Articles
I am a contributing editor at Scientific American and write the Brain Waves blog for Psychology Today (you can find those posts here). My work has also appeared in The Atlantic, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, Time, Vogue and many other publications. Earlier in my career, I was on staff at Newsweek, and People, among other places and I’ve included a few of my old favorites from those days.
Telehealth Is Proving to be a Boon to Cancer and Diabetes Care
Like many people, I was introduced to telehealth during the pandemic. I met with my psychiatrist virtually, settling onto my couch instead of hers for our sessions. But those appointments required only a conversation. It made sense that psychotherapy easily made a switch to the online world. What’s more surprising…
The promise of telehealth in autism diagnoses
On a snowy day in December 2022, Coraline Vazquez spent the morning playing with her parents, Dani and Gabe. In pajamas and sweatpants, the trio snuggled together on the floor in Coraline’s cozy bedroom in the family home in Kutztown, Pennsylvania, a town of about 4,000 people an hour and…
People in Republican Counties Have Higher Death Rates Than Those in Democratic Counties
A growing mortality gap between Republican and Democrat areas may largely stem from policy choices During the COVID-19 pandemic, the link between politics and health became glaringly obvious. Democrat-leaning “blue” states were more likely to enact mask requirements and vaccine and social distancing mandates. Republican-leaning “red” states were much more…
The most personalized medicine: Studying your own child’s rare condition
The day Michael Boland’s son was born in July 2018 was blissfully normal. It had been a routine birth, and little Lukas aced the Apgar, a standard health test given to newborns. The next day, Boland made a quick trip home. As he walked back into the hospital room, he…
A Single, Quick ‘Mindset’ Exercise Protects against Adolescent Stress
Reframing erroneous beliefs alleviates the emotional upheavals that beset young people on the cusp of adulthood Close your eyes. Cast your mind back to high school and a high-stakes moment in your most difficult course with your toughest teacher. I’ll go first: : Senior year, Mr. Trice, the final exam…
U.S. Kids Are Falling behind Global Competition, but Brain Science Shows How to Catch Up
By Lydia Denworth & Dana Suskind On vital measures that predict later success in school and life, small children in the U.S. do worse than kids in comparable countries. This distressing information comes from an Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) study of five-year-olds. For years the OECD has been examining…