Plastic additives tied to millions of preterm births worldwide
Peer-Reviewed Publication
Updates every hour. Last Updated: 31-Mar-2026 12:16 ET (31-Mar-2026 16:16 GMT/UTC)
Exposure to a chemical commonly used to make plastic more flexible may have contributed to about 1.97 million preterm births in 2018 alone, or more than 8 percent of the world’s total, a new analysis of population surveys shows. The chemical was also linked to the deaths of 74,000 newborns, the researchers further estimate.
For the first time in Arizona, and only the second time in the U.S., HonorHealth Research Institute treated a patient with a new type of lumbar spine disc repair that provides immediate relief of pain and maintains the patient’s full range of motion.
Today, @AmerGeriatrics @HealthinAging announces Dr. Cameron J. Gettel (@CameronGettel) as the 2026 recipient of the Jeffrey H. Silverstein Memorial Award for Emerging Investigators in the Surgical and Related Medical Specialties. https://bit.ly/4lYAauK
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine have identified a possible way to make longer lasting vaccines for respiratory viruses like influenza and the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. The work, published March 25 in in the journal Cell Reports, focuses on T cells, a type of immune cell that helps control infections by killing virus-infected cells. Unlike antibodies — the basis of most current vaccines, which can lose effectiveness as viruses mutate — T cells recognize more stable parts of viruses, offering a path to broader protection.
The Keck School of Medicine of USC and the USC Viterbi School of Engineering have announced that the Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering will become a joint department between the two schools, forging a formal partnership in education, research and innovation in technology and medicine. This joint department, one of the first of its kind in California, builds on decades of cross-disciplinary research and breakthroughs at USC, including the world’s first FDA-approved artificial retina, the first brain implant to restore lost memory function, and innovations in immunotherapy to treat cancer. With added support from USC’s president and provost, the newly integrated biomedical engineering department will create new structures and gain new resources dedicated to further accelerating biomedical innovation, enriching educational programs and advancing technology in medicine. It will combine expertise in priority areas spanning medical devices, neuroengineering, imaging science, drug discovery, artificial intelligence (AI) and informatics, cellular and molecular bioengineering, and more. Facilities at both the Viterbi School of Engineering and the Keck School of Medicine will be devoted to the joint department, with the chair reporting to both deans. Yingxiao (Peter) Wang, PhD, the department’s current chair, who also holds the Dwight C. and Hildagarde E. Baum Chair in Biomedical Engineering, will help implement the transition by leading the department into its next phase.