CDC layoffs strike deeply at its ability to respond to the current flu, norovirus and measles outbreaks and other public health emergencies

The CDC was instrumental in eradicating smallpox, identifying the causes of HIV and encouraging Americans to get the COVID-19 shot.

Jordan Miller, Teaching Professor of Public Health, Arizona State University • conversation
Feb. 19, 2025 • ~10 min

How opioid deaths tripled in Philly over a decade − and what may be behind a recent downturn

After nearly a decade of annual upticks in overdose deaths, the city saw a drop in 2023, the latest data available. Something may finally be working − but what?

Ben Cocchiaro, Assistant Clinical Professor of Family Medicine and Community Health, Drexel University • conversation
Feb. 11, 2025 • ~9 min

US dodged a bird flu pandemic in 1957 thanks to eggs and dumb luck – with a new strain spreading fast, will Americans get lucky again?

With the devastating 1918 pandemic in mind, US health officials saw an outbreak in Asia and swung into action. What happened offers lessons for today.

Alexandra M. Lord, Chair and Curator of Medicine and Science, Smithsonian Institution • conversation
Feb. 6, 2025 • ~8 min

Nutrition advice is rife with misinformation − a medical education specialist explains how to tell valid health information from pseudoscience

It’s easy to get caught up in the promise of quick health fixes, but they are generally too good to be true.

Aimee Pugh Bernard, Assistant Professor of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus • conversation
Jan. 28, 2025 • ~10 min

How does raw water compare to tap water? A microbiologist explains why the risks outweigh the benefits

Raw water may not be as safe as it looks. Like raw milk, untreated water comes with dubious health claims and high risks.

Bill Sullivan, Professor of Microbiology and Immunology, Indiana University • conversation
Jan. 27, 2025 • ~7 min

Health and Human Services secretary influences every aspect of America’s health

Overseeing the FDA, NIH and several other public health and medical research divisions, the HHS secretary is a powerful force in how the nation accesses health care.

Angela Mattie, Professor of Management & Medical Sciences, Schools of Business & Medicine, Quinnipiac University • conversation
Jan. 23, 2025 • ~8 min

How the EPA administrator protects public health, air, water and the environment

Enforcing environmental laws isn’t a job that makes people popular. But polls show that Americans generally want more environmental protection, not less.

Stan Meiburg, Executive Director, Sabin Center for Environment and Sustainability, Wake Forest University • conversation
Jan. 10, 2025 • ~10 min

Vaccine misinformation distorts science – a biochemist explains how RFK Jr. and his lawyer’s claims threaten public health

Many claims about the dangers of vaccines come from misrepresenting scientific research papers.

Mark R. O'Brian, Professor and Chair of Biochemistry, University at Buffalo • conversation
Dec. 17, 2024 • ~9 min

Infectious diseases killed Victorian children at alarming rates — their novels highlight the fragility of public health today

Between 40% and 50% of children didn’t live past 5 in the US during the 19th century. Popular authors like Charles Dickens documented the common but no less gutting grief of losing a child.

Andrea Kaston Tange, Professor of English, Macalester College • conversation
Dec. 11, 2024 • ~9 min

Avian flu virus has been found in raw milk − a reminder of how pasteurization protects health

Raw milk can carry many dangerous germs − now including the H5N1 virus that causes avian flu.

Kerry E. Kaylegian, Associate Research Professor of Food Science, Penn State • conversation
Dec. 5, 2024 • ~9 min

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