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 hand holding a medical device, that being a pen designed to inject the user with the weight loss drug Semaglutide

Childhood obesity should be treated early and aggressively, new guidelines say. Is that safe?

By Nicoletta Lanese published

The American Academy of Pediatrics released new guidelines for treating kids and teens with obesity.

Fluorescent images illustrating cell types in brain organoids.

Cerebral organoids: What are lab-grown 'minibrains'?

By Nicoletta Lanese published

Brain organoids, or minibrains, contain human tissues and have potential uses in basic research, drug development and computer science.

illustration of Naegleria fowleri amoebas

'Brain-eating' amoeba case in Florida potentially tied to unfiltered water in sinus rinse

By Nicoletta Lanese published

A person in Charlotte County, Florida caught a rare "brain-eating" infection.

photo of a smiling, white woman with curly hair sitting down and holding two babies swaddled in pink blankets. A tan man with black hair, her husband, is sitting next to them, smiling and reaching over to peer at the children

In rare case, mother delivers two sets of identical twins, back to back

By Nicoletta Lanese published

A mother in Alabama gave birth to rare "MoMo" twins after a previous twin pregnancy.

close up of a hand hovering over piano keys, as if to play them

'Muscle memories' get 'zipped and unzipped' in the brain, like computer files

By Nicoletta Lanese published

A new study revealed what happens in the brain when people plan and execute learned movement patterns.

photo shows a small bat with black wings and brown fur hanging upside down in what appears to be a cave

In a 1st, scientists grow stem cells that could show how bats harbor lethal viruses without dying

By Nicoletta Lanese published

Scientists grew stem cells from bats that may help explain why they can carry deadly viruses without being harmed by them.

Bruce Willis wears a tuxedo and bow tie in front of a blue background. He was attending the Comedy Central Roast of Bruce Willis at Hollywood Palladium on July 14, 2018 in Los Angeles, California.

Bruce Willis diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia: What to know about the disorder

By Nicoletta Lanese published

After being diagnosed with aphasia in 2022, Bruce Willis has now been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia.

illustration of a DNA molecule, depicted in pink

1st UK child to receive gene therapy for fatal genetic disorder is now 'happy and healthy'

By Nicoletta Lanese published

A baby with a rare inherited disorder became the first child in the U.K. to receive a new gene therapy for the condition.

close up on the gloved hands of a researcher holding a white lab rat with red eyes

FDA no longer requires animal testing for new drugs. Is that safe?

By Nicoletta Lanese published

The FDA can now approve drugs that haven't been tested in animals, but don't expect drug companies to switch gears too quickly.

photo shows a close up of a man's hand laying relaxed on a hospital bed; a watch can be seen on his wrist and there's a blood pressure monitor on his pointer finger

Deadly case of 'penile gangrene' linked to improperly applied catheter

By Nicoletta Lanese published

A man developed a rare and fatal case of gangrene of the penis.

photo shows a pregnant woman in a paper gown sitting on a hospital bed with her hands on her stomach

900% increase in babies born with syphilis in Mississippi may be part of nationwide trend

By Nicoletta Lanese published

Mississippi has seen more and more babies born with syphilis in recent years.

photo shows the back of a white person's left hand, which bears a large, greenish bruise

Weird green bruise on woman's hand turns out to be rare tumor

By Nicoletta Lanese published

A persistent bruise on a woman's hand was actually a tumor.

photo shows a young woman with light brown skin lifting up the sleeve of her t shirt to show a bandage on her arm, implying she recently got an injection

One-and-done injection halves risk of COVID hospitalization in large trial

By Nicoletta Lanese published

An injectable interferon drug significantly reduced the risk that people with COVID-19 would be hospitalized with the disease.

an illustration of the brain eating amoeba Balamuthia mandrillaris , depicted in pink against a white, speckled background

Fatal 'brain-eating' amoeba successfully treated with repurposed UTI drug

By Nicoletta Lanese published

Doctors successfully treated a patient's rare brain infection with a drug typically used for UTIs.

illustration of p. aeruginosa bacterial cells, depicted in bright pink on a dark blue background

Eye drops recalled after CDC links them to vision loss, 1 death

By Nicoletta Lanese published

An eye drop product linked to a cluster of serious bacterial infections has been voluntarily recalled by its manufacturer.

histological image shows a cross section of a rat's brain, depicted in red, with a glowing green blob on the top right side; the blob is a clump of cells called an organoid that's been derived from human stem cells and transplanted into the rat's brain

Rat brain injuries 'plugged' with lab-grown human minibrains in world-first experiment

By Nicoletta Lanese published

Scientists transplanted human brain organoids into rats to repair injuries to their visual processing systems.

illustration of a bacterial cell, resmembling the fuzzy top of a cattail with thin filaments extending from one end

Eye drop product may be tied to cluster of drug-resistant bacterial infections, CDC says

By Nicoletta Lanese published

A specific brand of eye drops may potentially be linked to a cluster of serious bacterial infections in the U.S.

MRIs showing various cross sections of a human brain

Similar brain 'thinning' seen in older adults with obesity and people with Alzheimer's

By Nicoletta Lanese published

A new study links obesity to patterns of brain tissue loss that overlap with those seen in Alzheimer's disease.

photo shows a saline drip in the foreground and a blurred out image of a child in a hospital bed in the background

COVID-19 is a leading cause of death among US children and teens, study shows

By Nicoletta Lanese published

An analysis of mortality data shows that COVID-19 ranks as a leading cause of death among children and teens.

illustration of a human arm with the palmaris longus muscle highlighted in red

10 body parts that are useless in humans (or maybe not)

By Nicoletta Lanese published

There's some debate around which human body parts are useless and which aren't.

Illustration of neurons depicted in grey-blue with red light to signify action potentials

Brain cells gone haywire during sleep may lead to chronic pain, mouse study suggests

By Nicoletta Lanese published

A mouse study hints at why chronic pain and poor sleep are linked.

a scientist's hand, covered by a purple glove, holds a petri dish with visible e. coli colonies growing on it

Antidepressants could fuel the rise of superbugs, lab dish study suggests

By Nicoletta Lanese published

A lab study suggests that antidepressants may push bacteria to become superbugs.

illustration of individual Neisseria gonorrhoeae bacteria depicted in purple

New 'concerning' strain of drug-resistant gonorrhea found in U.S. for 1st time

By Nicoletta Lanese published

A troubling strain of gonorrhea was identified for the first time in the U.S.

illustration depicts amyloid-beta peptides, the building blocks of amyloid-beta plaques, building up in the brain among individual neurons

New Alzheimer's drug slightly slows cognitive decline. Experts say it's not a silver bullet.

By Nicoletta Lanese published

Experts weigh in on whether the newly approved Alzheimer's treatment lecanemab is worth taking.

older man wearing a blue surgical mask looks down at his arm, which bears a bandage as if he's just gotten an injection

Moderna says its RSV vaccine is 84% effective in older adults

By Nicoletta Lanese published

Moderna announced positive results from its late-stage RSV vaccine trial in older adults.

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