Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University’s Center for Mental Health Innovation have discovered that maternal diet during pregnancy, specifically during the third trimester, may be associated with a higher risk for mental health disorders in offspring. These findings add to the growing evidence that maternal health factors influence infant neurodevelopment, meaning how the brain forms and functions.
Scientists at Pennington Biomedical Research Center have gained greater clarity in the brain regions and neurons that control metabolism, body temperature and energy use. Featured in the February edition of the journal Metabolism, Dr. Heike Münzberg-Gruening and a team of researchers report on discovering which chemicals influence the signals that control how much energy the body uses.
While the FDA has approved over 20 different categories of contraceptives, only two are available for men to prevent pregnancy in their partners—condoms and vasectomies. 25% of women who use contraception use an oral birth control pill, but there are no equivalent methods currently available for men.
Everything the brain does—from storing memories to interpreting sights to regulating emotions—requires energy, all produced by cellular organelles called mitochondria.
Around 1 in 3 Australians delayed their visit to a dentist in the last financial year—or didn’t go at all—due to cost.
Chinese doctors said Wednesday that they had transplanted a liver from a genetically modified pig into a brain-dead human for the first time, raising hopes of a life-saving donor option for patients in the future.
Many Americans wonder whether the pill used in most U.S. abortions will be restricted under the new Republican administration in Washington.
In a prospective cohort study of more than 85,000 adults in the United Kingdom, researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and University of Oxford found that individuals who engaged in light- and moderate-to-vigorous-intensity daily physical activity had a lower risk of cancer than individuals who were more sedentary. The findings, published March 26, 2025, in British Journal of Sports Medicine, are among the first to evaluate the cancer risk reduction associated with light-intensity activities such as doing errands and performing household chores.
COVID infection has been linked to a higher risk of autoimmune disorders, including rheumatoid arthritis and type 1 diabetes. But why the virus might cause the body’s immune system to go haywire remains unknown, making it difficult to develop therapies to avoid autoimmunity. One hypothesis is that viral “molecular mimics” that resemble the body’s own proteins trigger an immune response against the virus—and healthy tissues get caught in the crossfire.
When my dog passed away four years ago, coping with the loss was challenging. I know I am not alone. People turn to their pets when they need comfort and a non-judgmental presence. However, pets have a short lifespan, and losing a companion animal is a common experience.