Tanya Lewis is a senior editor covering health and medicine at Scientific American. She writes and edits stories for the website and print magazine on topics ranging from COVID to organ transplants. She also co-hosts Your Health, Quickly on Scientific American's podcast Science, Quickly and writes Scientific American's weekly Health & Biology newsletter. She has held a number of positions over her seven years at Scientific American, including health editor, assistant news editor and associate editor at Scientific American Mind. Previously, she has written for outlets that include Insider, Wired, Science News, and others. She has a degree in biomedical engineering from Brown University and one in science communication from the University of California, Santa Cruz.
Abortion Pill Access Is Still Under Threat After SCOTUS Ruling, Legal Experts Warn
“It would be foolish to declare victory” for abortion rights, one expert says of the recent Supreme Court challenge to medication abortion access
COVID’s Six-Foot Rule Made Scientific Sense at the Time
Attacks on Anthony Fauci over guidance on masking and social distancing issued during the COVID pandemic ignore the science on viral spread
Why Bird Flu Is Infecting People’s Eyes
Three U.S. dairy workers have been infected with H5N1 after contact with sick cows, and all of them developed eye symptoms
How a Chemist and His ‘Poison Squad’ Inspired the First Food Safety Regulations
Author and science journalist Deborah Blum describes how an Indiana chemist kicked off the first major food regulation in the U.S.
Can Food Work as Medicine?
Doctors are starting to prescribe vegetables or entire meals to ward off disease.
Woman Becomes First Person to Receive Both Pig Kidney Transplant and Heart Pump
A woman with life-threatening heart and kidney disease became the second person ever to receive a genetically modified pig kidney and the first person to receive a heart pump and a transplanted organ together
How Big a Threat Is Bird Flu?
Cows and at least one person in the U.S. have been sickened by avian influenza. We asked experts about the risk to humans.
Measles Is Back, and That Is Scary
The deadly virus was practically eliminated in the U.S., but now it’s infecting more people.
Bird Flu Detected in Humans in the U.S.: What We Know So Far
Two people have tested positive for avian influenza after being exposed to cows thought to be infected with the virus
Why Short Naps Are Good for You
A quick nap can boost your memory, your mood and even your creativity
Partial Heart Transplants Grow with Their Young Recipients
A heart valve transplant could save the life of a baby—or two
Large Study of ME/CFS Patients Reveals Measurable Physical Changes
Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, long dismissed by doctors, causes immune system dysfunction and other problems. But treatments are lacking.
Hunger in Gaza Could Affect Survivors’ Health for Decades
Epigenetics research reveals how famines can cause health problems later in life—and how those changes might be passed down to future generations.
Should You Swab Your Throat plus Your Nose for COVID?
Nose-plus-throat swabbing for COVID could increase test accuracy—but could create problems, too
New IVF Test Could Increase Chances of Pregnancy Success
A noninvasive test for genetic material could predict embryo quality in IVF.
64,000 Pregnancies Caused by Rape Have Occurred in States with a Total Abortion Ban, New Study Estimates
Researchers calculated the number of pregnancies resulting from rape in states where abortion was banned throughout pregnancy after the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision
The Best Way to Use Home COVID Tests Right Now
When symptoms start, COVID tests may say you’re not infected when you really are.
No, COVID mRNA Vaccines Won’t Damage Your DNA
You have a “better chance of becoming Spider-Man” than being harmed by DNA from COVID vaccines
How to Avoid Holiday Hangovers
The holidays are a time for indulgence, but there are ways to drink alcohol without suffering the painful effects.
New Class of Antibiotics Discovered Using AI
A deep-learning algorithm helped identify new compounds that are effective against antibiotic-resistant infections in mice, opening the door to AI-guided drug discovery
The Biggest Health and Medicine Stories of 2023
From new uses for weight-loss drugs to the first CRISPR gene editing therapy, these were some of the most impactful health stories of the year
A New Type of Heart Disease is on the Rise
Problems with the heart, kidneys and metabolic health are all connected
COVID Caused a Baby Bump when Experts Expected a Drop. Here’s Why
During the COVID pandemic, the U.S. initially saw a drop in births followed by a bump
How the War in Gaza Has Devastated Hospitals
The Israel-Hamas war has disrupted hospitals’ access to electricity, fuel and medicine. A physician from Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières explains why health care is so vulnerable during war