Articles by 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 an older man holding his throat in discomfort, as if it's sore

A man's voice grew hoarse for no obvious reason. It turns out, he had fungus in his throat.

By Nicoletta Lanese published 5 August 22

A man's rare fungal infection caused his voice to grow hoarser and hoarser.

eight photos of sythetic mouse embryos in various stages of development

1st synthetic mouse embryos — complete with beating hearts and brains — created with no sperm, eggs or womb

By Nicoletta Lanese published 4 August 22

Scientists grew mouse embryos without cells, sperm or a uterus.

Scientists revived the cells of pigs an hour after death, a potential organ transplant breakthrough

By Nicoletta Lanese published 3 August 22

Scientists revitalized cells in the bodies of dead pigs.

Lina Medina pictured in 1941 with one of her doctors and her son

What's the youngest age that a person can get pregnant and give birth?

By Nicoletta Lanese last updated 2 August 22

Pregnancy is possible from the start of ovulation.

close up of a jawbone and teeth from the remains of a young adult male excavated in Holland who died in the 1600s

'Cold sore' virus may have gained prominence thanks to Bronze Age smooching

By Nicoletta Lanese published 1 August 22

Scientists analyzed ancient herpes DNA found in human teeth.

lab dish containing a red culture liquid and the bacteria Burkholderia pseudomallei

Bacteria behind melioidosis, a deadly tropical disease, found in US for 1st time

By Nicoletta Lanese published 30 July 22

Health officials found potentially deadly bacteria in Mississippi soil.

illustration of an ebola virus; the virus looks like a long, thin filament that's twisted into a loose knot at one end

Ebola: Causes, symptoms, treatments & vaccines

By Alina Bradford, Nicoletta Lanese published 28 July 22

Four types of Ebola virus cause severe disease in humans.

conceptual image of stem cells being injected into the bloodstream

66-year-old likely cured of HIV after stem cell transplant

By Nicoletta Lanese published 27 July 22

A patient entered remission from cancer and HIV after a transplant.

(left) a fossil of a precambrian jellyfish relative outlined in white; (right) a colored illustration of the same animal, which resembles a sea anemone with two cup-like structures full of short tentacles

560 million-year-old tentacled creature may be the animal kingdom's first known predator

By Nicoletta Lanese published 26 July 22

A fossilized animal from the Ediacaran period is likely related to modern jellyfish.

Best shark movies of all time, ranked

By Ian Stokes last updated 28 July 22

We're gonna need a bigger boat as we hunt down the best shark movies of all time, according to our team.

brain scan with a region of the left hemisphere highlighted in blue; behind the scan, sentences pulled from Alice in Wonderland can be seen running from the bottom of the image to the top

'Universal language network' identified in the brain

By Nicoletta Lanese published 22 July 22

Brain scans revealed a "map" of this universal language network.

A slow-motion movie of a trap-jaw ant (Odontomachus brunneus) releasing its mandibles.

Trap-jaw ants' lightning-fast bite should rip their heads apart. Here's why it doesn't.

By Nicoletta Lanese published 21 July 22

A unique "dual spring" powers the ant's jaws.

New York resident infected with polio, marking 1st US case in a decade

By Nicoletta Lanese published 21 July 22

A Rockland County resident tested positive for poliovirus.

surfer walking on the boardwalk near rockaway beach in NY

NYC beaches briefly closed for swimming after 'multiple' shark sightings

By Nicoletta Lanese last updated 20 July 22

It's New York State Park policy to suspend swimming following a shark sighting.

Two wildlife officials, one in a parks uniform and one in a neon vest, pose with a clutch of invasive python eggs with young hatchlings in their hands; a second photo shows one official holding an adult python

19 python babies and their massive mom nabbed in Florida nursery raid

By Nicoletta Lanese published 15 July 22

Officials removed two breeding females and many hatchlings.

a uniformed wildlife official inspects a dead goose

Someone decapitated a gaggle of geese in Idaho, and wildlife officials seek answers

By Nicoletta Lanese last updated 15 July 22

Officials are investigating the killing of multiple geese.

Pox viruses (shown here in this illustration) like monkeypox are oval-shaped with double-strand DNA.

CDC's monkeypox case count passes 1,000: Here's what you need to know

By Nicoletta Lanese last updated 2 August 22

At least 1,050 people in the U.S. have been diagnosed with monkeypox.

illustration of jurassic water bugs swimming with clusters of eggs on their legs

Jurassic insect wore eggs on its legs, fossils show

By Nicoletta Lanese published 12 July 22

Scientists found eggs on water bug fossils from the Jurassic.

honey dripper placed in a small pool of honey on a blank background

Honey marketed for 'sexual enhancement' could be dangerous, FDA warns

By Nicoletta Lanese published 12 July 22

The FDA sent warning letters to four companies.

close up of one region of earth's atmosphere as viewed from space

Claims of new 'tropical ozone hole' raise controversy

By Nicoletta Lanese published 11 July 22

"There is no 'tropical ozone hole,'" an expert said.

loose supplement capsules, pills and small oil-filled bottles strewn on a white table

Are 'home remedies' for abortion safe? (Experts say no.)

By Nicoletta Lanese published 10 July 22

"There is no 'natural abortifacient' that is safe and effective," an expert said.

An open box labeled methotrexate with a sleeve of small, red tablet resting on top of it

State abortion bans may limit access to drug used to treat lupus and cancer

By Nicoletta Lanese published 9 July 22

Patients have reported issues filling methotrexate prescriptions.

The skull of a gorilla on a black background.

Scientists dismiss Coyote Peterson's 'large primate skull' discovery as fake

By Nicoletta Lanese published 8 July 22

The YouTuber posted about the skull on social media.

close-up of a man's hands as he scoops a second scoop of ice cream into a waffle cone

Listeria outbreak that sickened 23 people tied to ice cream brand

By Nicoletta Lanese published 5 July 22

More contaminated products may be identified in the future.

illustration of two listeria monocytogenes bacteria

Listeria outbreak tied to 22 hospitalizations, 1 death

By Nicoletta Lanese last updated 5 July 22

The cases emerged between January 2021 and June 2022.

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