Nicoletta Lanese is the health channel editor at Live Science and was previously a news editor and staff writer at the site. She is a recipient of the 2026 AHCJ International Health Study Fellowship, with a project focused on antibiotic stewardship practices in Japan and the U.S. They hold a graduate certificate in science communication from UC Santa Cruz and degrees in neuroscience and dance from the University of Florida. Beyond Live Science, Lanese's 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 involved in dance and performs in local choreographers' work.
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Science news this week: Artemis II lifts off, diabetes cured in mice, and smog in China shapes Arctic stormsApril 4, 2026: Our weekly roundup of the latest science in the news, as well as a few fascinating articles to keep you entertained over the weekend.
By Nicoletta Lanese Published
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'It could revolutionize, completely, the way we treat depression': Researchers are exploring promising immune therapy for treating psychiatric symptomsINTERVIEW Live Science spoke with the scientists behind an upcoming clinical trial testing an immune therapy for depression.
By Nicoletta Lanese Published
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'Some of them have accuracy that's close to zero': Experts unpack the promise and pitfalls of genetic tests aimed at consumersINTERVIEW Live Science spoke with a bioethicist and sociologist about emerging genomic technologies, including those that enable parents to "score" and "select" IVF embryos.
By Nicoletta Lanese Published
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Emerging embryo-selection technologies are currently 'little more than snake oil.' But someday, they could widen social inequities.Book In the book "What We Inherit," experts unpack long-standing myths about genes and how those myths could shape public opinion around emerging embryo-selection technologies.
By Daphne O. Martschenko Published
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'Universal' nasal-spray vaccine protects against viruses, bacteria and allergens in miceIn an early animal test, a new nasal-spray vaccine has shown promise against a variety of germs and a common allergen, scientists report.
By Nicoletta Lanese Published
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Are you a night owl or an early bird?Research suggests night owls may face different health risks than early birds do. Which category do you fit into, if either?
By Nicoletta Lanese Published
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'There's no reason to ban us from playing': Analysis debunks notion that transgender women have inherent physical advantages in sportsA meta-analysis of 52 studies that included over 5,000 transgender people suggests that transgender women's physical fitness after hormone therapy is comparable to that of cisgender women.
By Kristina Killgrove Published
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South Carolina's measles outbreak nears 790 cases — making it the biggest in decadesNearly 790 people, primarily children, have been infected in South Carolina's ongoing measles outbreak, officials report.
By Nicoletta Lanese Published
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The UK has lost its measles elimination status — againMeasles has been spreading continuously in the U.K. for over a year, meaning the country has lost its elimination status.
By Nicoletta Lanese Published
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New US food pyramid recommends very high protein diet, beef tallow as healthy fat option, and full-fat dairyThe federal government has released new dietary guidelines, introducing an emphasis on consuming meat and dairy and avoiding highly processed foods.
By Nicoletta Lanese Published
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'Mitochondrial transfer' into nerves could relieve chronic pain, early study hintsA new study reveals that nerve cells receive periodic infusions of mitochondria from neighboring cells — and this may point to a new way of treating nerve pain.
By Nicoletta Lanese Published
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US government overhauls the childhood vaccine schedule in unprecedented moveFederal health officials are attempting to make the U.S. childhood vaccine schedule more like that of Denmark. Experts say the decision lacks scientific backing.
By Nicoletta Lanese Published
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An experimental mRNA treatment counters immune cell aging in miceA trio of mRNA molecules could help guard against the harmful effects of aging on immune cells, a study in mice finds.
By Nicoletta Lanese Published
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From gene therapy breakthroughs to preventable disease outbreaks: The health trends that will shape 2026Opinion Live Science's health channel editor makes predictions about the medical breakthroughs and public health shifts to come in 2026.
By Nicoletta Lanese Published
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Scientists are developing a 'self-driving' device that helps patients recover from heart attacksINTERVIEW Live Science spoke with Dr. Joe Alexander of NTT Research about "digital twins" and the development of an autonomous device for acute cardiac care.
By Nicoletta Lanese Published
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Year in review: The standout health stories of 2025, from measles outbreaks to AI-made virusesCatch up on the latest trends in health news in this roundup of long-reads compiled by Live Science's health channel editor.
By Nicoletta Lanese Published
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Tooth-in-eye surgery, 'blood chimerism,' and a pregnancy from oral sex: 12 wild medical cases we covered in 2025Here are a dozen strange and interesting tales from the medical literature.
By Nicoletta Lanese Published
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Diagnostic dilemma quiz: Can you guess the diagnosis in these strange medical cases?Based on our "Diagnostic Dilemma" series, this quiz tests your medical know-how.
By Nicoletta Lanese Published
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Neuroscience word search — Find all the parts of the brainHow well do you know that organ between your ears? Test your recognition of neuroscience terms with this word search.
By Nicoletta Lanese Published
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An otherwise 'fit' man had a stroke after drinking 8 'high-potency' energy drinks a dayA man with few risk factors unexpectedly experienced a stroke, and his daily energy drink habit may have been to blame.
By Nicoletta Lanese Published
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'Unprecedented': Woman delivers full-term abdominal pregnancy while also having 22-pound cyst removedA California woman was scheduled to have a large cyst removed but, in the lead-up to the procedure, learned she had a rare ectopic pregnancy.
By Nicoletta Lanese Published
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Man caught rabies from organ transplant after donor was scratched by skunkA Michigan man died of rabies despite having no recent exposure to a potentially infected animal.
By Nicoletta Lanese Published
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CDC panel, stuffed with vaccine skeptics, votes to end recommendation for universal newborn hepatitis B vaccinationThe CDC's vaccine committee has voted to roll back a universal recommendation that newborns be vaccinated against hepatitis B, which is one of public health's major success stories.
By Nicoletta Lanese Published
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Could aging eggs be 'rejuvenated'? New tool may help pave the way to fertility-extending treatmentsScientists invented a new experimental system to study how age-related changes in egg cells make them more prone to chromosomal errors.
By Nicoletta Lanese Published

