Nicoletta Lanese

Nicoletta Lanese

Channel Editor, Health

Nicoletta Lanese is the health channel editor at Live Science and was previously a news editor and staff writer at the site. She holds a graduate certificate in science communication from UC Santa Cruz and degrees in neuroscience and dance from the University of Florida. Her work has appeared in The Scientist, Science News, the Mercury News, Mongabay and Stanford Medicine Magazine, among other outlets. Based in NYC, she also remains heavily involved in dance and performs in local choreographers' work.

Articles by: Nicoletta Lanese

illustration of group A Streptococcus bacteria, depicted in green on a red background that represents body tissue

Dangerous strep infection surging in the UK may be spreading in US

By Nicoletta Lanese published

Federal health officials are investigating a potential uptick in dangerous strep infections in U.S. children.

illustration of measles viral particles, depicted in purple and green against a black background

More than 70 children sickened in Ohio measles outbreak

By Nicoletta Lanese published

An ongoing measles outbreak in Ohio accounts for most cases of the disease reported in the U.S. this year.

photo shows the gloved hands of a nurse wrapping a child's foot in gauze and bandages; the child's exposed ankle has patches of discoloration and skin wounds

'Butterfly disease' makes the skin incredibly fragile, but a new gene therapy helps it heal

By Nicoletta Lanese published

A gene-therapy gel designed to treat the rare genetic condition "butterfly disease" showed success in a late-stage trial.

photo of a young smiling girl wearing black-framed glasses and holding a blue teddy bear while sitting up in a hospital bed

A teen's cancer is in remission after she received new cells edited with CRISPR

By Nicoletta Lanese published

A young girl entered remission after receiving an experimental cancer treatment.

white woman with long red hair sleeping under a grey weighted blanket on a bed

Weighted-blanket use may boost sleep hormone melatonin, small study hints

By Nicoletta Lanese published

A small study links weighted-blanket use at bedtime to increased melatonin production.

celine dion, a white woman with blonde, bobbed hair belts into a microphone while wearing a sparkly, sleeveless red dress

Céline Dion's muscle spasms caused by rare disorder: What is stiff-person syndrome?

By Nicoletta Lanese published

Singer Céline Dion was recently diagnosed with a rare disorder that causes severe muscle spasms.

illustration of a triceratops in the midst of foliage that contains two small mammals, and nearby, there's a small turtle on a log

Mammals were already poised to take over the world before the dino-killing asteroid struck

By Nicoletta Lanese published

Ancient mammals were better adapted than nonavian dinosaurs to survive the Chicxulub asteroid impact.

woman wearing glasses and a black kn95 mask prepares a syringe to deliver a flu shot

This year's flu shots are a 'very good match' to circulating strains, health officials say

By Nicoletta Lanese published

This year's flu shots match the circulating strains well, early data show.

A woman wearing a short sleeve green dress sits on the floor holding a small trash can to her face, as if she's going to vomit

Woman who spontaneously vomited up to 30 times a day likely had rogue antibodies

By Nicoletta Lanese published

A woman's unusual vomiting episodes may be linked to an autoimmune disorder.

illustration of the inside of the gut with tiny microbes pictured within and near the lining

FDA approved a 1st-of-its-kind treatment made from human poop. What does it do?

By Nicoletta Lanese published

The treatment Rebyota contains gut bacteria and is approved to prevent a dangerous bacterial infection.

mpox viral particles

Mpox (monkeypox): Symptoms, pictures, treatments & vaccines

By Nicoletta Lanese published

The mpox virus is related to the virus that causes smallpox.

young man wearing a t shirt and pajama pants sits on a bed and coughs into his closed fist

A man went to the doctor about a cough. It turns out, he had a 6-inch mass in his chest.

By Nicoletta Lanese published

Doctors reported a case of a man who developed a cough due to a large mass in his chest.

elderly man laying in a hospital bed with an IV in his arm

Shingles infection causes man's bladder to burst in rare case

By Nicoletta Lanese published

Doctors reported an unusual case in which a man's bladder ruptured due to a shingles infection.

close-up of a pile of light green, cylinder-shaped gourds

Woman gets rare case of 'toxic squash syndrome' after drinking bitter gourd juice

By Nicoletta Lanese published

A woman was poisoned when she drank bitter gourd juice.

close up on a person's hand turning the page of a large book

Why are paper cuts so painful?

By Nicoletta Lanese published

Our anatomy and the nature of paper make paper cuts super painful.

A tank holding frozen human embryos in liquid nitrogen

Embryos frozen for 30 years produce healthy twin newborns

By Nicoletta Lanese published

Newborn twins grew from embryos that had been frozen for 30 years.

illustration of monkeypox (mpox) viral particles

'Mpox' is the new name for monkeypox, the WHO says

By Nicoletta Lanese published

The World Health Organization will adopt a new name for monkeypox, as the original name is inaccurate and stigmatizing.

older man wearing button up, jeans and socks sits on a couch holding his right foot, as if in pain

Why does stubbing your toe hurt so much?

By Nicoletta Lanese published

Here's the science behind why stubbing your toe is oddly excruciating.

illustration of the spores of fungus Histoplasma capsulatum

Fungi that cause lung infections may be lurking in the soil of most US states

By Nicoletta Lanese published

A study hints that soil-borne fungi that can cause disease may be widespread in the U.S.

photo of a toddler recovering from rsv in a hospital bed; he's sitting up and holding a toy care while sucking on a binky. An oxygen tube is inserted into his nostrils and secured to his face with colorful adhesive bandages

RSV: Symptoms, treatments & vaccines

By Rachael Rettner published

In healthy children and adults, the virus typically causes mild, cold-like symptoms; but it can cause more serious disease in infants and the elderly.

close up on a woman's eye in a dimly lit room

New gene therapy restores night vision of people with inherited eye disorder

By Nicoletta Lanese published

An experimental gene therapy restored the night vision of two people with leber congenital amaurosis.

frozen turkeys wrapped and on display in a grocery store freezer

Having trouble finding a 20-pound turkey? Blame bird flu.

By Nicoletta Lanese published

A highly pathogenic strain of bird flu has limited the nation's supply of large turkeys ahead of Thanksgiving.

young woman in a yellow shirt uses her phone and a blood sugar monitor to check her blood sugar levels

1st ever drug to delay type 1 diabetes approved by FDA

By Nicoletta Lanese published

Teplizumab-mzwv is the first drug ever approved to prevent type 1 diabetes in those who are destined to develop the disease.

close up of yellow Benzonatate capsules in a pile

Poison control calls about kids ingesting cough suppressant more than doubled in recent years

By Nicoletta Lanese published

U.S. poison control centers have received more reports about pediatric benzonatate ingestion in recent years.

close-up photo of a small, clear, microfluidic device with multicolored chambers visible within

'Organ-on-chip' shows how uterus coaxes embryo to implant in early pregnancy

By Nicoletta Lanese published

A tiny device replicates the interface between uterine tissue and the cells of the placenta in early pregnancy.

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