CancerJune 2, 2023
When Should You Get a Mammogram?
Medical boards and task forces recommend mammogram screenings for breast cancer begin at age 40. But people in high-risk groups may want to consider getting tested even earlier
Stories by Lauren J. Young
Lauren J. Young is an associate editor for health and medicine at Scientific American. She has edited and written stories that tackle a wide range of subjects, including the COVID pandemic, emerging diseases, evolutionary biology and health inequities. Young has nearly a decade of newsroom and science journalism experience. Before joining Scientific American in 2023, she was an associate editor at Popular Science and a digital producer at public radio’s Science Friday. She has appeared as a guest on radio shows, podcasts and stage events. Young has also spoken on panels for the Asian American Journalists Association, American Library Association, NOVA Science Studio and the New York Botanical Garden. Her work has appeared in Scholastic MATH, School Library Journal, IEEE Spectrum, Atlas Obscura and Smithsonian Magazine. Young studied biology at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, before pursuing a master’s at New York University’s Science, Health & Environmental Reporting Program.
Public HealthMay 24, 2023
The End of the COVID Emergency and What It Means for You
What you pay for tests, vaccines, and medicine will change
Public HealthMay 22, 2023
How Fungal Meningitis Outbreaks Can Happen after Cosmetic Procedures and Other Surgeries
A cluster of U.S. residents who traveled for surgery have developed severe fungal infections in the spine and brain. Here’s what you need to know about the disease
Public HealthMay 9, 2023
U.S. COVID Public Health Emergency Is Ending. Here's What That Means
As the federal public health emergency is set to expire on May 11, here’s what you need to know about future COVID testing, treatment and vaccines
PollutionMay 1, 2023
New Technique Can Map Ocean Plastics from Space
Researchers figured out how the flow of microplastics flattens ocean waves, letting satellites paint a clearer picture for future policy and cleanup efforts
AnimalsApril 27, 2023
The Lifesaving Sled Dog Balto Had Genes unlike Those of Dog Breeds Today
The genome of the 1920s Siberian husky Balto suggests that greater genetic diversity and less inbreeding contribute to better health
VaccinesApril 13, 2023
How Often Should People Get COVID Boosters?
The FDA has authorized a second updated COVID booster for older people and immunocompromised individuals. Most healthy adults still have to wait
Public HealthMarch 29, 2023
Rural Children Now Grow Slightly Taller Than City Children in Wealthy Countries
A new international study finds that the growth and development benefits of children living in cities may have diminished in the past three decades
Public HealthMarch 27, 2023
Millions of People Living with HIV Are Alive, Thanks to a 20-Year Public Health Effort
Being infected with HIV is no longer a terminal diagnosis, but researchers are looking to fill the gaps that remain to ensure treatment reaches all who need it
Public HealthMarch 14, 2023
How to Avoid the Dreaded Norovirus
Norovirus, the so-called winter vomiting disease, is making its seasonal rounds across the U.S. Here’s what you should know