Author: healthadmin
Does the brain create consciousness, or is consciousness a more fundamental feature of reality? Christoph Koch, one of the world’s most eminent neuroscientists, explored this question at the 15th Behind the Brain and Beyond Symposium. The mystery goes far beyond understanding how neurons process information. Scientists can observe which parts of the brain activate when a person looks at an object, feels pain, recalls a memory, or makes a decision. But they still cannot explain why those physical processes involve inner experiences. In other words, researchers can study what the brain does, but they still don’t know how that activity…
WASHINGTON — The Senate Health Committee on Thursday approved two nominees for key health positions, including director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and pandemic response leader, after Chairman Bill Cassidy (R-La.) once again put aside his reservations to support the Trump administration’s leadership picks. The vote to select Erika Schwartz as CDC director was approved by all Republicans and Tim Kaine (D-Virginia), but other Democrats opposed. Sean Kaufman secured the support of all Republicans to become assistant secretary for preparedness and response, but all Democrats opposed him. Nominees to key federal health roles have histories of doubts…
For many German farmers, the late June heatwave could not have come at a worse time. Barley was already ready for harvest in most of Germany, but drought hit other crops, especially at a vulnerable stage of development. “This is another difficult year for farms,” Horst Gorman of Germany’s North Rhine-Westphalia Chamber of Agriculture told DW. Corn has been particularly hard hit because the heatwave coincided with the flowering season, he said. “We’re already seeing some corn plants fail to form on the cob, which of course essentially amounts to a complete crop failure,” Gorman said. In corn, energy is…
Health tech company Stellarus on Thursday announced the launch of an artificial intelligence-driven co-pilot aimed at assisting health insurance customer service representatives. The solution, called Customer Service Representative (CSR) Chat, provides agents with real-time guidance and contextual support during live interactions, revealing relevant information, policies, and recommended responses directly in their workflows. Vanessa Corella, president and CEO of Stellarus, said in an interview with Fierce Healthcare that “unsustainable health care costs” dominate conversations about the U.S. health care system. “It’s not about talking about how things might go wrong at some point,” Colella said. “It’s not working today. One place…
BOSTON — In an order issued Thursday, a federal judge denied a request by 26 states to delay implementation of Medicaid work requirements announced in June. The lawsuit, brought by 26 states, seeks to change one of President Trump’s biggest legislative priorities. The lawsuit focuses on implementing work requirements for Medicaid recipients, the details of which were announced in June with the goal of implementing the changes by January 1. But states also have until Aug. 31 to communicate with Medicaid recipients about how the changes will affect enrollees. In an order Thursday, U.S. District Judge Richard G. Stearns of…
If you live in Philadelphia and want information about the quality of your tap water, start with the latest Consumer Confidence Report. This report is required annually by all local water systems in the country. Although most people have never read the report, it provides important information about the quality of drinking water. Like other large water systems, the Philadelphia Water Department publishes this information online, including the latest 2025 Drinking Water Quality Report. This report provides an overview of Philadelphia’s drinking water from source to tap. It reports levels of approximately 100 regulated pollutants all meeting federal standards. As…
Evidence-based insights on addressing the U.S. mental health access crisis through infrastructure, policy, and clinical innovation for psychiatrists and policymakers.
The Galapagos Islands have long been one of the most important sites for the study of evolution. Charles Darwin visited the island in 1835 aboard HMS beaglehe collected various birds and returned to England. Initially, he thought the specimens included sparrows, woodpeckers, finches, and a great tit. Scientists later discovered that these birds were all closely related finches, with different beak shapes that evolved for different foods. Finches ultimately provided powerful evidence for Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection. This theory explains how populations change over time, as individuals with traits suited to the environment are more likely to…
Recent research published in e-biomedicine Evidence has been provided that people suffering from long-term coronavirus infections show measurable reductions in dopamine-releasing neurons in the brain. These physical changes in the brain tend to be accompanied by common and lasting symptoms such as apathy, memory loss, and slowed body movements. The findings suggest that treatments aimed at enhancing dopamine function may offer a new therapeutic direction for people experiencing the long-term neuropsychiatric effects of COVID-19. Prolonged COVID-19 is a condition in which physical and psychological symptoms continue long after the initial infection with the COVID-19 virus subsides. Many people report persistent…
Get the health information and medications you need every weekday with STAT’s free newsletter Morning Rounds. Sign up here. good morning. Earlier this week, STAT’s Anil Oza went to his usual sandwich shop for lunch and the workers asked him where his friends were. That’s me! I used to pack my own lunch, but now that I know I’m known, I might never do that again. FTC sues Hims & Hers The Federal Trade Commission yesterday sued Hims & Hers, alleging that the direct-to-consumer telemedicine company misled consumers purchasing clinical care and medications through its site. The lawsuit echoes previous…