Stories by Tara Haelle

On reclaiming America’s edge in research and public health

Creating techniques to allow scientists to see biological processes in real time

The 2025 Nobel laureate on the need for better science communication

The energy entrepreneur talks about the state of science innovation in the U.S.

The mathematician and former NFL player on the benefits of having a broad background for young people who are interested in science

The former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention talks about threats to U.S. science and ways they can be stopped

The Pfizer executive talks about rekindling the public’s excitement over science

The Nobel laureate on scientists’ resilience in a time of uncertainty

The director of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory discusses changing the pace of scientific research

The computational neuroscientist on how scientists themselves need to better advocate for government support

The Nobel laureate on how resilience can help young scientists succeed and why governmental support of science should be bipartisan

The noted aging researcher talks about how scientists are like birds

The CRISPR expert on why immigration should be considered an economic and national security asset for science

The noted virologist talks about how to rebuild the U.S. scientific enterprise

A new Lyme disease vaccine made by Pfizer and Valneva could lower infection rates of the tick-borne illness, but federal approval and patient uptake could be a challenge

Three types of diabetes medication are improving the outlook for patients with kidney disease

A new drug slows insulin-dependent diabetic deterioration and has sped up development of a complete remedy

The journey toward an RSV vaccine for children has been wrought with tragedy and setbacks. But six decades after scientists embarked on that path, they are nearing the finish line

Tragic RSV vaccine trials in the 1960s set the field back for decades. Here’s how scientists finally made breakthroughs in RSV immunization

More than 13.8 million Americans could have Alzheimer’s by 2060, and at the rate care facilities are closing, many of them will have nowhere to go. Regina Shih of the State Alzheimer’s Research Support Center (StARS) wants to help solve that problem

Thimerosal, which contains an organic compound of mercury, has been phased out as a preservative for vaccines. Here’s how we know it was safe to use

Spillover from the politicization of the COVID pandemic has eroded vaccine confidence, but everyday people can play a role in building it back up

Polio, a disease that can cause lifelong paralysis, has been eliminated from the U.S. Experts fear a resurgence if lifesaving vaccines are revoked under the new administration

Recent studies show that the Supreme Court ruling that overturned the national right to abortion led to a sharp increase in people—particularly younger, single individuals—seeking a vasectomy or a tubal sterilization procedure