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Science for Alaska talks and events announced
The University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute will host free public science talks over the next few weeks, highlighting new climate research technology, an Alaska earthquake mystery solution, tidewater glaciers in Alaska and Greenland and a recent Bering Sea journey aboard the research
Amer Sports recognized as a China Top Employer 2026
Amer Sports has been certified as a China Top Employer by the Top Employers Institute for second consecutive year
Suds & Science
Ever thought that learning would be more fun with a cold drink in hand? We've got you covered! Suds & Science brings scientists face-to-face with the public at local neighborhood bars for a night of learning, drinking, and community that you won't want to miss! Highlights: - Fun and informative lectures from STEM professionals - Lively discussions between scientists and audiences - Connection with your community in a laid-back environment "Tentacle Tinder: How Cephalopods Decide When to Swipe Right" Cephalopods (the class of mollusks that includes octopuses, squids, cuttlefishes, and nautiluses) are renowned for their complex cognitive abilities and for their remarkable capacities to rapidly alter their body patterns for camouflage and communication. But behind the scenes, things get even stranger. Nearly all cephalopod females mate with multiple males and can store sperm for weeks to months. That means each female carries a tiny archive of potential fathers. So the big question becomes: when everyone is competing for a spot in that archive, how do cephalopod females decide who to mate with, and can they control whose sperm ultimately fertilizes their eggs? About the Speaker Theodora is a PhD student in Marine Biology at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego. Prior to starting at SIO, Theodora researched chronic reproductive pain conditions in New York, created marine science multimedia as a science communication intern at Point Reyes National Seashore, and studied cephalopod neuroethology as a research intern at Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology. Theodora currently studies the evolutionary and behavioral dynamics of female choice in cephalopods, with a focus on local California market squid. When she’s not doing research or underwater, Theodora can usually be found listening to or singing classical music. Fleet Science Center on Facebook / Instagram
‘Implementation is where it’s at’: What’s next for the science of reading?
Implementation of the science of reading across the country was the subject of a recent Fordham Institute webinar.
Parkersburg joining other W.Va. cities in effort to remove business barriers
PARKERSBURG – Parkersburg is joining West Virginia’s other largest cities in an effort aimed at making it easier for people to start businesses. The Institute for Justice, a nonprofit public interest law firm, recently announced plans to partner with the Mountain State’s five largest cities – Charleston, Huntington, Morgantown, Parkersburg and Wheeling – for West […]
Decades of suffering: Long-term mental health outcomes of Kurdish chemical gas attacks
Dr. Ibrahim Mohammed is a clinical psychologist and researcher specializing in trauma, somatic symptoms, and psychopathology in conflict-affected populations. He has worked for over a decade with survivors of massacres in the Kurdistan Region, integrating clinical practice with research. He is also a lecturer at the Institute of Psychotherapy and Psychotraumatology at the University of Duhok. His current research focuses on validating psychological instruments for Kurdish communities and exploring genetic and phenomic factors related to trauma-related disorders. In a new study in Frontiers in Psychiatry, he and colleagues showed exceptionally high levels of trauma among survivors of a notorious atrocity: the 1988 chemical attack on Halabja in Kurdistan. In this editorial, he summarizes their findings.
A health-care destination
There has been plenty of activity on the Crystal Bridges campus in Bentonville with the expansion of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, along with the opening last year of buildings housing the Alice L. Walton School of Medicine and Heartland Whole Health Institute. Two miles east of downtown Bentonville, there's a separate 100-acre campus that might prove just as exciting.
Political Science Major Reflects on Impactful Experience at Thurgood Marshall Institute
Political Science Major Reflects on Impactful Experience at Thurgood Marshall Institute - Read this story on www.coloradocollege.edu
Georgia Experts Applaud House Study Committee’s Public Health Report and Urge Sustained Legislative Action For a Safer, Healthier Georgia - Georgia Budget and Policy Institute
ATLANTA, GA — Georgia public health experts and advocates applaud the release of recommendations from the House Study Committee on Evaluating Funding for Public Health. Additional action is needed to ensure these recommendations are implemented and that elected leaders go further to explore innovative solutions that ensure all Georgians have a fair shot at good […]
Herkimer and Dolgeville Health Survey Postcards Set to Be Sent to 300 Randomly Chosen Households
Herkimer County HealthNet and Bassett Medical Center Research Institute are inviting residents of Herkimer and Dolgeville to take part in a new community health survey.
Open inquiries probe potential involvement at the ‘highest levels of Minnesota politics’: Manhattan Institute senior fellow
Manhattan Institute senior fellow Chris Rufo discusses the ongoing investigation into the alleged Minnesota fraud scandal and how widespread the issue may be on ‘Jesse Watters Primetime.’
UCSD's Math Meltdown: The Cost of Prioritizing Identity Politics Over The Basics
The University of California, San Diego is confronting an academic breakdown that would have been unthinkable a decade ago: a..
‘An undoing of the scientific method’: Flagship CEO warns of government threats to US biotech industry
The Trump administration spent 2025 taking a sledgehammer to science, obliteratin | The Trump administration spent 2025 taking a sledgehammer to science, obliterating funding and reshaping agencies like the FDA and National Institutes of Health through layoffs and restrictive new policies. In a new letter, Noubar Afeyan, Ph.D., co-founder of Moderna and CEO of Flagship Pioneering, warns that these actions risk undermining the foundations of science itself to the ultimate detriment of health and biotech innovation in America.
Egan Maritime announces full slate of winter activities
(Jan. 11, 2026) The Egan Maritime Institute is launching its 2026 public programming with a winter lineup that brings Nantucket’s maritime history to life through reenactments, games, films and community
Navigating the rising costs of youth sports
The Aspen Institute estimates that the youth sports industry generates $40 billion in annual revenue.
Amateur sleuth earns £2m reward for exposing research fraud
A British scientist has forced a leading US cancer research institute to pay a $15m legal settlement after trawling through scientific papers in his spare time
Yes, I Can Scholarship Awarded to Five Biomedical Science Undergraduate Students
The scholarship recipients, students in the Biomedical Science and Enterprise bachelor’s program in the Institute for Biomedical Sciences, each received a $1,800 award.
Governor’s Computer Science Institute opens applications for rising 9th and 10th graders
Applications are now open for the Governor's Computer Science Institute (GCSI) for rising 9th and 10th graders.
3 things Trump did in 24 hours to show that he's in control of American business
“He’s taking an extreme left-wing position which looks like state capitalism,” said Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, a longtime corporate governance scholar and the founding dean of Yale’s Chief Executive Leadership Institute.
Springfield to launch Minority Business Institute in February 2026
The City of Springfield, in collaboration with the Office of Community Relations, is set to launch the Springfield Minority Business Institute (SMBI) in Februar
Aquaculture training course to cover best practices and business strategies
KINGSTON, R.I. – Jan. 8, 2026 – For the second year, Rhode Island Sea Grant will offer an intermediate-level aquaculture training course titled “Beyond the Basics for Businesses and Practitioners.” The 12-session course will be held virtually and at the University of Rhode Island’s Coastal Institute on the Narragansett Bay Campus on Tuesdays from 6-8 […]
NC's 'toothiest fish' topic of next talk in science lecture series
Fisheries ecologist Dr. Jim Morley will explain the life history of sheepshead during the Jan. 15 "Science on the Sound" Lecture Series at the Coastal Studies Institute in Wanchese.
UMass Amherst granted millions to expand life science research and manufacturing
UMass Amherst’s Institute for Applied Life Sciences has received two grants that total over $3.5 million from the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center.
Stevens Athletics To Celebrate National Girls And Women In Sports Day
Hoboken, N.J. – The Stevens Institute of Technology Department of Athletics will celebrate the annual National Girls & Women in Sports Day (NGWSD) when the women's and men's basketball teams host Misericordia at Canavan Arena on Saturday, February 7, 2026.
Institute of Global Politics Launches American Democracy Initiative
The project is led Columbia political economist Alexander Hertel-Fernandez.
Caltech, a Science Powerhouse, Hires Ray Jayawardhana as Its New President
Ray Jayawardhana, the incoming president, is an astrophysicist, but leaders at the California Institute of Technology also praised his credentials as a communicator at a time when science is under attack.
Levin: Science endures at Israel’s missile-damaged Weizmann Research Institute
Fortunately, no one at Weizmann was killed or wounded.
Research on Energy and Chemical Engineering at Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology
Nature Reviews Electrical Engineering - Sang Il Seok talks to Nature Reviews Electrical Engineering about research and education at the School of Energy and Chemical Engineering at Ulsan National...
Health policy expert analyzes what he calls 'disgusting' Minnesota fraud
Brian Blase, a former White House National Economic Council staffer and president of the Paragon Health Institute, talks to Fox News Digital about Minnesota fraud, and Obamacare's structural failures and cost overruns.
This mental health care startup launched from a backyard
This Roux Institute-backed startup connects parents as a way to offer guidance navigating the mental healthcare system.
Revisited: the real science of weight loss
In this episode from October, the leading nutritional scientist Kevin Hall tells Ian Sample what he wants us all to understand about diet, exercise and weight loss, and what led to his departure from the National Institutes of Health
Georgia Southern’s Care Station project launched in downtown Statesboro to improve access to health products and testing
Georgia Southern University’s Institute for Health Logistics & Analytics (IHLA) has unveiled the Care Station project, a new initiative designed to improve access to over-the-counter health products for the local community.
It’s been a difficult year for science. Here’s what researchers say about the future : Short Wave
Science in the United States took some big hits this year. The Trump Administration disrupted federal funding for all kinds of scientific pursuits. Administration officials say those changes were a step towards reinvigorating federal agencies like the National Institutes of Health. But many scientists disagree. NPR health and science correspondents Rob Stein and Katia Riddle chat with host Emily Kwong about what these cuts could mean for the future of science.Interested in more stories on the future of science? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org.Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at plus.npr.org/shortwave.
2025: The year of the starfish (and the Pacific Northwest scientists trying to save them)
Research groups from several universities and institutes have been tackling the problem of dying sea stars, each looking for ways to help these important apex predators recover.
German business groups expect job cuts in 2026 as economic crisis drags on
A majority of German business associations expect job cuts in 2026 as the country's economic crisis persists, with industry hit hardest by global protectionism and weak exports, a survey by the German Economic Institute IW showed on Monday.
Protecting the ‘Holiday heart:’ What to know about heart health during the holiday season, new smart watch technologies
Dr. Nassir Marrouche is director of the Heart and Vascular Institute at Tulane University with a subspecialty in electrophysiology. He treats atrial fibrillation, heart arrhythmia, irregular heartbeats, sudden cardiac death
UCLA Law receives largest gift in school history to expand entertainment and media law programs
UCLA School of Law has received the largest gift in its 76-year history, a planned gift from alumnus Ken Ziffren ’65 that will expand student training and career opportunities in media, entertainment, technology and sports law. Ziffren, a leading entertainment lawyer and co-founder of Ziffren Brittenham, previously helped establish the Ziffren Institute for Media, Entertainment, […]
Science Still Made Incredible Breakthroughs While Under Attack
It was a tough year for science in the US. Thousands of research grants, including more than 3,800 from the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation alone, were frozen or canceled. NASA was threatened with sweeping budget cuts. Top scientists are leaving the US in search of better opportunities. And misinformation about vaccines and other important scientific matters continues to spread.
Ohio children face barriers to accessing mental health services, report finds
Seventy-five of Ohio’s 88 counties were designated as experiencing shortages in mental health care professionals as of July 2025, according to a policy brief released earlier this month by Health Policy Institute of Ohio.
Israeli scientists say tiny organisms can revamp their own RNA to survive extreme heat
Using a novel method, Weizmann Institute of Science researchers map 16 types of simultaneous changes in dozens of samples; findings can lead to improved RNA-based medical technologies
The seed vaults that could save humanity
These genetic libraries plan for worse-case scenarios.
Nine mental-health tips for a happier 2026
Regardless of any resolutions you may have for 2026, one thing is for sure: Everyone wants to have a happy new year.While losing weight or saving money may be great goals, the most straightforward path to happiness is caring for your mental and emotional health. A robust body of research shows that simple cognitive and behavioral strategies can reliably boost happiness and reduce stress – and they’re generally free and accessible to all.These strategies don’t have to be super time-consuming, but they do require intention: They only work if you do them.Here, psychologist Valentina Ogaryan, PhD, clinical director of the Simms/Mann UCLA Center for Integrative Oncology, shares her top tips for cultivating more calm, centeredness and happiness in the new year (or anytime):Make time for playPlay isn’t just for kids, and it’s far from frivolous. The National Institute for Play says engaging in silliness, fun and just-for-pleasure activities reduces stress and increases optimism and resilience. A recent review also found that play improves mental health.“Adults can benefit from play as much as children,” Dr. Ogaryan says, “not just as a reward, but something that helps regulate.”So go ahead and dance with your dog, build something with Legos, tell a joke, sing karaoke or do anything else that feels like fun. Don’t worry about being productive, just enjoy yourself. And, if you can, opt for more analog play, Dr. Ogaryan suggests, as a respite from our ever-more-digital world. Move your bodyWhether you dance, ski, do yoga, play pickleball, ride a bike, roller-skate, hike or lift weights, physical movement benefits overall happiness and well-being. A 2018 review study of more than 1.2 million adults in the U.S. found that doing any kind of exercise was “significantly and meaningfully associated” with better self-reported mental health.The sweet spot was 45 minutes of movement three to five times a week, but even short bursts of physical activity can boost brain health, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.“Movement helps support mood and regulate the nervous system,” Dr. Ogaryan says.Plus: exercise can improve sleep quality, and sleep is essential for mental health.Prioritize sleep“Sleep plays a major role in managing stress,” Dr. Ogaryan says. Research shows that lack of sufficient sleep increases the risk of various diseases, including depression.While stress can interfere with sleep, practicing good sleep hygiene can make logging ZZ’s easier. That means maintaining a consistent bedtime; keeping the bedroom cool, dark and quiet; and avoiding social media, news and stimulating shows before bed.Consume lessWe live in a consumer culture, inundated by endless streams of content and advertising everywhere we go, which makes it easy to get overstimulated.“Something really helpful for stress reduction is to simply consume less,” Dr. Ogaryan says – less news, less social media, less information, less noise, less screen time. “It’s about reducing the input,” she says.Consider setting a maximum number of news articles per day, for example, or a time limit on scrolling. Maybe even go device free for an afternoon or a whole day.Practice present-moment awarenessWith so much coming at us all the time, focusing on the here and now can make life feel more manageable, Dr. Ogaryan says: “When everything feels super overwhelming, when everything feels larger than life, let’s make our world a little bit smaller for that moment in time.”She suggests taking things one day, or even one hour, at a time. Ask yourself: What’s my next right action? Release the need to know how everything turns out and liberate yourself from having to handle everything right now. Let the future take care of itself and just focus on the current moment. Then the next one. Have a daily anchorFrom work to the daily commute to family and life responsibilities, our days can feel jam-packed. Dr. Ogaryan recommends creating a centering daily anchor that can fit into even the busiest day.Maybe it’s a 10-minute walk during your lunch break or mindfully enjoying your coffee in the morning. Let your anchor adapt to your needs each day, she says, but be intentional about using that time to ground yourself and calm your nervous system. You might even say to yourself, “I choose this walk to help me become centered,” or “My day already feels stressful, so I’m going to take the next 10 minutes to enjoy this cup of coffee, feel the warm mug in my hand and just be present.” Having an anchor won’t erase the busy-ness from your day, but it will allow you to approach it more calmly.Be kind to yourselfMost of us have a harsh inner critic in our heads who works overtime. But that critical voice only increases our stress, triggering the same fight-or-flight response as caustic words from another person.To feel happier, we need to replace that inner critic with a kinder, more compassionate voice, Dr. Ogaryan says. Studies show that self-compassion is a source of eudaimonic happiness – the kind of happiness associated with purpose and meaning in life.While our knee-jerk reaction may be to self-criticize – “How could you let it get to this point? You didn’t manage your time well and now the project is going to be late. You’re so inept.” – we fare better mentally by treating ourselves with kindness, like we would a friend. That might sound like, “You’ve got a lot on your plate, but you are capable and you’ll get it done. I believe in you.”We may think that speaking kindly to ourselves means letting ourselves off the hook, so we end up becoming lazy do-nothings. But research shows the opposite: People who are self-compassionate are more likely to try harder in the face of failure and ultimately reach their goals.You can thank your inner critic for its good intentions, but resolve to talk to yourself in a kind, compassionate voice.Connect with othersHumans are social animals built for connection. Stress can be isolating and cause us to withdraw, but connecting with others is a salve for the psyche, Dr. Ogaryan says.“We know that not all relationships are always easy, but if we can think about intentional, nourishing connection – even in really small doses – it could really help center us,” she says.Take a moment to laugh with your colleagues, hug your pet, have a conversation with a friend or smile at the barista making your coffee. A study found that even tiny interactions with casual acquaintances and strangers decreases loneliness and improves happiness and well-being.Seek supportIf you try these practices and happiness remains elusive, or if you can’t access the wherewithal to follow these tips, seek support from your physician or a therapist. Mental health conditions are among the most common health issues in the U.S. and around the world – more prevalent than diabetes or heart disease. One in five people in the U.S. experiences a mental illness each year, with depression and anxiety the most common, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.“We can all think about these tips,” Dr. Ogaryan says. “But it’s important to recognize if you’ve done everything you can and you’re still really struggling, it’s really important to seek help.”
A navigator for better science reporting
Science touches nearly every beat in local journalism, yet many reporters lack the training or time to confidently navigate complex scientific topics. In this piece, Bob Sillick explains how The Open Notebook, in partnership with the Reynolds Journalism Institute, has launched the Science Reporting Navigator to close that gap. The new tool aims to help local journalists spot misinformation, understand research and bring scientific clarity to their daily reporting.
Governors’ Health Priorities in 2025
Through emergency response, behavioral health investments, maternal health protections, nutrition innovations, rural health transformation, and workforce development, Governors have demonstrated that effective governance requires evidence-based policymaking, cross-agency coordination, and sustained political will. Governors confronted complex challenges with innovative solutions grounded in evidence and adapted to local contexts. As highlighted at the 2025 Health and Human Services Policy Advisors Institute, states […]
Commentary: Real public safety requires investing in people
The right intervention at the right moment is what truly makes a difference, writers the CEO of the Institute for Nonviolence Chicago.
CTSI to host three-part virtual mini-series on team science
Penn State Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) will host a three-part virtual mini-series focused on team science, led by Susan Simkins, director of Team Science with Penn State CTSI. Designed for researchers, staff and leaders working in collaborative environments, the series will provide practical, evidence-based strategies to help teams function more effectively and avoid the misalignment that often can slow down good science.
Dozens of Public Health and Policy Experts, Along with the American Public Health Association and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Urge DHS to Withdraw Proposed Public Charge Rule | Milken Institute School of Public Health | The George Washington University
Washington, D.C. (December 19, 2025) — A public comment filed by 65 public health deans and scholars, along with the American Public Health Association (APHA) and
Small Stories, Big Science at the Smithsonian’s Conservation Biology Institute in 2025
Take a look at some bite-sized stories about our science programs this year.
FAU Harbor Branch Announces 2026 Ocean Science Lecture Series
Florida Atlantic University’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute announced the lineup for its annual “John & Barbara Ferrera Ocean Science Lecture Series.”
Retirees Are Enjoying Life Amid Health and Financial Uncertainties
Four in 10 retirees indicate their enjoyment of life (44%) and happiness (41%) have improved since they retired, according to Retirement Realities: The Experience of Retirees, a survey report released today by nonprofit Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies® (TCRS) in collaboration with Transamerica Institute®.
Federal Officials Testify on the Implementation of the CHIPS & Science Act
Officials from NASA, National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, and the Department of Energy testify to the implementation of the CHIPS & Science Act before a House Science, Space and Technology subcommittee.
Fired NIH institute director sues Trump health officials, seeks reinstatement and backpay
The former director of the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) is suing Trump | The former director of the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases is suing Trump administration officials over her September firing, which she alleges violated her rights and was illegal under federal whistleblower protections.
Where race and politics meet
Kinder Institute students learn new perspectives studying abroad in Cape Town.
Immigration raids could threaten the rise of youth sports
The Aspen Institute’s National State of Play details how raids of parks where children play as well as rising costs, NIL, AI could reshape landscape.
New Hampshire's Business: Cost of living in NH has outpaced what most families earn
Fred Kocher is joined by Jessica Williams, policy analyst for the New Hampshire Fiscal Policy Institute, and Phil Sletten, research director for the New Hampshire Fiscal Policy Institute, for a discussion about the state of the economy and the cost of living in the Granite State.
O’Neill Institute’s Center for Health and Human Rights and Ríos host High Court Justices for Second Annual Judicial Dialogues on Health and the Law in Latin America and the Caribbean
The O’Neill Institute’s Center for Health and Human Rights at Georgetown Law and Ríos Strategic Lawyering for Social Justice held the second annual Judicial Dialogues on Health and the Law in Latin America and the Caribbean event.
Teen’s video a ‘Breakthrough’ in science communication
Seventeen-year-old Grace Lee from Chula Vista is gaining national attention as a finalist in the global Breakthrough Junior Challenge, an annual competition that invites students to create original videos explaining complex scientific ideas in creative and engaging ways. Founded in 2015, the contest encourages young people to break down advanced scientific theories using imagination and storytelling— “Steven Spielberg meets Albert Einstein,” as organizers describe it. Lee’s submission centers on the principle of least time in physics, a concept that explains why light always travels the path that takes the least amount of time. To bring the idea to life, she used intricate origami characters and stop-motion animation, along with simple at-home experiments, she said. “The fact that light always travels via the path that takes the least amount of time sounds simple at first, but nature is full of surprises,” she said. “This principle is actually very profound and underlies many different fields in physics that seem completely unrelated, from optics to Newton’s laws to Einstein’s theory of relativity.” Also, origami has long been one of her passions and integrating it into her project felt natural. She often makes origami gifts for friends and teaches origami in her school clubs. “A single 10-second scene would take hours to craft,” she said, noting the mixture of stop-motion and post-production editing required to animate expressions and movement. To ensure the science remained accurate and accessible, she spent time reading books and online resources, writing a script, creating a storyboard, and filming and editing repeatedly until the visuals worked.The experiments were among the biggest challenges. To demonstrate water waves, she used everyday household items — “a spatula and an electric toothbrush to vibrate the waves, glass in a baking pan for different depths, and an iPhone flashlight so the waves would be visible.” She also put careful thought into explaining the principle through analogies, including a gingerbread man and a fox. “Analogies and visuals are incredibly important,” she said. “Visual demonstrations allow viewers to see how the science actually works.” Beyond the competition, Lee is deeply involved in science leadership and advocacy. She serves as International President of miRcore, the world’s largest student computational biology organization, with 136 chapters across five countries. She leads a 20-member executive board, organizes outreach connecting schools worldwide, and has helped run workshops at locations including Scripps Research Institute and the University of Michigan. “I used to be intimidated,” she said, but she gradually grew her skills and confidence. “Now I am no longer afraid to use my voice and enthusiasm to bring out the best in others.” Her research experience includes two peer-reviewed papers on asthma and vaping. Misconceptions around vaping, she said, show why clear science communication matters. “Our research shows that there is long-term harm to your lungs on the cellular level that isn’t obvious unless you come down with an illness like the flu,” she said. Lee also founded Full Hearts at Eastlake High School, transforming the small club into one of the school’s largest, with hands-on service projects in partnership with local nonprofits. She continues mentoring younger students to sustain the mission. If she wins the Breakthrough Junior Challenge, Grace hopes the $100,000 science lab prize for her school will expand opportunities for students who have limited access to equipment and hands-on science outside the classroom.
How U.S. Soccer aims to improve physical, mental health of female soccer players
The Kang Institute, announced last week, is committed to researching the major issues affecting women athletes today.
MIT HEALS leadership charts a bold path for convergence in health and life sciences
MIT HEALS leaders outline a unified vision for advancing health and life sciences at MIT, emphasizing interdisciplinary collaboration, translational research, and strengthened clinical partnerships to drive biomedical innovation and accelerate high-impact solutions across the Institute.
MIT HEALS leadership charts a bold path for convergence in health and life sciences
MIT HEALS leaders outline a unified vision for advancing health and life sciences at MIT, emphasizing interdisciplinary collaboration, translational research, and strengthened clinical partnerships to drive biomedical innovation and accelerate high-impact solutions across the Institute.
The New WHO Pandemic Treaty and Global Health Governance: Incorporating Common but Differentiated Responsibilities into PABS - Georgetown Journal of International Affairs
On May 20, 2025, the World Health Assembly unanimously adopted the World Health Organization (WHO) Pandemic Agreement, an international treaty designed to strengthen pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response. The product of three years of arduous negotiations, the treaty marks a new era of global cooperation in public health. However, core aspects of the agreement remain unresolved—notably the Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing (PABS) System, which is intended to ensure equitable access to pandemic-related materials and benefits. To support the successful implementation of the WHO Pandemic Agreement, the principle of “common but differentiated responsibilities” should be formally incorporated into the negotiating agenda of the PABS annex. Introduction For the first time, an international treaty has enshrined the principle of “One Health,” the compelling idea that the health of animals, humans, and the environment all contribute to pandemic risks. SARS (2003), H1N1 (2009–10), Ebola (2014–16), and COVID-19 all emerged through zoonotic spillover from animal hosts—respectively, civets, hogs, and bats. Together, they underscore the need for a coordinated, cross-sectoral approach. The Pandemic Agreement responds to this call, requiring state parties to acknowledge the ecological interplay and commit to a comprehensive “One Health” strategy. Specifically, Article 5 charges governments to address “the drivers of pandemics and the emergence and re-emergence of infectious disease at the human-animal-environment interface,” including wild animal markets, deforestation, and antibiotic overuse. Yet the effectiveness of this “One Health” vision depends equally on the free flow of scientific information and data among countries and institutions. Just as environmental and animal health factors have been neglected in past global frameworks, so too has data sharing been marginalized, despite its centrality to timely detection and response. The Pandemic Agreement takes an important step by requiring governments to enhance data collection and cooperate with the World Health Organization (WHO). However, these provisions will remain aspirational without a robust Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing (PABS) annex. The PABS system will determine whether countries and researchers can rapidly exchange pathogen samples and genetic data while ensuring equitable access to resulting research and development, including diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines. Without such mechanisms, the treaty’s promise to operationalize “One Health” and strengthen global preparedness will risk becoming largely symbolic, echoing earlier failures to translate shared principles into coordinated action. Equity Concerns When the 2025 Health Assembly adopted the Pandemic Agreement, it left the difficult question of access to pathogens and the sharing of resulting benefits to be addressed in a separate agreement. Negotiations on this separate agreement, PABS, are now underway in Geneva. Yet governments remain divided over fundamental questions of equity between the countries that primarily contribute to the system and those that primarily draw from it—and consequently benefit. For example, wildlife in countries bordering the equator is likely to produce PABS materials, but companies in Europe are likely to use them to develop lucrative products. The most likely contributor countries are likely to be those biodiverse countries around the equator, such as Brazil, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Indonesia, where the number of human-mammalian viral host interactions is large. Conversely, countries most likely to benefit from this material are those with the technology, investors, and infrastructure to capitalize on genomic data, such as the United States, EU member states, and Japan. This imbalance reflects a broader pattern seen in prior international frameworks. Now, as in the past, the wealthiest countries in the world (a useful heuristic is membership of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)) disproportionately benefit from systems in which pathogens and genomic sequencing data are contributed to a common source. Under the International Agreement on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (the “Plant Treaty” or “Seed Treaty”) and the Pandemic Influenza Preparedness (PIP) Framework, companies from Europe and North America disproportionately withdraw biological samples and data for development into lucrative medical products. Their governments and companies have both statutory and contractual claims to the products that those companies correspondingly produce. PABS appears poised to follow the same pattern. The text calls for strong language on access to pathogens and associated data, but the corresponding benefits that should flow to poorer countries are couched in equivocal or non-binding language. Common but Differentiated Responsibilities To address these inequities, the principle of “common but differentiated responsibilities” should be formally incorporated into the negotiating agenda of the PABS annex. Common but differentiated responsibilities are often a feature of climate change negotiations. The basic principle is that, even though all countries should reduce carbon emissions, governments that became rich and powerful through massive carbon emissions (e.g., France, the United Kingdom, the United States) should have a greater obligation to address the resulting crises. Applied to PABS, it would require that governments hosting and supporting companies developing lucrative products carry greater obligations toward the cost of running the PABS system; share benefits or final medical products; and transfer technology to help countries worldwide develop their own capacities to innovate and manufacture vaccines during an emergency. For example, an annex could mandate that any company based in an OECD country that withdraws PABS material would be obligated to donate the resulting diagnostics, therapeutics, or vaccines to the WHO during a public health emergency or pandemic. Questions remain about how robust those donations would be, but the principle is that they should deliver highly significant lifesaving benefits to be equitably shared. Theoretically, this approach mirrors the PIP Framework, in which companies withdrawing influenza samples are required to pay half of the operating costs. In practice, however, the framework has fallen short. The PIP Framework Secretariat has struggled to secure payments from companies, with companies often disagreeing over how much is owed. Additionally, without another pandemic influenza to test the strength of the agreement during a public health emergency, corporate compliance with sharing mechanisms remains unknown. Even if these limitations did not characterize the PIP Framework, partially paying for operating expenses does not address the inequity in access to genetic data and pathogen samples that left less developed countries last in line for COVID-19 vaccines (and, before them, H1N1). Common but differentiated responsibilities would go further, addressing governments’ legitimate grievances regarding information sharing. It would make withdrawals of PABS material and resulting products more transparent, building trust across the board. Enforcement and Enduring Success A key implication of this approach is that the governing mechanism of the PABS must have real enforcement authority. The WHO Pandemic Agreement delegates its core governance responsibilities to a Conference of the Parties (COP)—a governing body composed of one representative from each participating government, similar to those established under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. The proposed WHO Pandemic Agreement COP is charged with oversight functions but ultimately possesses no real authority to compel a government to take any action it does not wish to take. The text does not give the COP the ability to, for example, sanction a party that does not comply with either textual obligations or PABS provisions. In other words, there are no effective mechanisms in place to ensure compliance. Perhaps just as significant, establishing a meaningful enforcement mechanism within the PABS system would strengthen the WHO’s credibility and its ability to ensure compliance across global health governance. By setting a precedent for accountability, such a mechanism could enhance the organization’s authority not only within the Pandemic Agreement but also in enforcing the revised International Health Regulations and other frameworks for public health emergencies. Conclusion The PABS annex can—and should—be different. It should establish clear responsibilities for funding as well as for sharing the diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines that result from contributions to the system. The system, in turn, must include a dedicated body empowered to hold governments and the corporations they sponsor accountable for their responsibilities before, during, and after pandemics. Doing so would restore trust in the broader agreement, which was eroded as commitments were repeatedly diluted while parties scrambled to meet their own self-imposed deadlines during the Pandemic Agreement negotiations. A robust PABS Annex would cement a grand social bargain. Wealthier countries and their corporations would gain unimpeded access to scientific information essential for developing and manufacturing lifesaving medical products. As such, they would stand to gain considerable economic benefit. Yet that privilege must be matched with responsibility. The grand bargain must include not only the right to innovate, but also the duty to ensure that innovation serves all. As medical products are developed and produced through collective contributions, every person must have equal access. All human beings deserve an equitable chance to survive—to save their own life, the lives of their families, and the well-being of their communities. … Sam Halabi, JD, MPhil, is the Bette Jacobs Endowed Professor at Georgetown University’s School of Health and the Director of the Center for Transformational Health Law at Georgetown Law. He serves as the co-lead for the WHO’s Working Group on Regulatory Consideration on AI and Health’s training workstream. He earned his JD from Harvard, his MPhil from Oxford, and undergraduate degrees from Kansas State University. Lawrence Gostin, LLD (Hon.), JD, BA, is University Distinguished Professor and Founding Director and Timothy and Linda O’Neill Professor of the O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law. He is the author of Global Health Security: A Blueprint for the Future (Harvard University Press, 2021); Global Health Law (Harvard University Press, 2014); Public Health Law: Power, Duty, Restraint (University of California Press, 3rd ed., 2016); Public Health Law and Ethics: A Reader (University of California Press, 3rd ed., 2018); Law and the Health System (Foundation Press, 2014); Principles of Mental Health Law & Practice (Oxford University Press, 2010). He also directs the WHO Collaborating Center at Georgetown University. Image Credit: United States Mission Geneva, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
At the Intersection of Science and Faith: Institute for Water and Health and 12 community leaders unite to protect Brunswick’s waterways
In a remarkable collaboration, residents of Brunswick, Georgia, have joined forces with scientists and faith leaders to address critical water quality issues. Their innovative approach, centered on community involvement, is not only protecting local waterways but also setting a precedent for other cities facing similar challenges.
UAMS to Train 75 Community Health Workers with Support from Arkansas Office of Skills Development
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Science needs contrarians, and contrarians need support
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Prairie strips can rapidly improve soil health
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Combining Energy With Computational Science, UT Launches Program To Bolster Texas, U.S. Energy Dominance
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His Group Made World-Class Measurements of Atomic Elements
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How The Idea Of Affordability Is Shaping Our Politics : 1A
No matter where you live in the U.S., you’ve probably heard stories — or have your own — about not being able to afford to live. The couple in their 30s that can’t buy a home. The 20-something who can’t afford rent without living with several roommates. The family of five who feel pinched every time they visit the grocery store. The retiree struggling to pay their health insurance premium.Whatever the situation, these stories are becoming central to how Americans are experiencing the economy. And this feeling is shaping politics.A CBS poll from October suggests inflation and the economy are now the top concern among Americans. According to the Urban Institute, 52 percent of U.S. families don’t have the resources to cover what it costs to live. The average monthly cost of groceries has also risen 32 percent since 2019.What do when we mean when we say something is “affordable?” And how do we achieve that goal when the target keeps moving?
Michele Kang launches institute with U.S. Soccer to advance women’s sports research
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2025 Health and Human Services Policy Advisors Institute
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2025 Health and Human Services Policy Advisors Institute
October 28-29, the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) brought together Governors’ health and human services policy advisors representing 28 states and territories in Santa Fe, New Mexico, for the annual Health and Human Services Institute. This year’s institute explored the theme “Stretching the Dollar: Strategically Financing Health and Human Services,” including […]
E-Sports Week in Review
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SIU’s Simon Institute hosts Pulitzer Prize-winning scholar on nation’s political contradictions
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Living near marijuana shops may increase chance of health issues, study finds
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CNN Academy Brings Real-Time Sports Newsroom Simulation to Georgia Tech
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Peter Wallensteen honored by the Peace Science Society for research contributions // Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies // University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame's Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies is one of the world's leading centers for the study of the causes of violent conflict and strategies for sustainable peace.
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