There are almost 1.1 million licensed physicians in the United States. That may sound like a lot, but the country has struggled for decades to train enough physicians to meet…
Category: Anthropology
HIV rates are highest in the American South, despite effective treatments – a clash between culture and public health
The American South has the highest HIV rates in the country, accounting for more than half of new HIV diagnoses nationwide in 2023. This is despite growing availability of a…
Zombies, jiangshi, draugrs, revenants − monster lore is filled with metaphors for public health
Imagine a city street at dusk, silent save for the rising sound of a collective guttural moan. Suddenly, a horde of ragged, bloodied creatures appear, their feet shuffling along the…
Yes, ADHD diagnoses are rising, but that doesn’t mean it’s overdiagnosed
Many news outlets have reported an increase – or surge – in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, diagnoses in both children and adults. At the same time, health care providers, teachers…
How pollution and the microbiome interact with Tregs, the immune system regulators whose discovery was honored with the Nobel Prize
A special group of immune cells known as regulatory T cells, or Tregs for short, became an overnight sensation when a trio of U.S. and Japanese scientists won the Nobel…
Flu season has arrived – and so have updated flu vaccines
As the autumn’s cool weather settles in, so does flu season – bringing with it the familiar experiences of sniffles, fever and cough. Every year, influenza – the flu –…
Can you really be addicted to food? Researchers are uncovering convincing similarities to drug addiction
People often joke that their favorite snack is “like crack” or call themselves “chocoholics” in jest. But can someone really be addicted to food in the same way they could…
A Denver MD has spent 2 decades working with hospitalized patients experiencing homelessness − here’s what she fears and what gives her hope
On a recent early fall morning, hope was in short supply. My first patient was a regular. Mr. D was a man in his 50s with diabetes. He had been…
