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 Blastomyces fungal spores growing against blue background

'Exceedingly rare' fungal infection sickens dozens at Michigan paper mill

By Nicoletta Lanese published

Health officials have reported 19 confirmed cases and 74 probable cases of blastomycosis linked to a paper mill.

illustration shows long dna molecule depicted in green wrapped around puffy, blue cylinders, representing histones

Mysterious 'cryptic' molecules made by zombie cells may drive aging, scientists say

By Nicoletta Lanese published

Aging cells undergo a mysterious process called "cryptic transcription," and scientists now think they know why.

close up of a orange box labeled "the early option pill Mifeprex"

What do we know about mifepristone, the abortion pill facing a potential Supreme Court ruling?

By Nicoletta Lanese published

A federal judge in Texas has ruled to suspend approval for the abortion pill mifepristone. Here's what you should know about the drug.

close up photo of a mother's arms holding a baby; the woman's skin is tan and she's wearing a hospital bracelet on her wrist and a hospital gown

In rare cases, COVID-19 infection in pregnancy can cause brain damage to fetuses

By Nicoletta Lanese published

In rare cases, COVID-19 can cause fetal brain damage during pregnancy, a case report suggests.

photo of Maria D. Van Kerkhove (a white woman with long brown hair and blonde highlights) sitting in front of a microphone and a large backdrop that reads "world health organization"

China must share data on COVID-19's origins 'immediately,' WHO scientist demands

By Nicoletta Lanese published

The World Health Organization's COVID-19 technical lead is calling for China to release all its data related to the pandemic's origins.

photo of light purple fungus growing near the bottom of a tree's trunk

In a 1st, man catches 'silver leaf,' a tree fungus never before seen in humans

By Nicoletta Lanese published

A fungus that normally infects trees caused an abscess to form in a man's neck.

Three tomato plants in pots sit on a table in a greenhouse. Each plant has two microphones set up near it.

Stressed plants 'scream,' and it sounds like popping bubble wrap

By Nicoletta Lanese published

A study of tomato and tobacco plants suggests they emit ultrasonic popping sounds when dehydrated or physically damaged.

box containing narcan nasal spray pictured in a vending machine

FDA approves over-the-counter Narcan to combat opioid overdose crisis

By Nicoletta Lanese published

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a naloxone nasal spray for over-the-counter use.

microscopic image of "syringe" proteins that look like thin, tubular nail-like shapes against a blue background

DeepMind's AI used to develop tiny 'syringe' for injecting gene therapy and tumor-killing drugs

By Nicoletta Lanese published

Researchers used the AI system AlphaFold to develop a tiny "syringe" that can inject proteins into cells.

super close up image of a light pink tardigrade next to some sort of light green material

Tardigrade proteins could help stabilize drugs without refrigeration, scientists say

By Nicoletta Lanese published

Proteins found in tardigrades could be used to stabilize drugs that would otherwise need refrigeration.

sealed packages of raw chicken arranged in a refrigerator at a grocery store

Bacteria from meat may cause a half-million UTIs a year

By Nicoletta Lanese published

A new study estimates that bacteria on meat may be responsible for a significant number of urinary tract infections in the U.S.

close up of a diagnostic test for HIV

You can now get a free at-home HIV test. Here's how.

By Nicoletta Lanese published

A new program will distribute 1 million free at-home HIV tests to U.S. residents and is collaborating with the dating app Grindr to promote the service.

close up photo of two mosquitoes with long thin legs, light tan bodies and dark stripes on their bodies

New invasive mosquitoes descend on Florida, raising concerns of disease

By Nicoletta Lanese published

A species of mosquito from Central and South America has spread to South Florida.

close up of a deer tick on a blade of grass reaching one of its legs towards a bare human leg

Tick-borne parasite is spreading in the Northeast, CDC says

By Nicoletta Lanese published

A tick-borne illness called babesiosis is spreading in the northeastern U.S.

Timothy Ray Brown at a press conference to announce the launch of the Timothy Ray Brown Foundation on July 24, 2012 in Washington, DC.

How are people cured of HIV? Here's everything you need to know

By Nicoletta Lanese published

Only a few people have been cured of HIV, but scientists are working to develop cures that could be accessible to more of those infected.

photo shows a common raccoon dog, which looks like a super fluffy raccoon, peering out from behind a fallen log in the woods

Raccoon dog DNA from Wuhan market supports the idea that COVID came from animals

By Nicoletta Lanese published

Newly-released genetic data suggests raccoon dogs carrying SARS-CoV-2 may have been at the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market in late 2019.

image shows HIV viral particles, depicted in pink, attached to the membrane of an immune cell, depicted in purple

1st woman given stem cell transplant to cure HIV is still virus-free 5 years later

By Nicoletta Lanese published

A woman who received a stem cell transplant to treat her HIV is still virus-free more than five years after the procedure and 30 months after she stopped taking HIV medication.

photo shows a light pink and orange device being held up by the gloved hands of a scientists in a lab setting

Beating 'hearts on a chip' will travel to space on SpaceX's Dragon cargo ship tonight

By Nicoletta Lanese published

Tissue-based models of the human heart are being sent to the International Space Station.

microscopic image shows a prostate cancer cell, depicted in purplish blue, against a pink background of other cells

Prostate cancer treatments can be avoided or delayed in many cases, huge study finds

By Nicoletta Lanese published

A decades-long study finds that many prostate cancer patients can delay aggressive treatments and instead receive "active surveillance."

CT scans against a black background show a bright white mass in a person's brain

In extremely rare case, doctors remove fetus from brain of 1-year-old

By Nicoletta Lanese published

A young child had the remnants of her absorbed twin removed from her head.

detailed digital reconstruction of all the neurons in a fly brain, depicted in a wide array of colors. Each hemisphere of the brain somewhat resembles a colorful bunch of balloons with a bundle of nerves trailing out of the bottom

1st complete map of an insect's brain contains 3,016 neurons

By Nicoletta Lanese published

Scientists created a map of an entire larval fruit fly brain that shows all 548,000 synapses in the organ.

close up of white tablets spilling out of an orange pill bottle; part of the bottle's label can be seen and reads "codone," the second half of the word "Hydrocodone"

Opioids are the most common cause of fatal poisonings in kids under 5

By Nicoletta Lanese published

Opioids account for a greater proportion of fatal pediatric poisonings than they did a decade ago.

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

Measles-infected person exposed 'undetermined' number of people at huge Kentucky spiritual revival

By Nicoletta Lanese published

A person with measles likely exposed others to the virus while attending a large spiritual revival, the CDC warned.

illustration of the gap between two neurons, with glowing spheres (representing neurotransmitters) passing between the cells

Psychedelics may treat depression by invading brain cells

By Nicoletta Lanese published

A study suggests that psychedelics can access receptors inside cells that standard antidepressants usually can't affect.

white woman wearing white sweater with colorful animal print tilts her head back in order to insert a long swab into her nose.

1st at-home test for flu and COVID authorized by FDA, but its maker is bankrupt

By Nicoletta Lanese published

The Food and Drug Administration authorized a new test that detects SARS-CoV-2, influenza A and influenza B.

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