Tanya Lewis is senior desk editor for health and medicine at Scientific American. She writes and edits stories for the website and print magazine on topics ranging from COVID to organ transplants. She also appears on Scientific American’s podcast Science Quickly and writes Scientific American’s weekly Health & Medicine newsletter. She has held a number of positions over her nine years at Scientific American, including health editor, assistant news editor and associate editor at Scientific American Mind. Previously, she has written for outlets that include Insider, Wired, Science News and others. She has a degree in biomedical engineering from Brown University and one in science communication from the University of California, Santa Cruz. Follow her on Bluesky @tanyalewis.bsky.social
What we learned from South Carolina’s measles outbreak
The recent measles outbreak in South Carolina sickened nearly 1,000 people before public health officials got it under control. Vaccination can effectively prevent further spread
RFK, Jr., set to overhaul key committee that issues disease screening recommendations
Lawmakers grilled Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., on cuts and changes to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, which focuses on preventive health screening
Eat more plant-based protein instead of meat, top heart health body says, contradicting RFK, Jr.
These guidelines reinforce the importance of whole grains and fruit and vegetables but clash with the government’s latest nutrition advice on red meat
New ‘Cicada’ COVID variant is spreading in the U.S.—here’s what to know
Infections of the BA.3.2 variant of the COVID-causing coronavirus are still at very low levels, but experts are concerned it may be resistant to immunity from vaccines or prior infection
Brain implant allows people who are paralyzed to type using their thoughts at speed of texting
A brain-computer interface allowed two people who had lost the ability to move their limbs to type at speeds of up to 22 words per minute
China just approved its first brain implant for commercial use, a world first
Neuracle Medical Technology’s invasive brain-computer interface has been given the green light in China for people with partial spinal cord injuries
‘Like knives inside my body’: Endometriosis is hard to diagnose, but a new ultrasound simulator could help doctors better recognize the condition
A company that makes surgical simulators released a tool to train clinicians to diagnose a deep form of endometriosis
Mumps infections reveal that vaccine-preventable illnesses are resurging in the U.S.
Maryland is one of several states that are reporting cases of the infectious disease mumps, suggesting the return of diseases—like measles—that vaccines protect against
Trump’s State of the Union speech made no mention of Make America Healthy Again
On Tuesday the U.S. president largely steered clear of his administration’s health care agenda amid a broader push to downplay antivaccine efforts ahead of upcoming midterm elections
Alzheimer’s blood tests predict what age people will be when the disease may cause symptoms, study finds
Tests that could reveal when Alzheimer’s disease will emerge, while promising, are not ready for use in otherwise healthy people, scientists say
Lindsey Vonn’s knees reveal the toll of elite skiing—and the body’s resilience
The decorated Olympic skier has had numerous injuries and a partial knee replacement but still plans to go for the gold at the 2026 Winter Olympics
AI illuminates DNA’s ‘dark matter,’ doctors make artificial lungs, and a lipstick vine defies evolution
How a new AI model could help us better understand noncoding DNA, how doctors kept a man alive without lungs for two days, and what a peculiar flower can teach us about evolution
Google DeepMind unleashes new AI to investigate DNA’s ‘dark matter’
DeepMind’s AlphaGenome AI model could help solve the problem of predicting how variations in noncoding DNA shape gene expression
7 Important Health Stories to Watch in 2026
From immune cell therapies to measles outbreaks to federal attacks on public health, these are some of the health topics we’ll be watching next year
From Agency Chaos to Dark Energy Shocks: How Politics, Health, Climate Policy and Space Science Defined 2025
A look back at 2025’s biggest science stories—from federal upheaval and public health setbacks to climate policy reversals and groundbreaking discoveries in space.
U.S. Plan to Drop Some Childhood Vaccines to Align with Denmark Will Endanger Children, Experts Say
The U.S. reportedly plans to overhaul the country’s childhood vaccine schedule. The move could set public health back decades, experts say
Harsh Flu Season May Be Driven by New Variant K
A novel influenza variant called subclade K appears to be driving an uptick in cases and hospitalizations throughout the U.S. and other countries
Trump Officials Keep Comparing the U.S.’s Vaccine Schedule to Denmark’s. They’re Missing the Point
The U.S.’s and Denmark’s health systems are starkly different, so it makes sense that their vaccination schedules would differ, too
COVID Vaccines Slashed Kids’ ER Visits by 76 Percent, Study Finds
A report published by the CDC reaffirms the effectiveness of COVID vaccines at preventing severe disease in children
RFK, Jr., Questions Safety of Approved RSV Shots for Babies
FDA officials are newly scrutinizing several approved therapies to treat RSV in babies despite the fact that these shots were shown to be safe in clinical trials
Changing the FDA’s Vaccine Approval Process Could Threaten COVID, Flu Protection for Children
The FDA is reportedly mulling changes that could make childhood vaccines less accessible and more expensive
Which Pie Gives You the Biggest Sugar Rush: Pecan, Apple or Pumpkin?
Scientific American asked experts which type of Thanksgiving pie spikes blood sugar the most—and how to eat healthier while still enjoying the holidays
RFK, Jr., Says Peanut Allergies May Be Tied to Aluminum in Vaccines and Pesticides. Here’s What the Science Says
Strong evidence suggests that food allergies are caused by a lack of exposure to food allergens—not by exposure to toxins
FDA Strips Health Risk Warnings from Menopause Hormone Therapy
In a reversal, the Food and Drug Administration has removed black box warnings on hormone replacement therapies for menopause