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Medicine & Health

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 12-Jun-2026 19:16 ET (12-Jun-2026 23:16 GMT/UTC)

Bird researchers use virtual reality to bring fieldwork experience to classroom

Penn State
Grant and Award Announcement

A flutter of blue and yellow darts through a field in late May. Trees, shrubs and summer flowers fill the landscape. A blue-winged warbler is just within reach, with one swift motion it can be gently grasped, banded and studied to understand the health and evolution of one of North America’s most colorful birds. A practice once reserved for scientists, this moment is now possible anywhere in the world thanks to a virtual reality experience developed by scientists at Penn State.

New vaccine could be first to prevent deadly emerging tropical disease

Tulane University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers at Tulane University have developed the first vaccine shown to successfully protect nonhuman primates from melioidosis, a deadly tropical disease emerging as a global threat. The findings are a key step toward human clinical trials and preventing a bacterial infection that’s often resistant to treatment – and which public health experts see spreading to areas it was not previously found.

Journal: Nature Communications
Funder: Defense Threat Reduction Agency, Australian National Health and Medical Research Council, National Institute of Health Tulane National Primate Research Center P51 Base Grant

Latin American research indicates a lower prevalence of a type of head and neck cancer

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo
Peer-Reviewed Publication

After analyzing over 1,400 cases of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck, the study found that more aggressive histopathological variants occur at a rate of 4.6%. Previous estimates pointed to a rate of up to 15%.

Journal: Annals of Diagnostic Pathology
Funder: Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

Influenza A(H3N2) Subclade K Virus – Threat and Response

JAMA Network
Peer-Reviewed Publication

About The Article: This Perspective examines the currently circulating influenza A(H3N2) subclade K virus, including antigenic variants, vaccine effectiveness, and countermeasures.

Journal: JAMA

Worrying about money and food ages the heart faster than traditional risk factors

Elsevier
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A novel analysis investigating the contribution of social determinants of health (SDoH) to cardiac aging has found that financial strain and food insecurity are the strongest drivers of accelerated biological aging and increased mortality risk. The study in Mayo Clinic Proceedings, published by Elsevier, underscores the complexity and interplay of novel social risk factors that may contribute to cardiovascular events and emphasizes the need for targeted preventive interventions and patient-centered care.

Journal: Mayo Clinic Proceedings

HPV vaccine can protect against severe lesions of the vulva and vagina

Karolinska Institutet
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Girls who are vaccinated against HPV are not only well protected against cervical cancer; they are also less likely to develop severe precancerous lesions of the vulva and vagina, particularly if they were vaccinated before the age of 17. This is shown in a new study from Karolinska Institutet published in JAMA Oncology.

Journal: JAMA Oncology

Virtual care provision and emergency department use among children and youth

JAMA Network
Peer-Reviewed Publication

About The Study: In this population-based cohort study of Ontario children and youth, while emergency department visits following a primary sick visit were infrequent, virtual sick visits to primary care were associated with a small increase in emergency department use in children ages 3 months or older, especially low-acuity emergency department visits. Judicious use of virtual primary care to manage acute illness in children is warranted.

Journal: JAMA Network Open

Quadrivalent HPV vaccine and high-grade vulvovaginal lesions

JAMA Network
Peer-Reviewed Publication

About The Study: In this study, quadrivalent human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination was associated with reduced risk of high-grade vulvovaginal lesions, suggesting that expanding vaccination, especially at younger ages, could help prevent high-grade vulvovaginal lesions.

Journal: JAMA Oncology

Breakthrough in detection of deadly toxins in children’s medicines

University of East London
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A major scientific breakthrough has shown that deadly contaminants in medicinal syrups can be detected in seconds using simple, low-cost tests, offering a realistic way to prevent the deaths of children caused by poisoned medicines.

Journal: Scientific Reports