Rob Stein
Stories
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Trump administration makes deep cuts to science funding
Cuts to costs, temporary freezes on grants, executive orders that go against the laws grants are supposed to follow — the early weeks of the Trump presidency are already drastically changing science.
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NIH announces new funding policy that rattles medical researchers
The National Institutes of Health has dramatically changed its grant-making terms by limiting how much it will disburse for costs such as equipment and administration.
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Flu cases rise again, while COVID takes a back seat
It's an unusual winter for respiratory illnesses. The flu is peaking twice: once in early January and again in February. Meanwhile, it's the mildest COVID winter since the pandemic began.
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A sense of foreboding hangs over the National Institutes of Health
There's widespread confusion and fear among scientists and doctors on the sprawling National Institutes of Health campus and at institutions dependent on the agency's funding.
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Recipient of pig kidney transplant reaches a milestone
An Alabama grandmother who was the first patient to receive a new kind of genetically modified pig kidney more than two months ago is now the longest surviving recipient of a pig organ.
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Federal health agencies told to halt all external communications
In a memo obtained by NPR, acting Health Secretary Dorothy Fink forbade staff from public communications on most matters until Feb. 1, unless they get express approval from "a presidential appointee."
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Winter illnesses return with a vengeance
The annual winter respiratory virus season is in full force. The number of people catching the flu is skyrocketing, while COVID-19, RSV and other respiratory viral illnesses are also rising.
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Talking with the first person to receive a new kind of pig kidney transplant
NPR visits first person to get a new kind of genetically modified pig kidney two weeks after undergoing the historic procedure.
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A transplanted pig kidney offers a grandmother hope for life without dialysis
The patient was in kidney failure and her immune system would reject a human organ. Scientists hope genetically modified pig organs prove safe and will alleviate the organ shortage and save lives.
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For kids with rare genetic disorders, customized CRISPR treatments offer hope
The gene-editing technique is effective for treating some illnesses but it's been too expensive to consider it for rare conditions. A new approach in the works could make it more widely available.
