Health & Wellbeing

Johns Hopkins Medicine has been awarded a grant by the National Institutes of Health for research investigating psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy to treat tobacco addiction. The grant is the first federal funding in 50 years for psychedelic therapy.

In a long-awaited decision the FDA has approved "mix and match" COVID-19 vaccine boosters, meaning your third dose does not need to be the same vaccine as your primary course. Boosters are also recommended for all who received the single-dose J&J vaccine.

Over the past few years we have seen a string a studies shed light on the way we can learn and form memories while we sleep. Now a new paper focussed on motor skills is deepening our understanding of the relationship between slumber and brain function.

A new analysis by the World Health Organization has estimated six in seven COVID-19 cases have gone undetected in Africa. The report indicates the real number of cases could be 60 million and a program to increase testing capacity has been proposed.

A study has quantified the role genes play in how our bodies respond to different kinds of exercise. The findings show genes influence outcomes prominently in muscle training and propose exercise programs could be personalized for genetic profiles.

New research has used an in-ear sensor to monitor COVID-19 patients at home, transmitting vital signs in real-time to doctors who evaluated the need for hospital treatment, often admitting the patients before they even noticed their condition decline.

A new study has shown how short spurts of so-called fasting-mimicking diets can bring about a range of benefits in otherwise unhealthy mice, ultimately preventing the buildup of fat and onset of obesity.

Researchers are calling for urgent action limiting the use of chemicals called phthalates in the production of plastics. A new study estimates up to 100,000 premature deaths in the United States every year could be attributed to phthalate exposure.

Scientists working to improve the potency and safety of senolytic drugs have made a significant discovery, pioneering a new antibody treatment that closes in on the target cells with high precision, while leaving healthy cells unharmed.

Two new studies are building on a hypothesis that multiple sclerosis (MS) can be triggered by viral infections in a person’s teenage years. The research raises concerns the current COVID-19 pandemic could lead to a surge in MS cases in the future.

A first-of-its-kind study has found traces of hundreds of unknown chemicals in electronic cigarette vaping liquid and aerosols. The study details a huge array of unidentified chemicals plus a handful of known and potentially harmful compounds.

A Canadian study has measured the virulence of the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant compared to earlier strains of the virus. The research found, compared to the original strain, Delta is considerably more deadly and leads to greater numbers of hospitalizations.