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Medicine & Health

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 15-Jun-2026 02:16 ET (15-Jun-2026 06:16 GMT/UTC)

Researchers study whether intentionally manipulating blood carbon dioxide levels might enhance brain health

University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers at The University of New Mexico School of Medicine, the Mind Research Network (MRN) – a division of Lovelace Biomedical Research Institute – and the New Mexico Veterans Affairs Health Care System are exploring whether intentionally raising and lowering blood levels of carbon dioxide (CO₂) through rhythmic CO₂exposure or controlled breathing might boost the glymphatic system’s effectiveness and improve brain health.

Using artificial intelligence to understand how emotions are formed

Nara Institute of Science and Technology
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers at the Nara Institute of Science and Technology and Osaka University have developed a computational model of how human emotions are formed. This system integrates body signals, sensory input, and language, forming emotional concepts that match the self-reported human emotional judgment with 75% accuracy. The findings highlight new ways of building emotionally aware artificial intelligence, with potential applications in mental health care, interactive robots, and assistive technologies.

Journal: IEEE Transactions on Affective Computing
Funder: Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Japan Science and Technology Agency

Exposure to wildfire smoke late in pregnancy may raise autism risk in children

Tulane University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Pregnant women who were exposed to more than 10 days of wildfire smoke during their third trimester saw an increased risk of their child being diagnosed with autism compared to those who had no exposure, according to a new study.

Journal: Environmental Science & Technology
Funder: National Institutes of Environmental Health Sciences, Kaiser Permanente Southern California Direct Community Benefit Funds, EPA

New CT imaging oral contrast agent improves visualization of bowel anatomy, clinical trial data show

Mayo Clinic
Peer-Reviewed Publication

In a new pilot feasibility study, researchers from Mayo Clinic, the University of Washington School of Medicine, the University of California San Francisco, and Nextrast Inc. found that a new imaging oral agent, also known as a "contrast agent," helps radiologists better see bowel structures and disease in CT imaging when compared with the current oral contrast agents.

Journal: Abdominal Radiology

Cannabis may help some communities cope with gun violence

Association for Psychological Science
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new study examines the role of cannabis on the health of Black Americans living in Wilmington, Delaware, who are often surrounded by violence, incarceration, and social chaos.

Journal: Clinical Psychological Science

Bring a friend: Financial and peer support increase women’s reproductive agency in India

University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Despite improvements in economic and social empowerment, women in many countries still have little control over their own fertility and reproductive health. A new study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign explores a program reducing barriers to family planning by providing financial and peer support to women in Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populated state.

Journal: Journal of Development Economics

McGill researchers identify a range of unexpected chemical contaminants in human milk

McGill University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

An interdisciplinary team including researchers at McGill University has found a range of unexpected chemical contaminants in human milk samples from Canada and South Africa. The chemicals include traces of pesticides, antimicrobials and additives used in plastics and personal-care products. The findings were published across five papers.

Funder: Canada Foundation for Innovation, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Canada Research Chairs

Weill Cornell Medicine receives funding to develop diagnostic toolbox for lymphatic disease

Weill Cornell Medicine
Grant and Award Announcement

Weill Cornell Medicine has received a $5.2 million, initial two-year award from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) Lymphatic Imaging, Genomics, and pHenotyping Technologies (LIGHT) program to develop a comprehensive and innovative approach to diagnosing lymphatic disease.

Breaking barriers in lymphatic imaging: Rice’s SynthX Center leads up to $18 million effort for ‘unprecedented resolution and safety’

Rice University
Grant and Award Announcement

Rice University’s SynthX Center, directed by Han Xiao, has received an up to five-year, $18 million award from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) Lymphatic Imaging, Genomics and pHenotyping Technologies (LIGHT) program to develop innovative solutions for lymphatic diseases. This project award has the potential to transform the diagnosis and treatment of complex lymphatic anomalies (CLAs) and lymphedema, which are rare conditions that arise from abnormal growth of lymphatic vessels and can affect multiple organs.

Funder: Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health