Due to the continued government shutdown, 42 million people who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, will no longer get federal food benefits starting Saturday. This program serves 1 in 8 Americans and 39% are children. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/27/u...

Over the summer I had the chance to visit the Nanyao village in southwest China, 10 years after my first visit in 2015. I wrote about the Zhang family, the changes they have witnessed over the past 25 years and their grandson’s career aspirations. offthesilkroad.com/2025/09/21/n...

In my weekly podcast, I had a fabulous conversation with a brilliant Obstetrician about how she advises pregnant women about the risks and benefits of taking a medicine Dr. Elizabeth Langen is really good This is worth your time

How should we think about the data and evidence on Tylenol during pregnancy? On this week's episode of @amomentinhealth.bsky.social, @ashishkjha.bsky.social and Dr. Elizabeth Langen discuss how to weigh the risks and where to go from here. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/w...

An important story on the effects of measles outbreaks in day cares: A nine-month-old who was exposed is too young to be vaccinated and his parents have to take unpaid vacation days to stay home. Many do not have the savings to stay home for weeks. www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...

Important new case-control study in @jama.com - Insecure firearm storage is associated w/adolescent suicide - but not adult suicide. In other words, secure storage [locked, unloaded] is IMPORTANT for reducing kids' suicide, but may not be sufficient for adults. jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...

More than 10,000 people subscribe to the @pandemiccenter.bsky.social's Tracking Report, a newsletter led by @jennifernuzzo.bsky.social and her team. Have you subscribed? Go to thepandemiccenter.org. www.wpri.com/news/local-n...

Gavi works in close partnership (operationally and financially) with governments around the world to distribute life-saving vaccines to children. Their work has saved nearly 20 million lives since 2000. Kennedy is either misinformed or lying, but either way children will die as a result.

Thank you to @dwallacewells.bsky.social for featuring our work (led by @jeremyfaust.bsky.social) on the political divides of vaccine exemptions. "It is a war from above on public health — and public trust." www.nytimes.com/2025/06/18/o...

"In considering what comes next, U.S. policymakers should strive for a balance that maintains a focus on saving lives and promoting economic growth while maximizing soft power benefits to advance U.S. strategic interests," @spsaki.bsky.social writes. www.thinkglobalhealth.org/article/us-s...

Lenacapavir, a twice-yearly injection to prevent HIV, was approved yesterday by the FDA. It's the longest-acting prophylactic drug to date. We need to do more to ensure this scientific innovation is accessible to all in the US and around the world. www.nytimes.com/2025/06/18/h...

In the aftermath of the recent firing of previously serving members of CDC's ACIP, @ashishkjha.bsky.social calls for states + medical societies to step up in protecting access to vaccines — committing to science-based policy and ensuring vaccines remain free. www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...

In 1944, the USS LST-510 carried 200 soldiers and 70 vehicles (including tanks) and landed near Omaha Beach as part of the D-Day landings in Normandy. Today, 81 years later, she shuttles passengers and cars between Long Island and Connecticut. What a cool piece of history.

In the last 20 years we've seen significant advances in vaccines for older adults — most namely shingles and RSV. We need to continue to increase access for this population as the benefits from averted hospitalizaitons and deaths are significant. www.nytimes.com/2025/06/14/h...

Excited that my JAMA Pediatrics article with @jeremyfaust.bsky.social @bhrenton.bsky.social @hmkyale.bsky.social and others is now published. It turns out that permissive firearm laws aren’t great if you want to reduce pediatric firearm deaths. jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...

“permissive firearm laws contributed to thousands of excess firearm deaths among children living in states with permissive policies” - the study by @jeremyfaust.bsky.social @mirandayaver.bsky.social @bhrenton.bsky.social @hmkyale.bsky.social et al (more tags!) in @jama.com Peds

Declining measles vaccination rates hurt us all. A new study with data from 2,066 counties in 33 states found a mean 2.7% decrease in MMR vaccine coverage. with many counties below the recommended 95% level to prevent spread. jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...

In his latest @bostonglobe.com opinion, Dean @ashishkjha.bsky.social reacts to HHS cancelling Moderna’s bird flu vaccine contract—a decision he calls RFK Jr.'s "most dangerous yet." www.bostonglobe.com/2025/06/03/o...

Why should you, someone who gets insurance through your employer, care about Medicaid cuts? Senator Jack Reed brought up some good points tonight: 1. Insurance premiums (for all) will go up 2. Nursing homes will close, hindering long-term care 3. Longer ER wait times for everyone

This was truly an exceptional speech by my friend @scienceyael.bsky.social. "Imagine a generation of Harvard PhDs who count impact not in citations, but in how many communities we reach." A critical reminder on how we communicate science and how we restore public trust.

It’s such a joy to work with Gabby Chalker at Brown — so happy we were able to be connected through Middlebury. Thank you to the Middlebury College Center for Community Engagement for the feature! www.middlebury.edu/community-en...

"The most transformative innovations in medicine, health, biomanufacturing, and national security could still come from the United States if we choose to not squander our advantages." Dean @ashishkjha.bsky.social writing in the @bostonglobe.com www.bostonglobe.com/2025/05/27/o...

3,310 degrees. Over 3,000 alumni. 11,000 families and guests. 15,000 attendees at Campus Dance. 13,000 seats on the Green. And 1 musical performance by Jon Batiste. Brown's 257th Commencement was an incredible weekend — congratulations to the Class of 2025!

Scenes from across campus as we prepare for this weekend’s Commencement and Reunion.

Really fun this week to have two @brownpublichealth.bsky.social students on @amomentinhealth.bsky.social: Aliza Kopans and Akashleena Mallick joined @ashishkjha to reflect on entering a career in public health, exploring the excitement, responsibility and hope. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a...

Such important stories told by @scienceyael.bsky.social, an incredibly gifted science communicator.

The NBER working paper on lives saved with Medicaid, which we featured in this week's @amomentinhealth.bsky.social, found that the cost of Medicaid to save a year of life ($179,000) is similar to some cancer screenings (which are covered under the ACA). www.nytimes.com/2025/05/16/h...

An important perspective on the inefficacy of work requirements for Medicaid, as an incredibly small portion of enrollees are not working and such requirements add administrative costs. www.nytimes.com/2025/05/16/o...

An awesome story into the work of one former infectious disease detective who rappelled from a helicopter onto a cruise ship in 2020 to test passengers and crew for COVID. www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/20...

It’s always great chatting with Dean @ashishkjha.bsky.social!

Last week, we welcomed distinguished public health leaders from across Africa for vital discussions on global health challenges. Thank you to the US Department of State International Visitor Leadership Program & World Affairs Council of Rhode Island for coordinating this exciting convening.

Our founding dean, Terrie Fox Wetle, will receive the Rosenberger Medal of Honor during Commencement and Reunion Weekend. This is the highest honor Brown faculty can bestow, having only been conferred 36 times in the last 100+ years. www.brown.edu/news/2025-05...

This is an extraordinary interview showcasing the humanity exhibited by one man: Gus Walz. youtu.be/Ue2KLKzcqLk?...

"If Congress cuts funding for Medicaid benefits, Missouri workers and their children will lose their health care. And hospitals will close. It’s that simple. And that pattern will replicate in states across the country." An op-ed from Sen. Josh Hawley. www.nytimes.com/2025/05/12/o...

An interesting study sequencing genomes from UC San Diego's student COVID cases during the Omicron wave. Mitigation measures worked — there was little evidence for student-to-student transmission outside of individual suites and a big social event. www.thelancet.com/journals/ebi...

Dramatic cuts to Medicaid could greatly impact our progress made on reducing drug deaths. www.healthaffairs.org/content/fore...

A deeply reported story from @emilydavies.bsky.social, a gifted storyteller.

A fascinating look into the only place in the United States where mail is still carried in and out by mule. www.theatlantic.com/magazine/arc...

"Oh my God, Rob's the Pope!" Pope Leo XIV's brother Louis Prevost tells @kaitlancollins.bsky.social his initial reaction to yesterday's news that his brother was elected as pope. An iconic interview.

This is an extraordinary local news interview with the brother of Pope Leo XIV. "First we do Wordle, cause this is a regular thing then we do Words with Friends…" "I always put him on the roof so he can reach the branches. That's not going to happen anymore!" youtu.be/tbnZ8zz9_og?...

Just now: Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost has been elected as pope, the first American pope in history. He will take the name Leo XIV.

As the first day of the conclave passes on the way to a papal successor, it was an honor to be quoted next to His Holiness Pope Francis in @brianstelter.bsky.social’s Reliable Sources newsletter in January 2022.

Allyson Felix, five-time Olympian and the most decorated American track and field athlete in history, will deliver Brown's 2025 Baccalaureate address. www.brown.edu/news/2025-05...

Congratulations to Professor William Goedel on being named recipient of Brown University's first-ever Faculty Fellowship in University History! Learn about his project tracing the roots of public health at Brown back at least as far as the late nineteenth century!➡️ jnbc.brown.edu/collaboratio...

The ACA's Medicaid expansion provision has allowed nearly 28% of all childcare workers to be covered through Medicaid. Significant cuts to this program would likely exacerbate existing childcare shortages. ccf.georgetown.edu/2025/04/21/m...

In the summer of 2020, Hispanics in Texas were half of all COVID-19 deaths. Now they are less than 25% of COVID-19 deaths. An important deep dive into how Hispanic Texans got vaccinated in record numbers and reduced COVID deaths. www.texastribune.org/2025/05/01/t...

"AmeriCorps is not a bloated bureaucracy — it’s a lean, high-return investment in service, leadership and community resilience. With every dollar spent, the return in lives changed and communities improved is undeniable." www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...

Congratulations to the @pandemiccenter.bsky.social team, whose Tracking Report newsletter has been featured on the @nytimes.com' "5 Places to Turn for Accurate Health Information." www.nytimes.com/2025/04/28/w...

Enjoyed being at @brownmedicine.bsky.social yesterday for Global Health Research Day and hearing from our great @brownpublichealth.bsky.social students involved in global health work.