Articles
The Challenges of Defining, Understanding, and Addressing Long COVID
Years have passed since COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic. And though some immunity (acquired by vaccination or through a combination of vaccination and prior infection) allows people to reincorporate some of the lifestyle and activities that they used to enjoy, the virus continues to significantly impact patients, health systems, and economies around the world. In addition to the devastating effects that acute infection can have on those at high risk for severe illness, so-called long....
Why the COVID-19 Incubation Period Changes and How That Can Affect Us
Terms like “quarantine” and “social distancing” have been a natural part of our lexicon since 2020. But many of us are not standing six feet apart in public spaces anymore or quarantining after a COVID-19 exposure prior to testing. After all, these actions are no longer recommended for those who are vaccinated.1 The state of emergency for the COVID-19 pandemic may have expired,2 but it is still possible to contract the virus. As new variants have emerged and recommendations have evolved over....
Pfizer’s Biopharma Global Chief Marketing Officer Drew Panayiotou is ‘Radically Obsessed’ with Listening to Patients
For Drew Panayiotou, working at Pfizer comes with an enormous perk: the potential to change the world. That’s why he took the role as the company’s first Biopharma Global Chief Marketing Officer. “Our organization has the power to bring breakthroughs for billions,” says Panayiotou, who joined Pfizer in the fall of 2022. “My job as CMO is to help our organization better understand our healthcare providers and patients so that we can meet them where they are with the information they need at....
'I Choose to Be Positive': A Metastatic Melanoma Story Guided by Hope
In 2010, Mindi noticed that a mole on the left side of her chest was bleeding. She felt concerned, but not panicked; after all, the air outside in Salt Lake City, UT had been dry, the 22-year-old reasoned. It could just be dry skin. Still, she wanted to take the proper precautions, so she made an appointment with a dermatologist. When the doctor suggested they take a wait-and-see approach, Mindi wasn't comfortable with it. She wanted to be proactive. "I know my body best," she says. "My....
The Story of Kendall Square Orchestra, a Symphony of Scientists
In Cambridge, Mass., Kendall Square is where some of the country’s top minds solve global problems. The area is a super-magnet for renowned biomedical and technology businesses. In 2009, a consulting group dubbed it “the most innovative square mile on earth.”1 It’s also a place where music unites, entertains, and maybe even heals. Since 2018, scientists and technology professionals have come together as musicians in Kendall Square Orchestra (K2O). Each season, they perform at community events....
Three Principles of Responsibility for Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Healthcare
Most people already use artificial intelligence (AI) in their daily lives, sometimes without even thinking about it as being AI-driven. Global positioning systems (GPS) are AI-based navigation applications, for instance, that help us find the quickest route between Points A and B and suggest alternate routes when an accident has jammed up traffic. Artificial intelligence speeds up online shopping by remembering our shopping preferences and recommending similar and complementary products. Arti....
5 Inspiring STEM Women Who are Making Medicine Happen
Numbers don’t lie, so the saying goes. And in the United States, statistics about women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) seem to speak less than impressive volumes of truth. Here are the facts: In 2021, only 24% of people working in the United States held jobs in a STEM field1. And while women made up 50.5% of the total U.S. population2, they accounted for only 35% of people employed in STEM jobs.1 Moreover, out of the 24% of all people who worked in STEM1, 65%....
What is Sarcoidosis?: Your Questions Answered
Imagine waking up one morning and finding tender, red bumps all over your skin. Your vision is a bit blurry, so you check your eyes in the mirror. They’re red and teary. Is it allergies? Weeks go by, but you don’t get any better. One day, you feel feverish and short of breath, and you notice that your lymph nodes are swollen. Something is amiss. You make a doctor’s appointment, but the symptoms miraculously vanish. The cycle repeats for years as you bounce from doctor to doctor, taking....
A Billion Doses Delivered: 3 Lessons from the Fight Against Trachoma
Credit: Brent Stirton/Getty Images for ITI Imagine an infection that causes your eyelids to turn inward, so that your lashes—intended to protect your eyes—scrape against the sensitive outer surface of your eye every time you blink. The pain is excruciating and constant. Your eyes water. Your lashes scratch and scar your cornea, the clear tissue covering your eye. Your vision becomes increasingly hazy. That’s reality for nearly two million people. According to the World Health Organization ....