It’s a muggy morning in late August in Durham, N.C.—the temperature has already hit 85 degrees by 9 a.m.—and Jeff Letourneau is headed into the woods. The Ph.D. student in Duke’s Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology is out looking…
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Much to gain from early detection of postpartum depression
Depression after childbirth affects about one in 10 women. This type of depression has a great impact on the mother, but can also affect the development of the child. It is therefore important to identify possible depression at an early…
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Lab-grown mini ‘brains’ of humans and apes reveal why one got so much bigger
Using lab-grown mini-brains, scientists have figured out why humans have bigger brains than those of apes. About 5 million to 8 million years ago, humans and apes diverged from a common ancestor. Some time after that, humans started evolving to…
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Caroline Wozniacki Opens Up About Her Rheumatoid Arthritis Diagnosis: "I was in so much pain and felt exhausted"
Professional tennis player Caroline Wozniacki was at the top of her game in 2018, but when the 30-time Women’s Tennis Association singles title winner began feeling ill in August—after playing at Wimbledon, no less—she knew something was wrong. “After Wimbledon,…
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Are men really that much more likely to die from coronavirus? We need better data to be certain
Nine months after the coronavirus emerged, there’s still a remarkable lack of understanding about why the severity and course of COVID-19 vary for different people. Part of the problem is that we haven’t prioritized gathering and reporting data in enough…
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How much exercise is too much?
The COVID-19 pandemic has made many of us reevaluate our health and take up new exercise regimes. Running and cycling have become increasingly popular as activities that can be carried out by most people without much equipment, while observing social…
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Not much exercise needed to lower heart disease risk for overweight people
A new study suggests, for obese or overweight adults, that any amount of exercise might lower the risk of developing cardiovascular disease in the next 10 years. The study, published earlier this month in the journal PLOS ONE, found that…
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