Medicine & Health

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 28-May-2026 13:15 ET (28-May-2026 17:15 GMT/UTC)

18-Mar-2026

Cancer research at a crossroads: Experts warn against funding cuts and misinformation

University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new editorial published in JAMA Oncology warns that cancer care progress is under threat from a "trifecta" of challenges: proposed federal budget cuts, a surge in medical misinformation, and a critical gap in public health literacy.

Journal

JAMA Oncology

18-Mar-2026

 

Neanderthals may have used birch tar for its anti-bacterial properties

PLOS
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Neanderthals probably used birch tar for multiple functions, including treating their wounds, according to a study published March 18, 2026 in the open-access journal PLOS One by a team of researchers led by Tjaark Siemssen of the University of Cologne, Germany, and the University of Oxford, U.K.

Journal

PLOS One

18-Mar-2026

 

Mental health is an important issue for U.S. voters, ranking above border security, TikTok bans and the Billionaire Tax, in hypothetical voting study of salient policy issues

PLOS
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Mental health is an important issue for U.S. voters, ranking above border security, TikTok bans and the Billionaire Tax, in hypothetical voting study of salient policy issues

Journal

PLOS One

18-Mar-2026

 

Road traffic noise is annoying during walks in both urban forests and built urban environments and is a ‘significant health-related stressor,’ according to a randomized controlled trial in Zurich, Switzerland

PLOS
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Road traffic noise is annoying during walks in both urban forests and built urban environments and is a ‘significant health-related stressor,’ according to a randomized controlled trial in Zurich, Switzerland

Journal

PLOS One

18-Mar-2026

 

As World Tuberculosis Day 2026 approaches, an international group of authors describe how ending tuberculosis requires a whole-of-society approach

PLOS
Peer-Reviewed Publication

As World Tuberculosis Day 2026 approaches, an international group of authors describe how ending tuberculosis requires a whole-of-society approach, more effectively engaging policymakers, funding bodies and affected communities along with doctors and researchers.  

Journal

PLOS Global Public Health

18-Mar-2026

Study suggests mental health policy is emerging as a key voting issue for Americans

University of Missouri-Columbia
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new University of Missouri study suggests mental health policies can play a significant role in how Americans choose political candidates.

Journal

PLOS One

18-Mar-2026

 

New model predicts how mosquitoes will fly

Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new 3D model reveals how mosquitoes adjust their flight patterns in response to visual and chemical cues. The research could help in the design of more effective traps and mosquito control strategies.

Journal

Science Advances

Funder

LLC, NDSEG Fellowship Program, MIT MathWorks Professorship Fund

18-Mar-2026

Analysis: In U.S. health insurance market, consolidation of insurers is increasing premiums

Carnegie Mellon University
Reports and Proceedings

In a new analysis, researchers document concentration across commercial, Medicare Advantage, and Medicaid markets, examining how asymmetric information—particularly adverse selection—interacts with market power to shape premiums, plan designs, and consumer welfare. They conclude that consolidation of insurers boosts premiums, and they call for regulation and antitrust oversight.

18-Mar-2026

 

Digital early warning systems essential as old diseases like cholera resurge in global crisis zones

JMIR Publications
Peer-Reviewed Publication

JMIR Publications today released a critical analysis in its News and Perspectives section regarding the global resurgence of cholera and the vital role of digital surveillance in fragile settings.

Journal

Journal of Medical Internet Research