Laura Sanders
@laura-sanders.bsky.social
Senior reporter @sciencenews.bsky.social. Molecular biology Ph.D. Occasional podcaster on The Deep End. Covering health, bio, brains, especially human ones.
Careful, fair and fact-packed reporting from the stellar @thsaey.bsky.social on worrisome changes to vaccine policy. www.sciencenews.org/article/vacc...
Vaccine policy in the U.S. is entering uncharted territory
A key advisory group vows to base decisions on evidence, boost confidence in vaccines and protect health. Experts fear the opposite is happening.
sciencenews.org
If you're watching season 2 of The Last of Us, you'll want to read @thsaey.bsky.social's story for all your fungus-related questions, including a big one about Ellie's brain. www.sciencenews.org/article/fung...
Humans have shockingly few ways to treat fungal infections
It's not quite as bad as The Last of Us. But progress has been achingly slow in developing new antifungal vaccines and drugs.
sciencenews.org
You could argue that I overdid it with the cold puns in this story, and you wouldn't be wrong. Here is my latest on whether cold plunges (and hot plunges too) speed muscle recovery in women. www.sciencenews.org/article/cold...
Do cold-water plunges really speed post-workout muscle recovery?
A new study is among the first to look at whether cold or hot soaks help women’s muscles rebound from extreme exercise.
sciencenews.org
Important story on NIH grants being terminated by my colleague @sujatagupta.bsky.social www.sciencenews.org/article/nih-...
$1.8 billion in NIH grant cuts hit minority health research the hardest
News of NIH funding cuts have trickled out in recent months. A new study tallies what’s been terminated.
sciencenews.org
Sometimes in my reporting, I get to learn new combinations of words, like "zombified piglin chicken jockeys." Here's a story about how Minecraft holds clues to how people learn from others, or choose to go it alone. www.sciencenews.org/article/mine...
Playing this Minecraft game hints at how we learn in real life
A tailor-made version of Minecraft let researchers look at the success of learning individually or taking cues from others while foraging for fruit.
sciencenews.org
Looking for former FDA employees for a story I’m working on about food safety. If that’s you, I’d love to talk. You can send me a DM here, find me on signal, or email me at mrosen@sciencenews.org. 🙏
Autism is in the news, and there are a lot of questionable claims floating around right now. What's true? My fabulous colleague @thsaey.bsky.social and I have you covered. www.sciencenews.org/article/auti...
Autism rates rose again. Experts explain why
Autism rates are higher than ever before, probably because of more expansive and sensitive diagnoses. Those numbers highlight the need for more support for people with autism.
sciencenews.org