Category: 4. Health

Adeno-associated virus (AAV) is a prominent method for delivering genes in vivo. Therapeutic delivery to target cells is achieved through full capsids containing the gene cargo. However, the presence of empty capsids in the AAV drug product can reduce therapeutic effectiveness, necessitating their detection…

For those who are overweight or obese, medications known as glucagon-like peptide-1 agonists, or GLP-1s, have become very popular as weight loss treatments. Taken in accordance with instructions on the label and an appropriate diet and exercise regimen, GLP-1s are…

In Philadelphia, fatal overdoses are the No. 3 cause of death after heart disease and cancer. That’s been the case each year since 2016, except in 2020 and 2021 when COVID-19 deaths outpaced overdose deaths. The vast majority of fatal overdoses in Philly involve the synthetic opioid fentanyl.

Data on overdose deaths in Philly in 2024 is not yet available. However, new research shows that drug deaths are dropping in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Still, opioid overdose…

Since 2022, Colorado and 10 other states have passed voter initiatives to protect or expand abortion access. Yet, seven of these states, including Colorado, require people under the age of 18 to get consent from or notify a parent prior to receiving abortion services.

In January 2025, my colleagues and I published research using in-depth interviews with 33 people ages 15 to 22 in Colorado who considered or obtained abortion care between 2020 and 2023. Our study suggests that…

In the sixth episode of The Deep End, we’ll look to the future for Jon and his family and for DBS research. The research is pushing ahead, with a clinical trial of DBS for treatment-resistant depression that’s just begun. The first volunteer for that study had DBS surgery in early February. You’ll also hear about a before-and-after situation for Jon and Barbara, one that involves the evolving meaning of a beloved song.

Transcript

Laura Sanders: Previously on The…

Anyone who has raised kids knows what happens when you give them a monthly allowance without requiring any work in return: they plop in front of their new videogame consoles while their dirty dishes collect in the sink.

That’s the logic behind Republican plans to establish work requirements for people who receive safety net benefits—if you give them money with no strings attached, they won’t have an incentive to work. By…

Protein is a critical macronutrient for building and repairing muscles, supporting metabolism and maintaining overall health. Popular podcasters like Dr. Andrew Huberman commonly talk about the importance of protein and its health impacts.

So, how much protein do you really need to consume? Are goals different depending on age or other…

After Spring Break, it’s common for campus counseling centers to see an uptick in students worried about their academic performance for the semester. Many of these students will report being burdened by high perfectionism and significant test anxiety. A 2023 report by Harvard indicated that levels of perfectionism among college students have consistently risen since 1989, and that 85.4% of participants endorsed perfectionist traits that were…

What may happen after you go through COVID-19 remains a concern. There’s certainly the risk of getting any of the common but often hard-to-deal-with long COVID symptoms like fatigue, muscle aches, breathlessness, headaches, difficulty thinking and alterations in taste listed on the World Health Organization website. But there’s also erectile…