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Reframing exercise: How simple physical activity boosts health | Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
For many people, consistent exercise feels daunting — an all-or-nothing proposition in which setbacks signal failure and advice overwhelms. This discussion reframes physical activity as something accessible and sustainable by challenging common myths about exercise.
The unwanted return of tetanus; why soccer makes people so happy; breast cancer in men; plus other stories with Vanderbilt Health sources
Women’s Health interviewed Kathryn Edwards, MD, Sarah H. Sell and Cornelius Vanderbilt Professor of Pediatrics, for a story about her JAMA Viewpoint article on tetanus making a comeback. Women’s Health interviewed Colin Armstrong, PhD, Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Assistant Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, for a story tied to the World Cup about why soccer makes people so happy. An NBC News story about the announcement by “X-Men” actor and former wrestler Tyler Mane that he has breast cancer quotes Ben Ho Park, MD, director of the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center. The story focuses on how a prominent man with breast cancer may help remove some stigma from a cancer that is rare in males. Prevention magazine interviewed Caitlyn Mooney, MD, Assistant Professor, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, for a story about a BMJ study that suggests 90 to 120 minutes per week of strength training may lower the risk of death. William Schaffner, MD, Professor of Preventive Medicine, was quoted by several news outlets about public health issues, including: Women’s Health (norovirus is more common this summer); SFGate (measles in San Francisco just before the World Cup crowds); Travel + Leisure (how to avoid getting sick on a cruise); and Fox News (mosquito-borne diseases). Reporter Liz DeSantis from WKRN News 2 aired a story on the rehab unit at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. Kat Hedden, PT, DPT, PCS, CBIS, Acute Pediatric Physical Therapy Clinical Team Lead and Mary McLanahan, MD, Assistant Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation were interviewed, as well as the family of patient Will Terry. Reporter Nikki Hauser from WTVF News Channel 5 interviewed Graden Knapp, Gaming and Technology Specialist at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt about his 3-D wheelchair project. Tennesseanreporter Sandy Mazza covered the announcement of the latest Leadership Nashville class, which includes Jane Freedman, MD, Deputy CEO, and Chief Health Systems Office for Vanderbilt Health; and also the announcement of the latest Leadership Tennessee cohort, which includes Jeff Upperman, MD, Surgeon in Chief at Monroe Carroll Jr Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.
Ebola's spread fueled by cuts in humanitarian aid | Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Harvard Chan School's Phuong Pham shares how the shuttering of USAID and other foreign aid cuts have contributed to the current spread of Ebola—and what it might mean for global health security in the future.
Quartz countertops are driving a public health crisis in the US – 2 occupational health experts explain the surge of lung transplants and lawsuits
Workers are facing a preventable and incurable lung disease from a material being used to renovate kitchens in millions of American homes.
AI’s growing appetite for power is a public health issue. Here’s a fix
“AI is creating a new and largely overlooked strain on something fundamental to health,” write Sten H. Vermund and Patricia J. Kissinger.
Air Conditioning Is Becoming More Vital to Oregon’s Public Health and Safety
Air conditioning, especially in the Willamette Valley, has become a public health necessity rather than a consumer preference, says Vivek Shandas.
Study Reveals Optimal Number of Daily Steps to Offset Sitting Down
"An important public health message."
Fort Bend County to conduct aerial mosquito spraying amid public health emergency
Fort Bend County officials will conduct aerial mosquito spraying next week as part of an emergency effort to reduce mosquito populations and help protect residents from mosquito-borne illnesses.
Mosquito population surge prompts public health emergency in Fort Bend County
The public health emergency was declared on Tuesday as Fort Bend County health officials are reporting "extraordinary mosquito populations" and activity that are well-above normal seasonal levels.
Moving Beyond Resilience: Rebuilding the Public Health Workforce with Intention
At the Mission Critical summit, public health leaders shared forward-thinking approaches to invest in people, retain talent, and rethink how work happens.
Delaware Public Health District warns of rabies case
The health department said it is important for residents to take precautions
What hospitals are preparing for during World Cup
Measles? A food poisoning outbreak or a need for lots of CT scans in a hurry? With the World Cup in town, hospitals and public health teams say they're prepared.
Science, Public Health, and the Politics of Truth
Presented as part of the McCloskey Speaker Series.Peter Hotez, M.D., Ph.D., professor and dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, joins the Aspen Institute for a keynote lecture on the intersection of science, medicine, and public trust. A leading authority on vaccines and neglected tropical diseases, Hotez reflects on the challenges facing public health today, the growing politicization of science, and what it will take to rebuild trust in scientific institutions in the years ahead.Paepcke Auditorium, doors at 5:00 pmRegistrationThis event is free and open to the public, but registration is required, and capacity is established on a first-come, first-served basis. Once an event is at capacity, we will have an in-person waitlist at the door.Public registration is now open for summer 2026. Please click here to register.ParkingParking is very limited. Please carpool, walk, bike, or ride RFTA.Book signing will immediately follow the event. To learn more about his book or to order a copy, please click here.
Science, Public Health, and the Politics of Truth
Presented as part of the McCloskey Speaker Series.Peter Hotez, M.D., Ph.D., professor and dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, joins the Aspen Institute for a keynote lecture on the intersection of science, medicine, and public trust. A leading authority on vaccines and neglected tropical diseases, Hotez reflects on the challenges facing public health today, the growing politicization of science, and what it will take to rebuild trust in scientific institutions in the years ahead.Paepcke Auditorium, doors at 5:00 pmRegistrationThis event is free and open to the public, but registration is required, and capacity is established on a first-come, first-served basis. Once an event is at capacity, we will have an in-person waitlist at the door.Public registration is now open for summer 2026. Please click here to register.ParkingParking is very limited. Please carpool, walk, bike, or ride RFTA.Book signing will immediately follow the event. To learn more about his book or to order a copy, please click here.
As a physician, I have never been more concerned about rates of congenital syphilis
“As a physician and former public health official, I have never been more concerned about those rates of congenital syphilis,” writes Jeffrey D. Klausner.
Baton Rouge General's Health Tip of the Week: The return of the flesh-eating screwworm
Sponsored by Baton Rouge General The new world screwworm, a flesh-eating parasite once eradicated from the U.S., is making headlines again. Recently detected in a calf in Texas, the screwworm, which is not a worm at all, is raising concern among public health officials. Female flies lay their eggs in open wounds or mucous membranes […]
Butte County Public Health launches surveys in part of 'Rural Water Safety Project'
Butte County Public Health has announced the "Rural Water Safety Project," a comprehensive two-year initiative aimed at reviewing and updating the county's wate
Latvia pilots citizen engagement in research grant evaluations
Latvia has introduced an element of citizen engagement to the evaluation of nationally funded research grants. The aim is to both create more connections between science and society, and to improve the quality of its evaluations. The move comes as research funders across Europe are experimenting with ways to improve evaluation processes in the face of a sharpened focus on science’s impact on society. Evaluators of grant applications submitted to Latvia’s Fundamental and Applied Research Programme (FLPP), the country’s main research funder, will this year have the option of consulting citizen feedback on challenges the public thinks science should focus on to inform their decisions. “In recent years, both public discussions and policy-level debates in Latvia have highlighted the importance of demonstrating how publicly funded research contributes to society, the economy and the resolution of real-world challenges,” said a source at the Latvian Council of Science (LCS), which manages the FLPP. “At the same time, research institutions themselves expressed interest in improving the project evaluation framework while continuing to ensure that funding is awarded to the highest-quality projects,” the source added. The citizen input comes from a survey that was conducted between 25 February and 16 March 2025, to which 1,737 people responded. It gathered information on what the public views as problem areas for Latvia, and the role of science and technology in providing solutions to these problems. A summary of these responses has been included as an annex to the FLPP 2026 call for proposals that evaluators can refer to, purely in an advisory manner, when judging proposals. Results from the survey show that the main problem areas identified by the public were in healthcare and public health, followed by the development of new treatment methods and medicines, and then digital technology, data security and cyber security. At the bottom of the list was research aimed at acquiring new knowledge about the universe, matter and the laws of nature. Further analysis looked at the public view of the possible role of science in solving these problems. The survey charted 4,167 individual responses based on open-ended questions that were derived from the participants’ answers. The analysis again found that medical and health sciences topped the scoring, with 788 responses referring to the field. Humanities and the arts were bottom of the list, with 625. Digging further into the details, the survey suggests citizens are aware of and concerned about a number of research areas. This includes technologies and innovation to improve the environment or reduce pollution, the development of modern military technologies and cybersecurity tools, and the development and application of artificial intelligence, among others. “We hope this initiative will help strengthen public trust in science and create a more meaningful dialogue between researchers and society,” the LCS source said, adding that it offers benefits to researchers, evaluators and to the general public. More space for citizen engagement in evaluationsThere is a gradual but increasing use of citizen engagement in research evaluation processes around Europe, especially in healthcare, but it remains relatively rare, said Henry Sauermann, a professor at the European School of Management and Technology in Berlin and an expert in citizen science.“Given that we are at a point where citizen involvement is extremely limited, there is presumably space for more, but it's not that we should do it just because we want to do it,” he told Science|Business. He said some research lends itself better to having citizen input, and this usually tends to be on the applied end of the science spectrum where the public can offer useful feedback based on their experiences. He added that advising scientists on certain topics to study is also a useful approach, in the way that Latvia is doing. “The public does fund a lot of science, there's a lot of tax money going into this. We of course do want to preserve academic freedom, but it's also not unreasonable to incorporate more feedback or input from citizens where possible,” he said. Related articlesCitizen science: where, when, and how to let the public contribute to researchHow can Europe cope with a flood of AI-assisted research grant proposals?Data Corner: Horizon Europe’s AI, digital and data call success rate is 5.2%There are several ways of involving citizens in science funding. The most minimal way is having a few representatives on a panel, such as members of a patient group or union. The most direct way is crowdsourcing funding for specific projects. There is an increasing number of online platforms that allow the public to chip in to support scientific proposals.Sauermann studied this in a recent paper and found that it can have its uses, but it still is not clear if there are benefits to it. There are various assumptions linked to citizen engagement, for example that it increases public trust in science, or that it provides a representative view of what the public thinks about science. These are not necessarily true, Sauermann found. People who participate in engagement activities tend to already be very trusting of science, and, on the whole, it is generally the well-off and well educated who contribute, giving a narrow view of public opinion. On whether citizen input can help manage the increasing number of proposals that are being submitted due to assistance from AI, Sauermann is more sceptical. “The obvious answer to the flood of AI-written proposals is AI-driven evaluation,” he said, adding that it doesn’t mean citizen engagement shouldn’t be a part of evaluations in a well thought-out manner. Southern Denmark’s successful approachOne successful example of citizen engagement in science evaluations was implemented in southern Denmark. Between 2019 and 2025, citizens in the region were invited to vote to fund one of five pre-selected projects in the field of healthcare. The project, called A Healthier Southern Denmark, was a collaboration between regional authorities, the University of Southern Denmark, and two media partners. Over the seven years, there were 75,000 votes and significant public engagement online and on social media. “It was a bit of a wild project, we’d never done something like that before and we were a bit nervous about what would be said in the media about it. But actually, people were very positive,” said Anne Kathrine Overgaard, one of the main organisers of the project from the University of Southern Denmark. The university and its researchers have learned a lot from the experience, particularly about engaging with society and shaping their research to match real-world needs. This is important with Europe’s increasing focus on competitiveness and bringing innovations to market faster, Overgaard said. She hopes to see more citizen engagement in evaluation processes and in science more broadly. “For many years, citizen engagement has been a bit of an add-on to proposals, just to check a box. But I think things are changing,” she said. It’s less about citizens just gathering data and more “about the dialogue between the public and the scientists,” she said. The initiative ended last year as the team wanted to regroup to find fresh momentum. The development of AI and AI-written proposals has made Overgaard reflect on how the project could be reworked to help evaluators. She hopes to bring it back in the future. “It could be a good idea to try this initiative again in a slightly re-worked format,” she said.
Cigarettes Are Cool Again and Health Advocates are Worried
We explore the return of smoking's coolness, and how the glamorization of cigarettes complicates the public health conversation around nicotine.
FSU researcher receives NASA grant to map extreme heat and protect public health
A collaborative, interdisciplinary team with researchers from Florida State University’s College of Social Sciences and Public Policy has received an
FSU researcher receives NASA grant to map extreme heat and protect public health
A collaborative, interdisciplinary team with researchers from Florida State University’s College of Social Sciences and Public Policy has received an
UAMS Barbershop Talk Presents Men’s Health Panel June 19 at Robinson Center
LITTLE ROCK — The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health Barbershop Talk research team will host, “Beyond the Field, Real Talk on Health, Success and Life After the Game.” This free event takes place 2 p.m., Friday, June 19, at the Robinson…
Maricopa County Reports its First West Nile Death of the Season
Maricopa County Department of Public Health has confirmed the first West Nile virus-related death of the season. The individual was an older adult with underlying health conditions."This case is a tra
Health 'War Room,' Digital Tools Are Tracking Disease Risks During World Cup
Public health experts address the logistical challenge of tracking the health and location of players and fans across 16 World Cup host cities.
CalMatters journalism honored as 'impeccable,' 'beautifully-written' and 'the definition of public service' in Golden State Journalism Awards
CalMatters won five of this year’s Golden State Journalism Awards, for public health reporting, criminal justice reporting, education reporting, courage in journalism and impact in journalism.
How Heat Could Pose A Public Health Challenge For Fans At The 2026 FIFA World Cup
A doctor breaks down heat-related illnesses that fans are most likely to experience at the World Cup and tips to stay healthy and safe.
CSUMB launches public health degree
What has been a concentration in the collaborative health and human services program is now its own major.
A competency framework for digital public health in Europe: an updated scoping review
npj Digital Public Health - A competency framework for digital public health in Europe: an updated scoping review
Connecticut health officials report first measles case of 2026
Connecticut’s first measles case of 2026 was reported by public health officials on Monday.
Building Public Health Fellowships and Pathways to Employment in California
Learn how California is empowering new public health professionals and building its public health workforce.
South Carolina DPH marks Men’s Mental Health Week, urging exercise and screenings
For Men's Mental Health Week (June 15-21), the South Carolina Department of Public Health (DPH) is encouraging men to get active
Ebola risk for World Cup is ‘extremely low’, but US is ready, experts say
US hospitals and agencies have enhanced preparedness for Ebola, but some experts warn of public health system strains.
What Will It Take to Get a Bundibugyo Vaccine? | Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Decades of research and billions of dollars went into licensing a vaccine for Zaire ebolavirus. What will it take to get one for Bundibugyo?
Partnerships drive better community health, leaders say
Participants in NACo's Public Health Leadership Academy focused on building trust between public health professionals and elected leaders.
Somerset public health director calls for safe drug-taking space
Alison Bell says the space could also test the substances and help people if they overdose.
Sleep deprivation linked to mental health problems in adolescents
Insufficient sleep, particularly among adolescents, has been identified as a public health epidemic. WEMU’s Caroline MacGregor reports.
Georgia health officials offer car seat safety classes, free seats for eligible families
Georgia Department of Public Health officials are encouraging parents and caregivers to take advantage of car seat safety classes offered through local health departments.
Amid confusion over Pfizer's emergency penicillin program, newborn is diagnosed with preventable syphilis
Congenital syphilis should be preventable. An Arizona case shows how drug shortages and procedural hurdles are fueling a growing public health crisis.
A new generation of public health students
Public health is often associated with hospitals, disease outbreaks and government agencies. But health also is shaped by architecture — by sidewalks, green space, accessible design and the environments people move through every day. Teddy Basa, a rising junior at Washington University in St. Louis, is seeking to better understand those connections. Basa arrived at […]
New poll reveals how politics reshaped trust in U.S. public health
A Harvard Chan/de Beaumont national poll of 2,205 U.S. adults found CDC trust dropped to 50% one year into new federal public health leadership, while state and local health agencies remained more trusted.
New poll reveals how politics reshaped trust in U.S. public health
A Harvard Chan/de Beaumont national poll of 2,205 U.S. adults found CDC trust dropped to 50% one year into new federal public health leadership, while state and local health agencies remained more trusted.
Invasive jellyfish with a painful sting returns to New Jersey waters, raising public health concerns
The Clinging jellyfish, which carries potent venom capable of causing severe pain and other localized symptoms, has been spotted along the Jersey Shore.
America’s public health programs must cover medically tailored meals
When you prescribe the nourishing meals that people require, they get healthier — and the system spends less.
Roadway project planned at new Webb County health clinic
A highway improvement project near Webb County's new public health clinic will add turning and acceleration lanes for safer access.
Meet Amanda Archer. She helps keep Canton healthy
In our latest "Five questions with" feature, meet Amanda Archer, health commissioner with Canton City Public Health.
World Blood Donor Day: The Science, Courage, and Legacy
Every blood donation carries a story of science, courage, and public health. On World Blood Donor Day, we honor not only the donors but also two physicians who made transfusions safer and turned blood banking into a system that could save lives at scale - discoveries that still shape our medical care.
Santa Clara Co. resident confirmed to have measles: public health
(KRON) — The County of Santa Clara Public Health Department is warning of a public measles exposure in San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and Santa Clara County. Santa Clara Public Hea…
Health officials confirm case of measles in a Santa Clara County resident
The Public Health Department issued a warning regarding potential public exposure to measles.
Column: New federal rules threaten scientific research
Proposed changes to US research funding and administration threaten public health and scientific progress. Political oversight and restrictions on research topics.
After Twenty Years, the Miami Center for Mental Health and Recovery Is Finally Within Reach
For more than two years, I have sponsored and championed one of the most important public health efforts of my time in office: opening the Miami Center for Mental Health and Recovery at 2200 NW 7th Avenue, a place that will treat people living with serious mental illness instead of warehousing them in our jail.
After Twenty Years, the Miami Center for Mental Health and Recovery Is Finally Within Reach
For more than two years, I have sponsored and championed one of the most important public health efforts of my time in office: opening the Miami Center for Mental Health and Recovery at 2200 NW 7th Avenue, a place that will treat people living with serious mental illness instead of warehousing them in our jail.
Laredo health officials headed to nation's largest public health event
Five research projects developed in Laredo will be presented at one of the nation's largest public health gatherings later this year.
GLP-1 Drugs May Protect Against Cancer— Here’s What That Means For Public Health
New research suggests GLP-1 drugs could reduce cancer risk. A doctor breaks down how that could change public health in the future.
Safeguarding the Beautiful Game: DisasterAWARE Powers World Cup Health Security
With more than 6.5 million fans from over 100 countries converging on cities across the United States, Mexico, and Canada for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the public health stakes are significant. The team is leveraging DisasterAWARE for timely, integrated situational awareness...
Slow ICE reporting on infectious illnesses threatens El Paso outbreak response, health authority says
El Paso’s top public health official warned that delays in ICE reporting of infectious illnesses at detention facilities are hampering outbreak response efforts and endanger the broader community.
Hochul defends fracking ban as Blakeman presses for it to be overturned
The process has long been criticized by environmental activists who argue it poses risks to public health.
It’s my tree. Why can’t I cut it down?
Can the government stop you from cutting down your own tree? In many towns and cities these days, removing a tree now requires a permit. You might have to pay a fee, or promise to plant replacement trees. But sometimes, the city won't let you cut down the tree at all, even a tree in your own backyard.That's because trees are important for air quality, for flood control, and for public health. They help keep neighborhoods cool on hot days. But some think that tree protection laws have gone too far — that they might even be unconstitutional.On today's episode, it's the latest showdown between property rights and local zoning laws. Typically, towns and cities enjoy a lot of power when it comes to zoning and permits. They can ban certain types of buildings. They can make you paint your house a certain color. But can they make it illegal to cut down a tree? And what does it mean to "own" a piece of property anyway?Support:Planet Money+Read: Our book: Planet Money: A Guide to the Economic Forces That Shape Your Life Our weekly longform Planet Money newsletterOur weekly Indicator round-up newsletterFollow: InstagramTikTokYouTubeFacebookThis episode of Planet Money was hosted by Jeff Guo and Amanda Aronczyk. It was produced by James Sneed and Emma Peaslee, edited by Jess Jiang, and fact-checked by Vito Emanuel. It was engineered by Robert Rodriguez and Cena Loffredo. Alex Goldmark is our executive producer.
South Bay public health officials prepare for World Cup
Ebola and hantavirus likely won’t pose risks. More contagious, and familiar, bugs could.
Harry Strunk Lake Health Notice
Southwest Nebraska Public Health Department (SWNPHD) has been notified of high levels of E. Coli at Harry Strunk Lake in Frontier County also known as Medicine Creek Reservoir. This means the water…
Former U.S. health official explains why the Trump administration ‘ignored’ a key alcohol study
A study finding that even one drink a day causes health risks was deliberately sidelined by the Trump administration, a former federal public health official alleges
Austin Public Health releases consultant’s ‘Community Violence Intervention Strategy’ report
Austin Public Health released a consulting firm’s “Community Violence Intervention Strategy” report in a Monday memo, which it said was a first step in making a “comprehensi…
Public Health at an Inflection Point: Aligning State Systems to Strengthen Population Health
The US public health system is facing an inflection point characterized by chronic underinvestment, workforce and service delivery challenges, outdated data infrastructure, growing health inequities, and increasing instability within the broader health care safety net including projected Medicaid coverage changes and continued rural hospital closures.
Health 'War Room,' Digital Tools Are Tracking Disease Risks During World Cup
By Deanna Neff HealthDay ReporterFRIDAY, June 12, 2026 (HealthDay News) — With 48 teams competing across 16 host cities in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, tracking the health and location of World Cup players and fans is a logistical challenge that public health experts want to get a handle on. One ...
'Toxic gases, carcinogens': Tracy medical warehouse fire raises air quality concerns as smoke billows
San Joaquin County officials are warning residents about potential health risks as thick black smoke from the Tracy medical warehouse fire continues to billow on Friday. County public health officials said respiratory irritants, toxic gases, carcinogens, and "at least one neurotoxin" are present in the smoke and could impact nearby communities downwind.
Brendan Sorsby isn’t a victim. He’s the latest face of America’s public health crisis
Texas Tech QB's injunction may allow him to play, but the problem remains: Online betting and a growing gambling addiction among young men.
Infectious disease threats test public health
As Trump officials step up efforts against New World screwworm, health experts warn funding cuts may weaken disease responses.
Tenn. to report information from disabled migrant children in public health care program
Information on sick or disabled undocumented children receiving public health care will soon be reported to Tennessee's new immigration enforcement division.
Tenn. to report information from disabled migrant children in public health care program
Information on sick or disabled undocumented children receiving public health care will soon be reported to Tennessee's new immigration enforcement division.
'Probably a political decision': Concerns raised over FDA’s vaping shift
E-cigarette use among young people has declined, but public health experts worry that trend may be reversed.
Using AI for medical advice; pelvic floor exercises; the hidden dangers of burning incense; plus other stories with Vanderbilt Health sources
Colin Walsh, MD,Associate Professor of Biomedical Informatics, was on WTVF News Channel 5‘s “Morningline” show in an interview about whether or not it is safe to use AI for medical advice. Time magazine reporter Stacey Colino interviewed Elisabeth Sebesta, MD, Assistant Professor of Urology, for a story about pelvic floor exercises for issues including menopause, erectile dysfunction and urinary incontinence in men. “Each Breath,” published by the American Lung Association, quoted Brian Christman, MD, Adjunct Professor of Medicine, for a story about the hidden dangers of burning incense. William Schaffner, MD, Professor of Preventive Medicine, was quoted by several news outlets about public health issues, including: Healthline (low vaccination rates lead to more cases of measles, whooping cough and other preventable diseases); ABC News (U.S. measles cases surpass 2,000 for second year in a row); and CIDRAP News (high-dose flu shots cut rates of hospitalization in older adults). Sarah Rohde, MD, Associate Professor of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, was quoted in a People magazine story on patient Makalii Andrade, a surfer from Kauai Island who suffered a serious neck injury in 2022 and recently underwent surgery at Vanderbilt Health to begin the final phase of his recovery. James Crowe, MD, Director of the Vanderbilt Center for Antibody Therapeutics, for a piece in Nature about antibodies against a strain of Ebola. SFGATE reporter Gillian Mohney interviewed Xue Zhong, PhD, Research Assistant Professor, Division of Genetic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacology, for a story about a study of a blood test looking at Alzheimer’s disease biomarkers. Matthew Franklin Mart, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, was quoted in a Healio story about how inflammation and illness severity is linked to less cognitive resilience after a person has been an ICU patient. The “How We Really Feel” podcast host Sula Windgassen, PhD, interviewed Lindsey C. McKernan, PhD, MPH, Associate Professor of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation and Urology, for an episode focusing on pelvic and bladder health. The podcast is also available on YouTube and the podcast website. In addition, podcaster Monica Sanford interviewed cardiologist Mark Glazer, MD, for her podcast “The Monica Sanford Show”; the two-part interview is here and here.
Tennessee health department warns parents their children will be reported to immigration officials
Pediatricians warned of dire consequences for kids with critical illnesses who rely on a specialized Tennessee public health care program.
What Lyndon B. Johnson’s Toothbrushes Show Us About Public Health Today
The most effective public health tools are often small, writes Jean Paul Laurent.
Person dies, another hospitalized for leptospirosis, public health officials say
The two people, who officials said were breeding rats in an RV, represent Berkeley's first known human cases of leptospirosis in a decade.
WHO urges targeted action to strengthen emergency workforce capacities for shared health risks across the Asia-Pacific region
At a time when the world is more interconnected than ever, the World Health Organization (WHO) is disseminating a comprehensive regional analysis of shared health risks across Asia and the Pacific, urging Member States to invest in enhancing workforce capacities regionwide to mitigate these risks and ensure health systems are better prepared to anticipate, tackle and withstand a range of crises and shocks. Over 100 delegates from 49 countries and areas in the Asia-Pacific region reviewed results from the regional risk analysis during the WHO-led Asia Pacific Health Security Action Framework (APHSAF) Stakeholders Meeting in Malaysia. Synthesizing insights from 21 strategic risk assessments and more than 800 multisectoral experts, the regional analysis highlighted an urgent imperative: countries must proactively invest in emergency workforce preparedness to navigate a landscape where climate hazards, disease outbreaks and geophysical events increasingly overlap. These complex converging crises create devastating, compounding impacts on health systems and communities – reiterating the need for investing in a fit-for-purpose regional health workforce and multisectoral action.Key findings: an evolving risk landscape More than half of the participating countries ranked flooding, cyclones, dengue and pandemic-potential respiratory pathogens as being of high or very high risk, while antimicrobial resistance, landslides and gastroenteritis remain widespread concerns as well. “Given that 51% – over half – of these assessed hazards are deeply interconnected, isolated health interventions are no longer sufficient,” said Dr Saia Ma’u Piukala, WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific. “Extreme weather events like cyclones and floods directly trigger subsequent disease outbreaks, while environmental degradation – driven by sea-level rise, coastal erosion and saltwater intrusion – fuels health risks across the Pacific. Mitigating these cascading risks requires unified, cross-sectoral action linking environmental, agricultural and public health policies to build true regional resilience.” Priority recommendations for action To address critical vulnerabilities, WHO calls on Member States in the Asia-Pacific region to urgently prioritize the following strategic actions: Bridge workforce capacity gaps. Embed and standardize emergency preparedness within academia to promote regional workforce interoperability. Foster multisectoral coordination. Address ad-hoc taskforce responses and fragmented surge support through formalized contingency plans and standard operating procedures that are frequently updated and tested. Secure sustainable financing for emergencies. Overcome systemic barriers to access dedicated funding for both immediate anticipatory actions and long-term emergency preparedness initiatives. Enable emergency-ready primary health care. Embed emergency management into public health workforce readiness planning. Ensure that emergency planning is inclusive. Establish clear pathways for inclusive emergency planning that actively involves communities most at risk and other vulnerable groups. Optimize communication. Update risk communication and community engagement strategies, aligning them with seasonal risk calendars. Elevating workforce readiness to meet regional health risks While the gaps identified are significant, the Asia-Pacific region possesses solid foundational pillars, including dedicated clinicians, laboratory staff, rapid response teams, emergency medical teams and extensive community networks. However, to adequately address the compounding nature of modern crises, the various components of the emergency workforce must collaborate cohesively. True resilience depends entirely on transforming this currently fragmented workforce into a highly trained, interconnected and rapidly deployable asset. To achieve this, WHO is actively advancing regional workforce capacities through the Global Health Emergency Corps initiative. This initiative – supported by the Gates Foundation and the Institute of Philanthropy – seeks to build a seamless network of emergency workforce across borders and sectors, ensuring that when a crisis strikes, a standardized, well-coordinated and trained workforce is immediately ready to respond. “Scaling up emergency workforce readiness is no longer optional,” said Dr Gina Samaan, Regional Emergency Director for WHO in the Western Pacific. “It is the definitive factor that will determine how effectively the Asia-Pacific region safeguards health and protects lives in an increasingly unpredictable future.” ____________________For more information, or to arrange media interviews, contact: Ara Johannes, WHO Western Pacific Health Emergencies Division: johannesa@who.int WHO Western Pacific Communications: wprocom@who.int
New Jersey launches digital public health hub ahead of 2026 FIFA World Cup
New Jersey launches new digital public health hub ahead of 2026 FIFA World Cup
The Health and Wellbeing of Formerly Incarcerated People in Connecticut: Insights from the DataHaven Community Wellbeing Survey
By Carter Shannon, Nat Markey, Nora Hodgson, Samantha Lydell, Andrew Carr, and Mark Abraham, DataHaven About this Report Approximately 1 in 5 men aged 18–64 in Connecticut have experienced incarceration at some point in their lives. This population includes people who have been held in a local jail for a single night and those who have served lengthy prison sentences, and it cuts across race, age, geography, and socioeconomic background in ways that reflect broader structural inequities in the criminal legal system. Yet across nearly every indicator of wellbeing, formerly incarcerated people in Connecticut face significant disparities compared to those without an incarceration history. This report explores data on the experiences of formerly incarcerated men in Connecticut from the DataHaven Community Wellbeing Survey (DCWS). The DCWS illuminates significant gaps in economic wellbeing, physical health, mental health, and social support between men with and without incarceration histories in Connecticut. The survey also reveals worse self-reported outcomes for formerly incarcerated people across a range of quality-of-life indicators, with disparities that are often most severe among those who have been incarcerated more than once. These disparities do not arise by chance. They are shaped by a policy landscape that erects lasting barriers to housing, employment, and healthcare for people leaving incarceration, as well as by the physical and psychological toll of incarceration itself. This report is being written in the political context of federal funding cuts to social programs and proposed rollbacks to Medicaid eligibility, changes that will disproportionately impact people with incarceration histories, who are more likely to rely on public health coverage and other safety net supports.
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The drug that saved your mother. The treatment your doctor recommended. The clinical trial that bought someone you love more time. None of it was inevitable. It required a system built to operate outside politics and sustained over decades, because science doesn’t operate on the timeline of a politician. That system is now under direct threat. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has proposed a new rule to regulate all federal grants, not just science, but housing, education, defense, NASA and everything in between, that would fundamentally change how research is conducted in the United States. There have been a lot of fires in the past 16 months, and if everything is an emergency, nothing is an emergency. But this is a very big deal. These rules would strip away the independence that has kept science from becoming a political tool. The good news is there’s still something we can all do. How the grant system was designed to work When I was a new faculty member, I was full of millions of ideas, so I sat down and wrote an NIH proposal. I worked on it for months and thought it was so good. Then I sent it to my mentor. It came back covered in comments. Places where my reasoning wasn’t as airtight as I’d thought, methods that could be stronger, gaps in my thinking that I had been too close to the work to see. It stung, as honest feedback always does, but peer review almost always makes the work better. In fact, it’s the backbone of how American science has functioned for generations. At NIH, submitted proposals go to a panel of scientists who have experience in the field. These are the people who can read research methods and spot their weaknesses, who understand when an experiment is designed well and when it isn’t. Applications are scored rigorously, and often only the top 3-20% of proposals receive funding. The people making funding decisions are required to justify them based on these reviews. To be clear: this is not a perfect system, and good science still goes unfunded more often than any of us would like due to limited resources. There is also criticism that peer review may undervalue bold ideas that are risky but could have high payoffs. But the peer review system is nonetheless a meaningful part of the grant selection process. While thoughtful and careful changes could improve the system, the changes being proposed by OMB will not make things better. The rule that could change everything Through this OMB proposal, the system that helps decide what gets funded is being dismantled. There are many troubling elements buried in this proposal, but three provisions stand out in particular. Each would be damaging alone. Together, they would change what kind of science gets done in America, and who it serves. 1. Political appointees would decide which science gets funded, and peer review would be explicitly sidelined or ignored. The guidelines your doctor follows, the standards that determine what’s in your air and water, the drugs that get approved for your family: all of it starts with a funding decision. Right now, that decision is made by scientists who can evaluate whether the work is actually sound and whether it could move the needle forward. Under this proposal, funding decisions could be made by political appointees. The careful, expertise-driven review process that shapes grant funding would be effectively sidelined. That means that a poorly designed study could get funded simply because someone in a political office liked the sound of it, while rigorous, important work doesn’t get funded because it no longer aligns with the administration’s priorities. In other words, critical work that benefits all of us could now be missed just because it has become politically inconvenient. 2. Grants could be canceled at any point, without warning, in the middle of ongoing work. Say your tax dollars have been paying for a cancer study for two years. The grant was awarded for five years, so the team is mid-experiment. There are three additional years’ worth of answers that could change how the disease is treated for hundreds of thousands of people. With this new rule, the federal government could cancel the remaining funding tomorrow, walk away from the commitment it made with your money, and have no legal obligation to finish what it started. This is a huge waste of money. There are rarely other sources of funding for this work, which means the team, the graduate students, postdocs, and research staff who have dedicated years of their careers to this project could lose their jobs. Patients who have contributed their time to studies may not see it turn into useful learnings for others. Every hour of work already completed could result in nothing useful. Science can take decades to get to tangible outcomes. It needs a stable funding system to flourish. 3. Researchers would have a harder time communicating their findings without pre-approval from the federal government. There is a saying from Sir Mark Walport: “Science isn’t finished until it’s communicated.” Science is no use to anyone if it is kept locked away in the labs that produced the data. The proposed rule could make communicating research findings harder in a number of ways: Make it harder for scientists to widely share their findings in scientific journals. Publication costs, including journal fees that allow for broad public access, could not be paid for by federal funds which is often how scientists pay these costs. Restrict researchers from engaging publicly about how their findings should inform policy or public health guidelines. This would restrict scientists from doing the work that transforms years of lab work into decisions that actually affect people’s lives. Make it harder for scientists to attend conferences. Conferences would now need to be approved by the federal agency at the time of grant award. This disadvantages conferences or publications that are not politically aligned. Conferences are a key way in which scientists learn about work happening in their field so they can collaborate and build on each other’s findings. What good is science with a muzzle? The long-term impact These changes could (and hopefully would) be reversed under the next administration. But by then, damage has been done. Once projects are halted or denied funding by political appointees, people leave their science careers for other paths or even leave the country to do their amazing science elsewhere. You cannot pause a scientific study the way you pause a subscription you decided isn’t useful anymore. You cannot freeze a research team that depends on salaries to feed their families, causing a scramble for replacement funding that, in most cases, simply does not exist. When the money stops, everything stops, and all the work in progress and its potential are lost. Despite all of the language about reducing waste, fraud, and abuse, this new proposed rule increases the administrative burden tremendously. Every researcher watching this unfold will make a rational decision: don’t start anything that will take a decade to finish. This includes not building a team around funding that could vanish, or asking the big questions that need patience and stability to answer. The most consequential science, the kind that produces the treatments and the breakthroughs that reach your doctor’s office twenty years from now, is exactly the science that would be abandoned first. This is still a proposal, so we can all do something Some worry this rule is already a done deal. But by law, OMB is required to open a public comment period. Those comments matter because they inform members of Congress, they can be used in litigation, and they create a public record. So here’s what you can do: Submit a public comment. The public comment period on this proposed change is open until July 13. Anyone can submit a comment, and OMB is required to respond to substantial ones. Each comment must be different to count as distinct; identical comments will be counted only once. Comment as an individual, not on behalf of your organization. Here’s a full resource to help you, with useful examples, but in general: Share a story about how science or federal funding has benefitted you or is involved in your work. Are you or someone you loved a cancer survivor? Do you know someone with Alzheimer’s? Have you received NIH/NSF or other federal funding? All of these can be stories you use to highlight why you care. Explain why you’re worried about these proposed changes. You can use the wording found here or in other resources to help you. Ask them to withdraw this proposed rule. Contact your elected representatives. Congress allocates money to federal agencies to spend, and it has oversight of how that process works. You can let your representatives know this proposed change concerns you and ask them to intervene. There are levers they can push that can help at this moment. Let others know why federal funding matters. This isn’t just about science, but ALL federal grants, including for education systems, defense projects, and more. The process, including the importance of federal funding, is invisible to many. We can all make it more visible by sharing how science benefits us and why we value it. You can also share this article, or any of the resources linked here, to help spread awareness! Bottom line We are quickly losing ground in scientific research in the U.S. More changes, like the proposed rule by OMB, would decimate our ability to conduct research here, leaving us all worse off: fewer treatments for pancreatic cancer, less research on pollution impacts, fewer answers for patients with rare disease, and more unaddressed health needs. The impact will be very real for all of us, regardless of where we stand politically. Using our voices for science is more important than ever. Love, LM Big thanks to Dr. Megan Ranney for reading this over and providing brilliant insights, as always. Dr. Liz Marnik, PhD, is Executive Director of The Evidence Collective at YLE and a science communicator and immunologist working at the intersection of public trust, science, and public health. You can find her on Substack, LinkedIn, Instagram and Threads. Your Local Epidemiologist (YLE) comprises a team of experts, ranging from physicians to immunologists to epidemiologists to nutritionists, working together with one goal: to “Translate” ever-evolving public health science so that people are well-equipped to make evidence-based decisions. The YLE suite of newsletters reaches over 475,000 people across more than 132 countries. This newsletter is free to everyone, thanks to the generous support of fellow YLE community members. To support the effort, subscribe or upgrade below: Subscribe
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