Christopher Wanjek is a Live Science contributor and a health and science writer. He is the author of three science books: Spacefarers (2020), Food at Work (2005) and Bad Medicine (2003). His "Food at Work" book and project, concerning workers' health, safety and productivity, was commissioned by the U.N.'s International Labor Organization. For Live Science, Christopher covers public health, nutrition and biology, and he has written extensively for The Washington Post and Sky & Telescope among others, as well as for the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, where he was a senior writer. Christopher holds a Master of Health degree from Harvard School of Public Health and a degree in journalism from Temple University.
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Poop Goes Mainstream: Fecal Transplants Get Past the 'Ick'The fecal transplant is poised to become a mainstream practice, researchers say.
By Christopher Wanjek Published
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Ground Control to 'The Martian': Good Luck with Them PotatoesCan you really grow and survive on potatoes on Mars, as in the movie "The Martian"?
By Christopher Wanjek Published
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Are Healthy School Lunch Programs a Waste?Are kids really throwing out the healthy foods that schools are now offering, a critics of school lunch programs claim?
By Christopher Wanjek Published
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Vaccines May Protect Kids Against Strokes, TooScientists have found yet another reason to vaccinate their children: Keeping up with immunizations may reduce the risk of childhood stroke, according to a new study.
By Christopher Wanjek Published
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Common Brain Tumor More Likely in Obese PeopleObesity is associated with a 54 percent increase in the risk of developing a common type of brain tumor, researchers say.
By Christopher Wanjek Published
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Children's Hormone Treatments May Have Planted Alzheimer's SeedsChildren's hormone treatments may have spread a protein linked with Alzheimer's disease, according to a small new study.
By Christopher Wanjek Published
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Deadly Parasite Could Be Zapped Like a Cancer CellOne of the deadliest parasites in the world, the ameba Entamoeba histolytica, could be treated by targeting the human genes that allow the parasite to cause disease, researchers say.
By Christopher Wanjek Published
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'Lego-Stacking' Technique Could Help Scientists Grow Human OrgansBy stacking up cells like Legos, scientists have found a new way to produce human tissues in the lab.
By Christopher Wanjek Published
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'Science of Mom': Author Sifts Through Childrearing Facts & FictionsNew mom and scientist Alice Callahan teaches other parents how to interpret studies on childrearing so that they can make informed decisions.
By Christopher Wanjek Published
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Breast-Fed Babies Show Buildup of Potentially Harmful ChemicalBabies who are breastfed can build up worrying levels of a potentially harmful class of industrial chemicals, a new study finds.
By Christopher Wanjek Published
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Being Transgender Has Nothing to Do with Hormonal ImbalanceBy Christopher Wanjek Published
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Obamacare, Nixoncare: Health Care Debates Are All About PoliticsHealth care debates are more about politics than a rational discussion to improve people's health, according to researchers who examined arguments made over the last 40 years.
By Christopher Wanjek Published
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Should Placebos Be Used to 'Treat' Patients?Placebos can make people feel better, so why not use them?
By Christopher Wanjek Published
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Sugary Drinks Kill 184,000 People Every YearSugary drinks cause 184,000 deaths worldwide annually, including 25,000 deaths in the United States, according to a new study.
By Christopher Wanjek Published
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Unhealthy Data? US Dietary Guidelines CriticizedThe U.S. dietary recommendations are based largely on data that is enormously flawed, a provocative article says. But other researchers dispute this.
By Christopher Wanjek Published
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Can Chocolate Really Benefit Your Heart?Chocolate is good for your heart — sort of, maybe.
By Christopher Wanjek Published
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Blood Pressure Vaccine Moves One Step CloserAn experimental vaccine aims at keeping blood pressure low for several months, research say.
By Christopher Wanjek Published
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Vegan Diet Eases Nerve Pain of DiabetesFor people with diabetes, switching to a plant-based diet may ease nerve pain associated, according to a new study.
By Christopher Wanjek Published
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Pausing Puberty with Hormone Blockers May Help Transgender KidsGoing through puberty is hard for transgender kids, but hormone blockers can delay puberty while both the youth and the parents decide the best path forward.
By Christopher Wanjek Published
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Even a Little Walking Can Improve Your Health, Study SuggestsPeople who walk for just 30 minutes daily benefit from it, a new study finds.
By Christopher Wanjek Published
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New Advice on What To Do About SeizuresWASHINGTON — One out of 10 people will experience a seizure at some point in life, but most will never have second episode, so it's hard to say which patients should start taking medication.
By Christopher Wanjek Published
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Are Health Apps Harmful or Helpful? Experts DebateHealth apps are everywhere, but do they do more harm than good? Doctors are debating whether such self-monitoring mobile technology is useless — or even dangerous.
By Christopher Wanjek Published
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A Longer Life May Lie in Number of Anti-Inflammatory GenesResearchers found that animals with more copies of certain genes -- which are involved in fighting inflammation -- have longer life spans.
By Christopher Wanjek Published
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MRSA Superbug May Get Stronger If You SmokeWhen exposed to cigarette smoke, MRSA bacteria get stronger, a new study finds.
By Christopher Wanjek Published

