Low poly style illustration of hands using a chainsaw to cut through a stack of papers
Health Policy, Politics, Research

Massive cuts to Health and Human Services’ workforce signal a dramatic shift in US health policy

Combined with previous reductions, these cuts may achieve some limited short-term savings. However, the proposed changes dramatically alter U.S. health policy and research, and they may endanger important benefits and protections for many Americans. They may also have severe consequences for scientific progress. And as some policy experts have suggested, the poorly targeted cuts may increase inefficiencies and waste down the line.

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Coronavirus, COVID, Ethics, Research

Mixed Lessons from Intentionally Infecting People with Covid-19

The idea sounded counterintuitive, but by carefully dosing individuals with SARS-CoV-2 in a controlled setting, scientists could study how the virus affects the body and learn what factors may offer protective benefits.

These types of studies, called human challenge trials, could help fast-track understanding the deadly virus devastating the world, experts claimed. Others, though, questioned whether the potential benefits were worth the risk, particularly given the host of unknowns surrounding Covid-19, and the lack of available treatments at the time.

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Drugs, Mental Health, Research

Hallucinogens approved for treating psychiatric disorders: what does the science say?

Hallucinogens are now being presented as a breakthrough in the treatment of severe psychiatric disorders, such as depression or post-traumatic stress disorder, sometimes in combination with psychotherapy).

Despite being presented as innovations, the therapeutic potential of psychedelics is not a new discovery. In the 1960s and 70s, these substances were explored for medical use but quickly fell out of favour due to regulatory restrictions.

Now, in 2024, the question remains: Are psychedelics genuinely effective for treating psychiatric disorders?

Picture of a white rat in a researcher's gloved hand.
Ethics, Research

What is ethical animal research? A scientist and veterinarian explain

Federal research agencies follow guiding principles in evaluating the use and care of animals in research.These principles are summarized by the “3 R’s” of animal research: reduction, refinement and replacement. The 3 R’s encourage scientists to develop new techniques that allow them to replace animals with appropriate alternatives.

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Immunology, Research, Transplantation

The journey to a pig-heart transplant began 60 years ago

On Friday, January 7 2022, David Bennett became the world’s first person to successfully receive a transplant of a pig’s heart. The eight-hour-long operation by surgeons at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore, USA, was no doubt arduous. But it was a short final step in a 60-year-long journey to genetically alter the pig’s heart so that it would not be immediately rejected – a journey that began with a plane crash in Oxford in the summer of 1940.