Latest Insights & Research

Stay informed with the latest public health research, insights, and evidence-based analysis from our team of experts.

Climate

Only 2 in 10 Communities Are Prepared for Fire Smoke

It’s a dry spring morning in northern Australia. A nurse in a small rural clinic notices an increase in patients presenting with wheezing, shortness of breath, and chest pain. The nearest bushfire is hundreds of kilometers away, yet the smoke has settled thick over town. What feels like just another smoky day has life-and-death consequences. […]

Read more →
Health equity

Only 2 in 10 Migrants Feel Safe Seeking Care

Last spring in Phoenix, a community clinic reported a sharp decline in migrant families bringing in their children for routine care. The reason wasn’t a sudden improvement in health. It was fear. Parents worried that seeking care would expose them—or their loved ones—to immigration authorities. This example illustrates a broader reality. Migrants make up over […]

Read more →
Research

The Hidden Bias Threatening Public Health Research Integrity

Last year, a community health worker in Krakow sat across from researchers at a medical college. She had decades of lived experience working with immigrant families. Yet, when she shared stories about barriers to accessing care, the conversation stalled. Her input was noted, but not acted upon. This scene reflects a wider problem: public involvement […]

Read more →
Wellbeing

How Health Literacy Can Ease Caregiver Stress

On a rainy Tuesday morning in Kraków, a mother sits in the pediatric waiting room, juggling her son’s medical records, a packed lunch, and unanswered questions about his medication. Despite years of appointments, she still feels unsure how to make sense of test results and treatment options. That uncertainty doesn’t just affect her child’s care—it […]

Read more →
News

Next Week in Public Health, October 9th.

The government is still shut down in the US. Congress is deadlocked over whether to extend enhanced health insurance subsidies, with Democrats pushing for immediate action before open enrollment begins on Nov. 1 and Republicans insisting that negotiations can wait until the government reopens. Insurance commissioners from both parties warn that delaying will cause chaos: […]

Read more →
Health tips

What This Study Reveals About COVID Recovery and Running

I’ve been injured since 2015, so I don’t get as many miles as I’d like. But new research shows deeper inequities. Not All Runners Cross the Same Finish Line: Picture the finish line at the 2023 Medellín Marathon. Thousands of runners cross, some jubilant, others exhausted. But behind the medals and cheers lies a hidden […]

Read more →
Research

How Online Views on Cannabis Could Shape Public Health

Picture a local health department worker preparing talking points for a city council hearing. Community members will testify about cannabis zoning, medical access, and recreational sales. The worker knows they’ll need to balance equity, economics, and public health—but what’s less clear is how residents actually perceive the risk of cannabis. Traditional surveys take months. Today, that […]

Read more →
Funding

Crowdfunding Health Care: A Symptom of a Broken System

Scanning social media today, you might see a heartfelt plea for help with medical bills – a friend of a friend raising money for cancer treatment, or a local family seeking support after a devastating accident. Such personal crowdfunding campaigns for healthcare have become quite common in the United States. Over the past decade, what […]

Read more →
Mental health

A New Tool for Peer Recovery Programs

Last year, staff at a small recovery community center in Texas were working late on yet another grant proposal. They knew their peer-led support groups were saving lives—but when funders asked for hard numbers on cost and impact, the answers were fuzzy. How do you put a dollar figure on recovery support or the lives […]

Read more →
📝
Uncategorized

Yes, it feels depressing.

It’s a mess out there and I am extremely worried then destroyed and defunded infrastructure will never come back. So what? Do we look to China or India for science leadership? No slight against them—the actually seem to give a shit? I guess I’m also worried that us community-based researchers are going to fall out. […]

Read more →
News

Next Week in Public Health, October 2, 2025

We’re switching things up a bit and moving this blog to Thursday. Sort of works better for us on our end. For all you peeps impacted by the shutdown, stay strong. Here’s the research we’ve been tracking. And what’s in the news Single-dose psilocybin rapidly and sustainably relieves allodynia and anxiodepressive-like behaviors in mouse models […]

Read more →
Environment

Climate Anxiety and the Future of Parenting

In British Columbia, the summer of 2021 was unlike any other. A record-breaking heat dome gripped the region, claiming hundreds of lives. Later that fall, floods washed away highways and homes. For residents like Emma, a 29-year-old nurse in Burnaby, the question wasn’t just how to cope with today’s emergencies—it was whether it was fair […]

Read more →

Get the public-health insights you need—
every Thursday morning.

We scan 70+ journals so you don't have to.
One email. Zero jargon. Unsubscribe anytime.

🔒 No spam. 1-click opt-out. Privacy-first.