

Decades after 9/11, toxic dust and PTSD may be accelerating brain aging among first responders

Roberto Lucchini, Florida International University

People with Tourette syndrome, like Billie Eilish, use everything in their power to suppress tics – this exhausting process is key to treatment

Michael Okun, University of Florida

A young person with eyes closed makes a face in front of a maroon background

A young person with eyes closed makes a face in front of a maroon background

What we remember when we remember 9/11

Jennifer Talarico, Lafayette College

A man in suit and tie speaks into the ear of a man in suit in tie sitting on a chair.

A man in suit and tie speaks into the ear of a man in suit in tie sitting on a chair.

‘Mad honey’ that can stop your heart is now being sold online worldwide

Prayan Pokharel, University of Hohenheim

man dangles from rope on hillside to harvest honey

man dangles from rope on hillside to harvest honey

AI skin cancer detection tools are getting better – but only for people with light skin

Mohamed Akrout, University of Tennessee

A doctor uses a magnifying glass to examine moles on a patient's shoulder.

A doctor uses a magnifying glass to examine moles on a patient's shoulder.

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