MUSC Hollings Cancer Center researcher Benjamin Toll, Ph.D., co-led a new American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) policy statement supporting a proposed FDA rule to cap nicotine levels in cigarettes. The proposed policy, still in the public comment stage, would reduce nicotine content by about 95%. By making cigarettes minimally or non-addictive, the policy could help millions of Americans quit smoking and prevent countless new addictions. Toll and his colleagues say the policy could save lives, reduce health care costs and transform cancer prevention, but emphasize the need to pair the policy with strong cessation support services and public education initiatives.

From rare tick-borne meat allergy to everyday asthma, millions of people turn to social media for health advice. But new research being presented at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) Annual Scientific Meeting in Orlando reveals that while these platforms give patients a voice, they also amplify misinformation – and posts that get the most attention are often not the most accurate.

Between 2012 and 2022, a national target of 4 million STEM degrees earned in the United States was surpassed by 16%, cumulatively totaling 4.65 STEM degrees over that decade. This exceeded a projected need of 4 million, which was one million more than the baseline projection. This study also emphasized that keeping and improving national‐level data collection is critical for sustaining STEM education progress and policy oversight.

The University of Houston has been redesignated by the National Security Agency (NSA) as a Center for Academic Excellence in Cyber Research (CAE-R) through 2029, reaffirming UH’s national leadership in advancing cybersecurity innovation, education and workforce development to help protect America’s critical infrastructure.