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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A rare disease that causes insatiable hungerPrader-Willi syndrome is a rare genetic disease that causes poor feeding in infancy but later triggers insatiable hunger.
By Nicoletta Lanese Published
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Listeria outbreak that hospitalized 10 linked to California company's ready-to-eat productsA likely source of contamination has been identified in an ongoing Listeria outbreak affecting California and Nevada.
By Nicoletta Lanese Published
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Diagnostic dilemma: Botched penile tattoo left man with permanent semi-erectionA man developed a rare condition after getting a tattoo on his genitals.
By Nicoletta Lanese Published
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A single molecule may treat rare, devastating mitochondrial diseasesScientists found a compound that appears to counter common mutations behind POLG-related diseases, rare conditions that harm mitochondrial DNA.
By Nicoletta Lanese Published
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A rash 'migrated' across a man's body from his anusA man being treated with corticosteroids developed a rare complication of an infection.
By Nicoletta Lanese Published
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'Vaccine rejection is as old as vaccines themselves': Science historian Thomas Levenson on the history of germ theory and its deniersInterview Live Science spoke with author Thomas Levenson about his new book on the history of germ theory.
By Nicoletta Lanese Published
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'How could it have been allowed to happen?': The threat of 'superbugs' was known from the first antibiotic, but we've failed to stop it.Book "What are sometimes called superbugs — microbes resistant to every available drug — are not merely the stuff of nightmares. They are taking lives right now."
By Thomas Levenson Published
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Nearly 3 million extra deaths by 2030 could result from HIV funding cuts, study suggestsA modeling study looked at how anticipated cuts to international HIV funding would affect the rate of new cases and HIV-related deaths in low- and middle-income countries.
By Nicoletta Lanese Published
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Scientists hijacked the human eye to get it to see a brand-new color. It's called 'olo.'Using an experimental technique called "Oz," researchers stimulated the human retina such that people saw a brand-new color.
By Nicoletta Lanese Published
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Experimental 'Ozempic pill' shows promise in treating type 2 diabetesThe drugmaker Lilly announced topline results of a clinical trial of a new pill in the same drug class as injectables like Ozempic.
By Nicoletta Lanese Published
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Oregon officials investigating 3 cases of mad cow-like diseaseHood River County in Oregon reported three cases of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, a rare human brain disease very similar to "mad cow."
By Nicoletta Lanese Published
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Science of sleep quiz: How much do you know about sleep and dreams?Test your knowledge of how sleeping and dreaming work.
By Nicoletta Lanese Published
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US measles outbreak tops 600 cases — what to know about the diseaseAs measles outbreaks in the U.S. continue, here's what to know about how the disease spreads, what its symptoms are, and how to protect yourself and community from the illness.
By Emily Cooke Last updated
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2 school-age children have died in Texas measles outbreak, as total cases pass 480Texas officials reported the death of a second school-age child in the state's ongoing measles outbreak.
By Nicoletta Lanese Published
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$3 million Breakthrough Prize goes to scientists that completely changed our understanding of multiple sclerosisTwo prominent scientists who study multiple sclerosis — Dr. Alberto Ascherio and Dr. Stephen Hauser — are co-winners of a 2025 Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences.
By Nicoletta Lanese Published
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Estrogen may spur the body to make opioids after injuryThe female sex hormone estrogen, along with progesterone, appears to underlie a fundamental difference in how males and females process pain, a mouse study finds.
By Nicoletta Lanese Published
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Diagnostic dilemma: A man's deadly infection was triggered by a probiotic supplementA man with a complex medical history ended up with a rare bacterial infection after taking probiotics in the hospital.
By Nicoletta Lanese Published
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'We will fight for him': Author John Green meets Henry Reider, a young tuberculosis patient with drug-resistant diseaseINTERVIEW "At the time, I knew almost nothing about TB. To me, it was a disease of history — something that killed depressive 19th-century poets, not present-tense humans."
By John Green Published
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Brain quiz: Test your knowledge of the most complex organ in the bodyQuiz What do you know about the wrinkly organ inside your skull?
By Nicoletta Lanese Published
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Silent X chromosome genes 'reawaken' in older females, perhaps boosting brain power, study findsFemales have one active X chromosome and one dormant X chromosome in each cell. But a study suggests that genes on the dormant X get "reawakened" later in life, potentially giving the brain a boost.
By Nicoletta Lanese Published
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Are you protected against measles? Do you need a booster shot? Everything you need to know about immunityThere have been hundreds of measles cases reported in the U.S. since the beginning of the year. Here's what you need to know about measles immunity.
By Jess Thomson Published
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'We have to fight for a better end': Author John Green on how threats to USAID derail the worldwide effort to end tuberculosisLive Science spoke with author John Green about his latest book, which explores both the history and current realities of tuberculosis.
By Nicoletta Lanese Published
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Science at a crossroads: Dispatches from Friday's 'Stand Up for Science' rallies across the USOur science journalists reported on the Stand Up for Science rallies held in New York City and Raleigh, North Carolina.
By Kristina Killgrove Published
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Is there really a difference between male and female brains? Emerging science is revealing the answer.Feature Brain scans, postmortem dissections, artificial intelligence and lab mice reveal differences in the brain that are linked to sex. Do we know what they mean?
By Nicoletta Lanese Published
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