When developing countries band together, lifesaving drugs become cheaper and easier to buy − with trade-offs

Pharmaceutical companies have little incentive to sell drugs to countries that can’t afford them. But bargaining together can increase access to vital treatments worldwide.

Nahim Bin Zahur, Assistant Professor of Economics, Queen's University, Ontario • conversation
June 17, 2025 ~10 min

LGBTQ+ patients stay up-to-date on preventive care when their doctors are supportive, saving money and lives throughout society

When LGBTQ+ patients can be open with their providers about their identity, they are much more likely to get essential care.

Nathaniel M. Tran, Assistant Professor of Health Policy and Administration, University of Illinois Chicago • conversation
June 10, 2025 ~5 min


Do implicit bias trainings on race improve health care? Not yet – but incorporating the latest science can help hospitals treat all patients equitably

Many Black patients experience stark differences in how they’re treated during medical interactions compared to white patients.

Tiffany Green, Associate Professor of Population Health Sciences and Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison • conversation
April 24, 2024 ~11 min

American Indians forced to attend boarding schools as children are more likely to be in poor health as adults

Native Americans sent to government-funded schools now experience significantly higher rates of mental and physical health problems than those who did not.

Ursula Running Bear, Assistant Professor of Population Health, University of North Dakota • conversation
June 15, 2023 ~9 min

Pharma's expensive gaming of the drug patent system is successfully countered by the Medicines Patent Pool, which increases global access and rewards innovation

The Medicines Patent Pool was created to promote public health, facilitating generic licensing for patented drugs that treat diseases predominantly affecting low- and middle-income countries.

Lucy Xiaolu Wang, Assistant Professor of Resource Economics, UMass Amherst • conversation
Dec. 5, 2022 ~11 min

Health rights for trans people vary widely around the globe – achieving trans bliss and joy will require equity, social respect and legal protections

While gender-affirming health care is essential to the well-being of trans people, access to quality services varies significantly by geographic region and social context.

Reya Farber, Assistant Professor of Sociology, William & Mary • conversation
Nov. 16, 2022 ~11 min

Yes, Black patients do want to help with medical research – here are ways to overcome the barriers that keep clinical trials from recruiting diverse populations

Overcoming the access barriers and biases that underrepresented and underserved communities face could not only improve research participation but also improve care.

RaKetra Snipes, Physician Assistant in Gastroenterology, Morehouse School of Medicine • conversation
Sept. 8, 2022 ~9 min

Health insurance coverage for kids through Medicaid and CHIP helps their moms too

When states reduce barriers for low-income children to get coverage, their mothers are more likely to be married and less likely to smoke.

Sebastian Tello-Trillo, Assistant Professor of Public Policy and Economics, University of Virginia • conversation
April 18, 2022 ~4 min


Record-breaking rapid DNA sequencing promises timely diagnosis for thousands of rare disease cases

Record-breaking technology can sequence an entire human genome in a matter of hours. The work could be a lifeline for people suffering from the more than 5,000 known rare genetic diseases.

Kevin Doxzen, Postdoctoral Fellow in Precision Medicine and Emerging Biotechnologies, Arizona State University • conversation
Feb. 3, 2022 ~8 min

Medical technologies have been central to US pandemic response – but social behaviors matter just as much

Vaccines and medical treatments can only go so far in an unequal society. Facing the ongoing history of racial discrimination and bias in the US would help end the pandemic.

Eyal Oren, Professor of Epidemiology, San Diego State University • conversation
Dec. 22, 2021 ~11 min

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