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

close up of a blakc and white cow's face, it's mouth is hanging open slightly

Cows fed hemp act stoned and produce milk containing THC

By Nicoletta Lanese published

Cows fed hemp, which is not yet an approved animal feed, behaved strangely and produced milk with THC.

glowing red neurons shown in a cross section of a mouse spinal cord

Electrical zaps can 'reawaken' lost neural connections, helping paralyzed people walk again

By Nicoletta Lanese published

Scientists identified specific spinal nerve cells that people likely need to regain the ability to walk after paralyzing injuries.

a smiling toddler wearing a red shirt sits in front of her mother who's wearing a black medical mask and pink head scarf

In a 1st, child treated for rare, often-fatal disorder while still in the womb

By Nicoletta Lanese published

A child with Pompe disease was the first to start treatments before birth.

close up on a closed bottle of amoxicillin powder for oral suspension

Could the RSV surge be behind the amoxicillin shortage?

By Nicoletta Lanese published

A surge of viral infections in the U.S. might be contributing to an ongoing amoxicillin shortage, even though antibiotics don't kill viruses.

young man wearing plastic gloves and operating a meat slicer at a deli

CDC warns of Listeria outbreak tied to deli meats and cheeses

By Nicoletta Lanese published

Contaminated meat and cheese from deli counters have sickened 16 people in six states.

illustration shows a man with a brain implant sitting in a chair; a cross section of the man's head shows that the implant lays on top of his brain and has a plug sticking out of the top of his head. The plug is attached to a wire that leads to a device behind the main and plugs into a monitor, on which are the words "How are you today?"

1st patient with new 'mind-reading' device uses brain signals to write

By Nicoletta Lanese published

An implanted device allows a man to translate his brain signals into written words.

photo of a large t rex skull against a black background

Maximus, 'one of the best' T. rex skulls on record, could fetch $20 million at auction

By Nicoletta Lanese published

"Maximus," an exceptionally preserved T. rex skull, will hit the auction block in December.

illustration of red blood cells zooming through a blood vessel

In a 1st, two people receive transfusions of lab-grown blood cells

By Nicoletta Lanese published

A clinical trial will test the viability of lab-grown blood cells for transfusions.

illustration of several cancer cells in a clump

Woman diagnosed with 12 tumors in her lifetime has a never-before-seen genetic mutation

By Nicoletta Lanese published

A woman who's incredibly prone to tumors carries an unusual genetic mutation.

illustration of purple magic mushrooms with thin stems and pointed caps

'Magic mushroom' treatment for depression inches closer to approval

By Nicoletta Lanese published

A large trial suggests the hallucinogen in magic mushrooms could treat severe depression.

white tailed deer crossing a road at night

Permanent daylight saving time could prevent deer-vehicle collisions, scientists say

By Nicoletta Lanese published

A study reveals that the fall time change is linked to a spike in deer-vehicle collisions in the U.S.

illustration of the rsv virus where you can see the genetic material curled up inside

New RSV vaccine given in pregnancy protects newborns from illness, Pfizer says

By Nicoletta Lanese published

The drugmaker Pfizer announced positive trial results for its RSV vaccine designed to protect newborns.

histological image shows a cross section of clitoral tissue, stained blue; bundles of nerve fibers look like clusters of blue dots

In a 1st, scientists counted all 10,000 nerve fibers in the human clitoris

By Nicoletta Lanese last updated

The clitoris contains thousands more touch-detecting nerve fibers than once thought.

Illustration of bacterial cells, specfically those of Morganella morganii, which look like pill-like pellets; the cells are depicted in blue and the background is red

DNA-damaging gut bacteria may fuel colon cancer in patients with inflammatory bowel disease

By Nicoletta Lanese published

Certain gut bacteria may explain the link between inflammatory bowel disease and colon cancer.

microscopy image shows senescent cells with membranes shown in glowing pink and nuclei marked in light blue; many cells have two or more nuclei

'Zombie cells' in the body tied to aging may actually help heal tissue damage

By Nicoletta Lanese published

"Zombie cells" both contribute to age-related disease and help heal important tissues.

A young emperor penguin chick sits on the feet of an adult penguin, nestled into its belly

Emperor penguins join threatened species list, thanks to climate change

By Nicoletta Lanese published

The world's largest penguins have joined the threatened species list.

Cigarette snuffed out in a white ash tray

Quitting smoking by age 35 brings your risk of death in line with 'never smokers'

By Nicoletta Lanese published

Smokers who quit, particularly at young ages, show much lower mortality rates than those who continue smoking.

female patient with long hair lying down in an MRI; we can see the top of her head and a medical provider peering in the machine on the other side

Scientists design algorithm that 'reads' people's thoughts from brain scans

By Nicoletta Lanese published

Using fMRI, scientists decoded what people were hearing and thinking.

illustration of Naegleria fowleri amoebas

Nevada boy dies of rare brain-eating amoeba infection after swimming in Lake Mead

By Nicoletta Lanese published

A child died of a brain-eating amoeba infection in Nevada.

an array of fruits, vegetables, legumes and fish (fillet and whole) on a white background

Does the Mediterranean diet reduce dementia risk? 20-year study hints no

By Nicoletta Lanese last updated

A 20-year study found no link between people's dietary habits in midlife and their later risk of dementia.

aerial shot of a flooded neighborhood and a car driving through the wreckage in Fort Myers, Florida after a hurricane hit

Surge of 'flesh-eating' bacteria infections plagues Florida following Hurricane Ian

By Nicoletta Lanese published

Lee and Collier counties in Florida saw increases in flesh-eating bacterial infections after Hurricane Ian.

a historic photo of the plague pits in london being excavated; archaeologists can be seen examining skeletal remains in a line of open graves

'Black death' survivors had plague-resistant genes that may boost their descendants' risk of autoimmune disease

By Nicoletta Lanese last updated

The Black Death pushed certain protective genetic variants to become more common in survivors' descendants, DNA from the Middle Ages reveals.

Influenza is one of the deadliest viruses in the world

The deadliest viruses in history

By Anne Harding, Nicoletta Lanese published

Reference These are the 12 most lethal viruses, based on their mortality rates or the number of people they have killed.

illustration of colorful RNA strands against a blue background

Dozens of ancient viruses are 'switched on' in healthy cells throughout our bodies

By Nicoletta Lanese published

Snippets of ancient viruses are embedded in the human genome and active in many healthy tissues.

illustration of influenza virus particles

Flu on the rise in the US as season kicks off early

By Nicoletta Lanese published

States across the U.S. are reporting rising rates of influenza-like illness, hinting that flu season is starting early this year.

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