Stories by Lauren J. Young

A neuroscientist explains how highly processed foods may be key to “food addiction.” She also reveals some solutions

A pill version of the popular GLP-1 weight-loss drug Wegovy has been green-lit for use in the U.S. Here’s what that means for health care

From advancements in male birth control to the science of supplements, Scientific American highlights some of the most fascinating health and medicine stories of 2025

The U.S. reportedly plans to overhaul the country’s childhood vaccine schedule. The move could set public health back decades, experts say

Health officials on Thursday announced a slew of measures that seek to restrict access to gender-affirming health care for young transgender people in the U.S.

The FDA is reportedly considering the addition of high-level warning labels to COVID vaccines, a move that some experts say may cause unfounded concerns over safety

The U.S. is considering allowing bemotrizinol, a highly effective UV filter used throughout Europe and Asia, in its sunscreen products for the first time

A new study identifies a mechanism for how COVID vaccines may, in infrequent cases, drive heart inflammation, a condition that can be caused by the disease itself

Vaccine controversies, space pollution and puppy power.

New guidance from the CDC’s vaccine advisory panel scraps a decades-old universal birth dose recommendation for hepatitis B that helped cut infections by 99 percent in the U.S.

Members of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices seemed confused about a proposed recommendation for the birth dose of the hepatitis B vaccine

Skipping meals before a big holiday feast probably isn’t the best idea for gut health, experts say. Here’s how to prevent overeating on an empty stomach—and tips for if you do

U.S. flu rates remain low, but experts are keeping an eye on a new strain that’s been linked to unexpectedly early and severe seasons in several other countries

Top-line results from two large clinical trials by Novo Nordisk, the company behind Ozempic and Wegovy, found oral semaglutide failed to slow down Alzheimer's progression

In recent weeks, dozens of infants in the U.S. have been infected with botulism in an outbreak linked to ByHeart powdered infant formula

In a reversal, the Food and Drug Administration has removed black box warnings on hormone replacement therapies for menopause

A small study helps explain why some people taking Wegovy and similar weight-loss drugs cut back on alcohol, offering insight into potential new addiction therapies

Advocates are lightening mental health burdens, improving pregnancy care and helping patients in developing countries

Nobel laureate Shimon Sakaguchi reflects on what role of regulatory T cells have in peripheral immune tolerance and how the cells could transform treatment for cancer, autoimmune disease and organ transplant rejection

A former White House physician reveals the medical realities of caring for the president of the U.S.

Mary E. Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell and Shimon Sakaguchi shared the Nobel prize for their work on peripheral immune tolerance, a process that is key to organ transplants and treatment of autoimmune diseases

The infection rate of one type of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales bacteria has risen by more than 460 percent in recent years. Scientists say people receiving treatment in hospitals are at highest risk

A revamped CDC advisory committee faces vaccine debates, studies reveal brain changes in athletes, and climate change drives deadly heat waves across Europe.

With the CDC in disarray and its future uncertain, this episode explores what’s driving the exodus of agency staff and what this means for national health security.