On March 27, 2025, Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. announced plans to dramatically transform the department. HHS is the umbrella agency responsible for pandemic…
Category: Anthropology
Measles can ravage the immune system and brain, causing long-term damage – a virologist explains
The measles outbreak that began in west Texas in late January 2025 continues to grow, with 400 confirmed cases in Texas and more than 50 in New Mexico and Oklahoma…
Bird flu could be on the cusp of transmitting between humans − but there are ways to slow down viral evolution
Disease forecasts are like weather forecasts: We cannot predict the finer details of a particular outbreak or a particular storm, but we can often identify when these threats are emerging…
‘Everyday discrimination’ linked to increased anxiety and depression across all groups of Americans
People who most frequently encounter everyday discrimination – those subtle snubs and slights of everyday life – are more likely to suffer from anxiety and depression. What’s more, that finding…
Chronic kidney disease often goes undiagnosed, but early detection can prevent severe outcomes
For a disease afflicting 35.5 million people in the U.S., chronic kidney disease flies under the radar. Only half the people who have it are formally diagnosed. The consequences of…
Cuts to science research funding cut American lives short − federal support is essential for medical breakthroughs
Nearly every modern medical treatment can be traced to research funded by the National Institutes of Health: from over-the-counter and prescription medications that treat high cholesterol and pain to protection…
Losing your job is bad for your health, but there are things you can do to minimize the harm
The Trump administration’s firing and furloughing of tens of thousands of federal workers and contractors have obviously caused economic hardship for Americans employed in national parks, research labs and dozens…
Medetomidine is replacing xylazine in Philly street fentanyl − creating new hurdles for health care providers and drug users
Philadelphia’s street opioid supply – or “dope” market – is constantly changing. As health care workers and researchers who care for people who use drugs in our community, we have…
Poor neighborhoods, health care barriers are factors for heart disease risk in Black mothers
Living in a disadvantaged neighborhood contributes to a rare form of heart failure known as peripartum cardiomyopathy, a potentially deadly disease that disproportionately affects Black mothers. That’s the key finding…
5 years on, true counts of COVID-19 deaths remain elusive − and research is hobbled by lack of data
In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers struggled to grasp the rate of the virus’s spread and the number of related deaths. While hospitals tracked cases and deaths…
