New research led by Stanford physician-economist Marcella Alsan reveals pulse oximeter devices routinely overestimate blood oxygen levels in darker-skinned patients—a racial bias that can trigger downstream health harms for Black individuals, compounding well beyond any single inaccurate reading.

While the #Ebola outbreak is a serious concern in the DRC & nearby countries, the risk to the US and most other regions is low, says Michele Barry, MD, senior associate dean of global health and director of the Stanford Center for Innovation in Global Health. Five things she wants you to know. ⬇️⚕️

SHP affiliated faculty member @pascalge.bsky.social gives Stanford Department of MedicineGrand Rounds on his research into whether the shingles vaccine could protect patients from, or even prevent #dementia.

Global health is at a turning point. Funding cuts and isolationism are reshaping partnerships worldwide. Join us May 28 for the #RosenkranzGlobal Health Policy Symposium: 𝗗𝗿. 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗹𝘀𝗲𝗮 𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼𝗻 in conversation with 𝗦𝗲𝗰. 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗹𝗲𝗲𝘇𝘇𝗮 𝗥𝗶𝗰𝗲, followed by panelist of global health experts. bit.ly/4wgybXs

Immigration changes are driving foreign researchers to leave the U.S. — or not come to begin with  www.statnews.com/2026/05/04/t... via @statnews.com

Overdose deaths are falling, but more still needs to be done to address the addiction crisis, says Keith Humphreys of @healthpolicy.stanford.edu. “As important as overdose prevention is, we should aspire to more than keeping people alive for the next 24 hours,” he tells @kqednews.kqed.org.

In a BMJ Digital Health and AI editorial, SHP's Michelle Mello describes a Stanford Medicine program for ethical assessment of AI tools. The program includes 14 patients who participate in AI ethics assessments and receive foundational AI training and ongoing learning opportunities.

In this @siepr.bsky.social podcast, Stanford physician-economist @marcellaalsan.bsky.social explores how trust and representation shape the U.S. health care system, and how underrepresentation in clinical trials can influence both physician behavior and patient trust.

The playbook for paid parental leave is hiding in plain sight. SHP health economist @maya-rossin-slater.bsky.social argues that evidence it leads to hiring discrimination is “really, really thin and limited" because it calls for a few months, whereas it can stretch out for several years in Europe.

SHP's @jsalomon.bsky.social leads a study that reveals how testing and treatment strategies have the potential to cut #HCV infections by nearly half among people who inject drugs, offering a cost-effective public health approach. news.stanford.edu/stories/2026...

Stanford's Ruth Gibson, who studies the impact of sanctions on public health, tells @nytimes.com the US sanctions took several years to ripple through the health system. The impact of the recent oil blockade, she says, “will likely be exponentially more severe.” www.nytimes.com/2026/03/26/w...

Where Left and Right Both Go Wrong on Crime. SHP's Keith Humphreys writes in this @washingtonmonthly.bsky.social piece that the most promising ways to make America’s streets safer are unsettling ideologues on both sides. Maybe that’s why we aren’t pursuing them. washingtonmonthly.com/2026/03/23/w...

Firearm owners and non-owners both share a common objective of safety, but they disagree sharply about whether lethal firearms achieve it, analysis from @healthpolicy.stanford.edu scholars finds: ow.ly/LlgF50YxQsx

NIH grant awards are again lagging far behind historical averages, analysis shows. Short on staff, the agency has focused on funding renewals rather than new grants www.statnews.com/2026/03/17/n... via @statnews.com

SHP's & @siepr.bsky.social's Maria Polyakova compares physician income in the U.S., Canada, Sweden and the Netherlands. U.S. doctors earn significantly more than their foreign counterparts—but that's largely because Americans across the board earn more. healthpolicy.fsi.stanford.edu/news/examini...

Stanford researchers of all disciplines who are working on global health projects: Get your Rosenkranz Prize applications in by Friday! 🗓️‼️ bit.ly/3OLrAD8

Every time I write about measles, experts warn that polio is next. But it's been so long since we had polio outbreaks, there are very few doctors who even know how to treat its long-term health issues. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

🌎 @prakashlab.bsky.social has developed Octopi, a robotic device that diagnoses malaria in blood smears faster, more accurately & more accessibly. With an open software architecture and powered by AI & battery or solar energy, Octopi is 100x more efficient—and affordable. #Malaria #AI #GlobalHealth

Stanford researchers utilized household survey data from 23 countries to estimate the costs of alleviating poverty, revealing a surprisingly low price tag for effective interventions.

CA becomes first state to join the @WHO network after fed withdrawal. SHP’s Eran Bendavid tells @scotscoop.bsky.social that while the move is big blow to WHO, it reflects the state's strong support for global cooperation.

California is first state to join the @WHO network after federal withdrawal. SHP’s Eran Bendavid tells @scotscoop.bsky.social that while the move is big blow to WHO, it reflects the state's strong support for global cooperation. #globalhealth

New Year. New Ideas. Big Impact. See what our faculty, researchers and students at Stanford Health Policy have been up to. mailchi.mp/d893b7393e42...

SHP's Michelle Mello, professor of health policy and of the law, gives @stanfordmedicine.bsky.social Grand Rounds to discuss implications of AI on clinical care and health insurance.

SHP researchers analyzed #Medicaid data in 32 states and found that public preschool improves diagnoses rates for kids 3-4 who have speech or language impairments, problems with hearing and vision, or ADHD. Once their conditions are identified, these children are then more likely to get treated.

The EPA just erased a century of public health progress. @StanfordMed's Dr. Michelle Williams argues: "It’s a betrayal of more than a century of hard-won victories by public health heroes... " www.statnews.com/2026/02/02/e... via @statnews.com

After a sustained surge of #measles outbreaks, the US is likely to lose its status as a country that has eliminated the highly infectious disease. Here are 5 things we should know, according to @stanfordmedicine.bsky.social Sruti Nadimpalli, a specialist in pediatric infectious diseases.

Dry January is wrapping up. Was it worth it? Whether a month of sobriety is a temporary pause or the start of a lifestyle change, participating in the trend can positively impact your health, says Keith Humphreys of @healthpolicy.stanford.edu in the @sfchronicle.com: ow.ly/z2HH50Y5HMG

Powerful insight from Dr. Tunde Ogunbosi about working as a doctor in conflict areas of Northern Nigeria.

A study by @healthpolicy.stanford.edu researchers finds that the use of a self-administered electronic intervention via an app led to cessation of benzodiazepines among long-term users, creating a potentially low-cost and scalable way to help address benzos dependence: ow.ly/aPwL50Y47kY

SHP's Michelle Mello writes in @nejm.org that older physicians bring valuable wisdom and expertise to patient care, but many will experience cognitive & physical decline that may affect their clinical skills. So it's time to adopt some late-career clinician policies. www.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/...

The healthcare industry is excited about potential of a "MedGPT moment," where AI models trained on millions of electronic health records (EHRs) forecast patient mortality or disease progression. But this overlooks a crucial distinction: these models function only as simulators of clinical outcomes.

In this HealthAffairs study, Michelle Mello of StanfordHP and @law.stanford.edu joins Stanford colleagues to examine the promises of efficiency and risks of supercharged flaws in the race to use artificial intelligence #AI in health care. healthpolicy.fsi.stanford.edu/news/when-ai...

Kennedy Scales Back the Number of Vaccines Recommended for Children www.nytimes.com/2026/01/05/h...

What are the challenges in achieving #Medicare reimbursement for Breakthough Devices? Join our colleagues at Stanford Biodesign on Thursday for this webinar. Learn more & Register: bit.ly/4poYGFK

SHP researchers built a computer model to simulate how infectious disease spreads between correctional facilities and surrounding communities. They tested standard rules-based control policies and AI-based policies developed using reinforcement learning (RL). The verdict was clear.

The Stanford Human Trafficking Data Lab led by SHP's Grant Miller is poised to launch two new AI-driven initiatives to combat labor trafficking across supply chains and within the justice system in Brazil. healthpolicy.fsi.stanford.edu/news/launchi...

As likely cuts to #Medicaid loom, Lee Sanders, a professor of health policy and @stanfordmedicine.bsky.social pediatrician, explains why it's essential to understand how changes to pediatric hospitals could affect families’ access to care, as well as the financial stability of health systems.

Dec. 2: International Panel on Children in War led by Ruth Gibson (Stanford) and Keith Martin (CUGH): In Gaza, Sudan, Ukraine, Ethiopia and Nigeria, war is leaving millions of children injured, hungry and forgotten. This urgent session brings together experts on the frontlines to offer solutions.

Health Policy Forum: Watch 🎬 Stanford experts David Relman, MD, and Hank Greely, JD examine the global health risks of engineered pathogens—and how to safeguard the public without curbing synthetic biology’s potential benefits. @law.stanford.edu @stanfordcisac.bsky.social @hankgreely.bsky.social

Last chance ⏳ ⏰ ‼️ to register for Wednesday’s Health Policy Forum, where Stanford experts David Relman and Hank Greely will examine the global health risks of engineered pathogens—and how to safeguard the public without stalling synthetic biology’s therapeutic promise. Register: bit.ly/3J9ILvV

Engineered pathogens designed by bad actors could threaten global health one day. Join our Nov. 19 Health Policy Forum with Stanford experts for a fascinating discussion of a rapidly emerging set of high-stakes scientific, ethical & regulatory challenges. Register: bit.ly/4984ted @law.stanford.edu

In this Stanford Law School podcast with Michelle Mello, the professor of law and of health policy says the amount of chaos introduced into the federal health policy landscape is unprecedented, leaving major gaps in expertise, trust, and leadership. The states are now are rushing to fill the void.

A paper on child-care subsidies, drafted in 1988 by the late health economist Victor Fuchs, is now seeing the light of day. It’s part of a promise, says co-author @HershShefrin. Read the story ➡️ bit.ly/4hCTlrR on the enduring voice of the SIEPR fellow, @healthpolicy.stanford.edu affiliate. #EconSky

Previous studies found coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) to be cost-effective compared with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)—but new research led by SHP's Mark Hlatky shows their comparative effectiveness and economic outcomes may have changed.

AI is changing how we understand disease and discover new drugs. But it’s also changing the patient experience. How should we think about #AI in our medical care?

“Mirror bacteria” and gene-edited pathogens could reshape—or endanger—life as we know it. Don’t miss Nov. 19 Stanford Health Policy Forum with experts on how science and policy can keep pace with synthetic biology & protect #GlobalHealth. 🌍🧬 Register: bit.ly/47yAxXo

#Breaking: Medicare payments to doctors paused as government shutdown drags on www.statnews.com/2025/10/15/c...

SHP's Michelle Mello joins a global group of 65 thought leaders from academia, tech companies, regulatory agencies, and health systems to dissect & debate solutions to effectively, safely and responsibly deploy AI into clinical practice.

In a @thelancet.com commentary accompanying a new study that finds tens of thousands of young children may be acutely malnourished in Gaza, SHP's Paul Wise writes: "It is now well established that the children of Gaza are starving and require immediate and sustained humanitarian assistance."

SHP affiliate & @stanfordcigh.bsky.social faculty fellow Piya Sorcar, CEO of TeachAids, reflects on lessons from His Holiness the Dalai Lama, from their meeting in India. "He reminded me that service is a privilege, transforming a life’s path into one of meaning and contribution beyond the self."