public health

Surgeons Successfully Transplant a Pig Kidney into a Person

The achievement bolsters hopes that nonhuman animals could be used to remedy the shortage of transplantable organs.
Human kidney in hands stock photo
masked boy sitting in classroom raising his hand

Shrinking Quarantine

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New Ebola Case Confirmed in DRC Months After Previous Outbreak
New Ebola Case Confirmed in DRC Months After Previous Outbreak
Chloe Tenn | Oct 11, 2021
Ebola virus was detected in samples from a child who died last week, the World Health Organization and Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Ministry of Health announce.
Moderna Vaccine Paused for Young People in Two European Countries
Moderna Vaccine Paused for Young People in Two European Countries
Chloe Tenn | Oct 6, 2021
Health authorities in both countries announced that people under certain age cutoffs are now ineligible for the Spikevax COVID-19 shot due to its association with heart inflammation.
Francis Collins to Retire as NIH Director by Year’s End
Francis Collins to Retire as NIH Director by Year’s End
Christie Wilcox | Oct 5, 2021
Collins has announced his intent to step down after leading the National Institutes of Health for more than 12 years.
Q&A: The Transgenerational Effects of Indigenous Residential Schools
Q&A: The Transgenerational Effects of Indigenous Residential Schools
Amanda Heidt | Sep 30, 2021
The Scientist spoke with Evan Adams, a First Nations physician, about how the health legacy of oppressive government-owned schools, including his parents’ experiences, has influenced his own life.
WHO Restarts Investigation of COVID-19 Emergence with New Panel
WHO Restarts Investigation of COVID-19 Emergence with New Panel
Chloe Tenn | Sep 28, 2021
A new, more diverse group of researchers is being appointed take over the stalled investigation.
West Nile Virus and Climate Change: It’s Complicated
West Nile Virus and Climate Change: It’s Complicated
David Adam | Sep 28, 2021
Warmer temperatures are likely to increase the prevalence of the mosquito-borne disease in many places, but not all.
Book Excerpt from <em>You Bet Your Life</em>
Book Excerpt from You Bet Your Life
Paul A. Offit | Sep 21, 2021
In his book’s Introduction, physician-scientist Paul A. Offit reviews the unusual constellation of circumstances around the development of COVID-19 vaccines.
Updated Oct 15
To Booster or Not: Scientists and Regulators Debate
To Booster or Not: Scientists and Regulators Debate
Jef Akst | Sep 16, 2021
President Biden’s planned rollout of additional COVID-19 vaccine doses is set to begin next week, but questions remain about who should get them.
NIH Grants $470 Million for Study of Long COVID
NIH Grants $470 Million for Study of Long COVID
Lisa Winter | Sep 16, 2021
The study aims to recruit 40,000 adults and children to get a better sense of the condition that can last weeks or months after infection.
A Surge in Pandemic Research Shines a Spotlight on Preprints
A Surge in Pandemic Research Shines a Spotlight on Preprints
Diana Kwon | Sep 10, 2021
Many scientists have turned to preprints to rapidly disseminate their research on COVID-19, but some disagree with this approach.
Opinion: An Alternative to Injection
Opinion: An Alternative to Injection
Carmine D’Amico, Hélder Santos | Sep 9, 2021
Research on microneedle patches for vaccine delivery has grown in popularity in recent years, due to their exceptional compliance and low invasiveness.
How Wildfire Smoke Raises Infectious Disease Risk
How Wildfire Smoke Raises Infectious Disease Risk
Amanda Heidt | Sep 8, 2021
As fires blanket growing swathes of the West, scientists are beginning to understand more about how their smoke affects the transmission and severity of COVID-19 and other illnesses, and how it differs from that of other types of air pollution.
Q&amp;A: Health of 9/11 First Responders 20 Years Later
Q&A: Health of 9/11 First Responders 20 Years Later
Amanda Heidt | Sep 7, 2021
The Scientist spoke with Rachel Zeig-Owens, the director of epidemiology for the World Trade Center Health Program, about what scientists have learned after two decades of studying illness and disease among survivors.
What We Know About Mu, the WHO&rsquo;s Latest Variant of Interest
What We Know About Mu, the WHO’s Latest Variant of Interest
Christie Wilcox | Sep 7, 2021
The SARS-CoV-2 variant was first detected in January, but its rising prevalence and potential resistance to vaccines has garnered it special attention from the World Health Organization.