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The HPV vaccine isn’t just for women. Why it matters for boys and men, according to a doctor
Men who got the HPV vaccine had a 46% reduction in risk of developing HPV-related cancers, a new study says. Dr. Leana Wen advises boys and men to get the vaccine.
DNA study of nearly 200 Indigenous genomes reveals unknown Asian 'ghost' population contributed to American ancestry
New genetic results reveal a previously unknown wave of people settled in South America 1,300 years ago and that Indigenous Americans carry remnants of a "ghost lineage."
These Fun Pursuits Help Middle-Aged Folks Protect Brain Health, Study Finds
By Dennis Thompson HealthDay ReporterFRIDAY, April 24, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Picking up an instrument. Taking a trip abroad. Going out to dinner with friends. All of these are pleasant activities that add spice to life. And they are also some of the most powerful ways to boost brain power and ...
Sleepy in the morning? That could be a red flag
A new study links frequent, longer daytime naps in older adults to higher health risks — especially when they start in the morning.
Marshall Health Network enrolling patients in lung cancer clinical trial evaluating personalized immunotherapy approach
lungllulungHUNTINGTON, W.Va. – The Edwards Cancer Institute at Marshall Health Network (MHN) is enrolling eligible patients in a clinical trial evaluating whether a personalized immunotherapy approach can enhance the effectiveness of treatment following lung cancer surgery. The study is investigating the use of an individualized therapy designed with a tumor’s unique biology from a surgical sample to help the immune system better […]
What if humans could regrow tissue? New study moves science closer
For centuries, the inability to regrow lost body parts has been considered a defining limitation of humans and other mammals. While animals like salamanders can regenerate entire limbs, humans are left ...
Giant, 60-foot octopuses were apex predators 100 million years ago, fossil discovery shows
Rare fossil finds show colossal octopuses were among the top ocean predators during the Cretaceous Period, according to a new study.
‘Kraken-like’ giant octopuses 100m years ago crunched bones of prey
Study of fossilised beaks shows patterns of wear and suggests some ancient species were up to 19 metres long
Health officials nix publication of study on Covid vaccine effectiveness
The report's release had previously been delayed after the CDC's acting director, Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, expressed concerns about its methodology.
Chernobyl at 40: Wildlife and science in the exclusion zone
Forty years after the Chernobyl accident, the largely uninhabited exclusion zone around the nuclear power plant has become a haven for wildlife, as well as providing the world with a unique living laboratory for scientific study of the impact of radioactive elements. The zone also plays a large part in popular culture's enduring interest and fascination with the events of 1986. ;
What if humans could regrow tissue? Texas A&M study moves science closer
Researchers have successfully regenerated skeletal and connective tissue — even if not perfectly formed — demonstrating the next, critical step in limb regeneration.
States ranked by how much of residents' income goes toward housing
A recent WalletHub study ranked all 50 US states by the housing burden of renters and homeowners as a share of the median income in each state.
Citizen science helps ID elusive seabird, paves way for more citizen-backed discoveries
Vast online archives of photos, videos and sound recordings collected by the public are reshaping how scientists study the natural world, allowing researchers to answer questions that were once out of ...
Want to live a longer, happier life? Science says work to be more successful (but not in the way you might think)
A decades-long (and counting) study reveals happiness lies not necessarily in the achievement, but in the pursuit.
Women in science – global study finds presence without power
Women make up one in three researchers worldwide, but they remain sidelined in scientific organisations.
Case Study: 4Wall Entertainment Powers 2026 NFL Draft on NETGEAR AV Line Network
The NFL Draft is rebuilt from the ground up in a new city every year. The three-day fan festival is expected to draw 500,000 or more attendees, with millions following...
Scientists trace latest interstellar comet's home to a cold, isolated corner of the Milky Way
A new study suggests that the comet that rambled past us from another star last year likely originated in a cold, isolated corner of the galaxy that had yet to gel into its own solar system.
Scientists trace latest interstellar comet’s home to a cold, isolated corner of the Milky Way
A new study suggests that the comet that rambled past us from another star last year likely originated in a cold, isolated corner of the galaxy that had yet to gel into its own solar system.
This Natick athlete will study history. He's already made it on the field
Gavin Weddle is one of 16 seniors on Natick High’s baseball team, and most of them are multi-sport athletes in leadership roles.
US health officials nix publication of a study on COVID vaccine effectiveness
U.S. health officials have stopped the publication of a study on the COVID-19 vaccine's effectiveness in preventing hospitalizations.
US Health Officials Nix Publication of a Study on COVID Vaccine Effectiveness
NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. health officials stopped the publication of a study on whether the COVID-19 vaccine was keeping adults from becoming sick enough to have to go to the hospital. A U.S. Department of Health and Human Services spokesman on Wednesday confirmed the decision to halt publication,
HHS rejects publication of study showing Covid-19 vaccines prevent hospitalizations, ER visits
Covid-19 vaccines roughly halved the chances that a US adult would need to visit the emergency room or be hospitalized with their infections last fall and winter, according to two sources familiar with the findings of a new study. But you won’t hear about it from the agency that led the research: the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
New study reveals coffee’s positive gut impacts, even without caffeine
New research is looking at the positive effects of coffee on the gut-brain connection.
New clues for using common fungus to promote crop growth and health
Trichoderma species — a common fungus found in soils — have varying abilities to promote tomato plant growth and differentially affect the abundance of certain soil bacteria, according to a study led by researchers at Penn State.
PWS Honored Graduate: Janey Cress’ Plunge into Freshwater Ecosystems
Driven to make the most of her time at BYU, Janey Cress immersed herself in undergraduate research studying freshwater macroinvertebrates.
Christian nationalists more likely to oppose gun regulations and support political violence, study finds
A new article finds that for Christian nationalists with a high gun-owner identity, there is an instilled culture of personal and community protection that makes them more likely to endorse extreme actions like violence.
Bullying, Politics Harm Mental Health Of Gender-Diverse Teens
By Dennis Thompson HealthDay ReporterWEDNESDAY, April 22, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Gender-diverse teenagers who are bullied are more likely to suffer escalating psychological distress than other teens, particularly if they live in a state with repressive gender identity laws, a new study says. These ...
Delivered! - The Courier Driver Business
In many German cities, bicycle couriers deliver burgers, pizza, and other food to people's homes. Thousands of these riders come from India, lured by the promise of studying in Germany, and have incurred heavy debts.
Euclid Space Warps – help us hunt for galaxy-galaxy lense
“Space Warps,” the new citizen science project on the Zooniverse platform, aims to identify gravitational lensing in Euclid data and study dark matter.
This “quantum” material fooled scientists and revealed something new
A mysterious magnetic material once thought to host an exotic “quantum spin liquid” has turned out to be something entirely different—and possibly just as intriguing. Scientists studying cerium magnesium hexalluminate found it showed the hallmark signs of this elusive quantum state, like a lack of magnetic order and a spread of energy states. But after closer inspection using neutron experiments, they discovered the behavior came from a delicate tug-of-war between two opposing magnetic forces.
What Is It Like to Be an AI in Business Master's Student?
Learn why professionals are studying AI in business, what it’s like to be a student in BU’s AI business degree and how to determine if this program is right for you.
More naps, higher risk? Research links daytime sleep to health warnings in aging adults
Excessive daytime napping may signal health decline in older adults and is linked to higher mortality risk, a Mass General Brigham study suggests.
Visiting Fulbright scholar from Poland joins INL researcher to study actinide physics, unlock atomic secrets
For Adam Piotr Pikul of the Polish Academy of Sciences, there is always more to understand about the basic physics of uranium atoms. That’s why Pikul, a professor at the Institute of Low Temperature and Structure Research in Wrocław, is studying actinide quantum materials at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) on a Fulbright Senior Award. Actinides are a group of 15 radioactive elements, including uranium.
Oberlin Launches Rotberg Lecture in African Politics with April 22 Inaugural Talk | Oberlin College and Conservatory
Oberlin College and Conservatory has established the Robert I. Rotberg ’55 and Fiona J. Y. Rotberg ’90 Annual Lecture in African Politics, a new endowed series that will bring leading scholars to campus each year.The lecture series is designed to expand opportunities for students and the broader community to engage with the study of political development across the African continent—past, present, and future—while also reflecting Oberlin’s longstanding connections to influential African leaders and thinkers.
'Nations need to prepare now': Key Atlantic ocean current is much closer to collapse than scientists thought
An alarming study claims the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation is weakening more than than believed previously. But experts say its findings are far from the final word.
Napping may be warning sign of health issues in older adults, study finds
For older adults, naps may be a warning sign of underlying conditions or declining health, according to a new study.
How Poughkeepsie ranks in best and worst small cities to start a business
A new study ranks New York's small cities for starting a business, including Poughkeepsie. See which ones are best and worst.
Shaky political science: using "simulated" elections over real-world elections
[Dear DSOS readers – this article is the latest in our “Shaky Political Science” series. In our 38 page report, “Shaky political ‘science’ misses mark on ranked choice voting,” released in early December, we examined over 40 studies focused on ranked choice voting. We found that many of these studies suffered from puzzling research methodologies, poorly constructed surveys, unrealistic simulated elections, cherry picked data, and faulty analyses that often were contradicted by results from real-world elections (a link to our full paper is here). Here are links to the first three articles in our series: the first one summarizing the overall results of our report, the second one analyzing a study co-authored by University of Minnesota academic Larry Jacobs, which was one of the most error-prone of all the research we reviewed in our report, and a third article showing an admirable example of two political scientists holding two other political scientists accountable for their flawed, sloppy research]. In this fourth article in our “Shaky Political Science” series, we shine a spotlight on seven studies that were web-hosted and funded by New America’s Political Reform Program and its Electoral Reform Research Group (the ERRG is an ad hoc committee headed by New America’s Political Reform Program and joined by the American Enterprise Institute, the Unite America Institute and Stanford University’s Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law). This research consortium has been led by Lee Drutman, senior fellow with New America’s Political Reform Program. These seven studies are simply not credible from any objective standard about how political “science” is supposed to illuminate our understanding of either ranked choice voting or politics in general. The feature that six of these seven studies have in common is that they all used surveys – artificial, simulated elections -- to attempt to say something cogent or interesting about ranked choice voting (RCV) elections. None of them used real world data from actual RCV elections – either the 1000+ elections in the US or the many thousands of elections from places like Australia, Ireland and elsewhere where RCV has been used for 100 years. While a few of these studies conclude with some mixed positives about RCV, our analysis here is content neutral. The idea that, with a political reform like RCV, you can ask respondents in a mock, artificial election to vote with that method, with only the barest of explanation about how RCV works or its likely impacts (i.e. no spoiler candidates, majority winners, voters liberated to pick their favorite candidates, coalition-building), and then ask them their thoughts/reactions about voting in that system, with fake candidates and no real campaigning, no real exposure to an actual election or actual candidates, rests on some very puzzling assumptions. The findings of these seven studies actually are contradicted by the findings from many other studies based on real-world RCV elections. These New America studies also failed to list the real-world RCV studies in their own citations, instead including those studies that reinforced their conclusions. The seven studies featured in this article were chosen because they form a cohesive cohort which precisely illustrates one of the main points of our research paper, namely that using surveys, i.e. artificial elections, or mathematical/theoretical models, instead of real-world data, is in fact “shaky political science.” Below are summaries of our analysis of five of the seven New America studies. You can read our complete analysis of all seven studies at our paper, “Shaky political ‘science’ misses mark on ranked choice voting.” Choosing to “Vote As Usual” by Andre Blais, Carolina Plescia, and Semra Sevi. New America. (Blais et al., 2021). This study, web-hosted and funded by New America’s Political Reform Program and its Electoral Reform Research Group, used two surveys in which respondents completed ballots for simulated elections using plurality, approval, RCV and point (Score) voting. In both cases the authors provided the respondents with only minimal explanation of each method. For example, the entire explanation for RCV was “For this vote, rank the candidates from your first to your last choice (you do not need to rank them all). This is called the ranked vote.” That’s it. The study did not provide any context or explanation to survey respondents about why she/he might want to rank multiple candidates. Participants were not even told that ballots would be tabulated using an “instant” runoff, not to mention any description of RCVs ability to eliminate the spoiler effect or liberate voters to rank their favorite candidates without fear of helping the “greater evil” candidate to win. That’s like taking an iPhone back in time to 1970 and asking someone if they like it better than their rotary phone without explaining how it works. Their first survey targeted states that held 2020 Super Tuesday Democratic primaries and used the real candidates’ names in the survey; the second survey used fictitious candidates. In other words, they surveyed respondents who had only ever participated in plurality elections, had no history or background with using RCV or any of the other methods, had no clue about its likely impacts, and did not communicate how the alternative methods would be counted, and then asked them: “How satisfied are you with using each system?” Predictably, the winner was plurality elections, the system used for president, Congress, gubernatorial and state legislative elections – in other words, the method they have been using, year after year, all their voting lives. With so little explanation of RCV and its impacts, this study is simply not credible in discovering anything useful about real-world RCV elections. It merely shows that a basic voter education campaign is needed when adopting a new election system. Additionally, the result contradicts many other post-election surveys following real RCV elections, asking opinions from voters who had just participated in a RCV election, that showed a great deal of satisfaction with RCV (see details on that in Studies 22-25 in our paper, as well as the four studies cited in the review for Study 28). Share Other studies on “satisfaction” and “understanding” make similar mistakes, in terms of basing their surveys on inadequate explanation to respondents and lack of education about context. How could any survey ever hope to measure accurately, in essence simulate a real-world election, without actual campaigning candidates, the media writing about those candidates, organizations endorsing candidates and voters being inundated with crucial information? More than anything, what these “studies” based on surveys show is that if you ask voters about something they don’t know very much about, and fail to adequately educate them, their responses will unsurprisingly reflect their confusion. Equally puzzling is that New America’s Electoral Reform Research Group, headed by political scientist Lee Drutman, found this to be a credible enough study that they not only published it but highlighted it in Drutman’s own discussion of research related to ranked choice voting. This pattern was repeated in study after study featured by New America’s Electoral Reform Research Group. For example in Ranked-Choice Voting and Political Expression: Voter Guides Narrow the Gap between Informed and Uninformed Citizens by Cheryl Boudreau, Jonathan Colner, and Scott MacKenzie, the researchers based their analysis on a survey which found that respondents who were asked to vote in a simulated RCV election, with minimal explanation of RCV or how it works, displayed less evidence of being informed about how to use RCV effectively, with the least informed voters ranking fewer candidates. As pointed out under the study above, in a real election voters are informed by a wide variety of methods, including public education by the election administration, by interested political groups, the media, and the candidates themselves who benefit from voters being aware of how to vote in the new system. In Support for Ranked-Choice Voting across Race and Partisanship by Joseph Anthony, David C. Kimball, Jack Santucci and Jamil Scott, the researchers used respondents from different parties and races voting in simulated plurality and RCV elections, who indicated their satisfaction with each voting method. Instead of using real world election results, the authors fell back on the easy, armchair and less reliable academic research methodology of making up mock elections. As with the other studies, little explanation was given of how RCV works or what its implications might be (electing majority winners or eliminating spoilers, for example). Unsurprisingly, this study found that respondents were not very satisfied with RCV. However, when the authors added an explanation that RCV has a tendency to elect more women and people of color, they found that this greater explanation increased the preference for RCV. The more voters were familiar with it, and the more they understood potential positive impacts – surprise! -- the more they were open to switching away from the status quo. Of note, the results from this study are thoroughly contradicted by a number of other studies whose data was obtained from real RCV elections with real voters. Those studies show a great deal of satisfaction with RCV. More “fake election” research An interesting wrinkle on this “research by fake elections” approach, which only served to illustrate how unreliable such “research” can become, was taken in Ranked-Choice Voting, Runoff, and Democracy: Insights from Maine and Other U.S. States by Joseph Cerrone and Cynthia McClintock_,_ also web-hosted and funded by New America’s ERRG. It gets high marks for creativity, but an eye-roll for thinking this could possibly add anything meaningful to our understanding of real world RCV elections. This study tried to determine whether RCV, plurality or two-round runoff elections provided greater voter satisfaction and acceptance of election results. To determine that, the authors conducted a survey asking if voters were satisfied with a fictional newspaper report of an election, with three different versions given to respondents – plurality, runoff and RCV, with variations of Republican/Democrat winners and variations of “come-from-behind” winners,” i.e. candidates not initially in first place but who win the “runoff.” Again, a minimal explanation of RCV or how it works was given, and the survey showed that respondents had the greatest unfamiliarity with RCV than the other methods. The unsurprising result? Respondents were much more satisfied with “come-from-behind” victories in a traditional two-round runoff election than in RCV, even though RCV is also a runoff system but with a single round of counting. Interestingly, the dissatisfaction with RCV disappeared for those who were more familiar with RCV. In fact, among those respondents who were “very familiar” with RCV, they were equally satisfied with RCV, runoff and plurality. Surprise, surprise. Again, what this study revealed, more than anything, is not only the inadequacy of the explanation for RCV given by the authors of this study, but the failure of the research format itself, thinking that such an artificial mock election could somehow simulate what actually happens in the real world in a real RCV election. Those four studies reviewed above are fitting examples of inadequate and shaky political “science.” Other studies reviewed in our paper from the New America/Electoral Reform Research Group cohort which also used mock elections included: Ranked-Choice Voting is an Acquired Taste by Joseph Anthony and David C. Kimball. New America. (Anthony et al., 2021). Ranked-Choice Voting is No Refuge for Extreme Candidates by Melissa Baker. New America. (Baker, 2021). Also included in this New America cohort is Does Ranked-Choice Voting Reduce Racial Polarization? by Yuki Atsusaka and Theodore Landsman, which actually did use real-world election results data but applied an odd and unconventional methodology to the data which relied on shaky assumptions and non-real-world scenarios that were too divorced from reality. To determine levels of “racially polarized voting,” the researchers imagined “ethnic parties,” by which they mean political parties for each ethnic group, which was especially odd since the election data they were using came from nonpartisan RCV races. But then they made an even odder assumption, namely that since race and ethnic characteristics of studied voters were not available, the authors tried to infer that information based on who voters selected and the racial make-up of voters in each district. This amounted to little more than vague and ambiguous guesswork dressed up with a bunch of mathematical equations used to give it a veneer of scientific appearance. Indeed, it seemed to assume racial polarization in order to prove racial polarization. Based on this questionable methodology, the authors concluded that RCV doesn’t reduce racial polarization. But the premise of this study missed an obvious reality: since RCV incentivizes more candidates to run and can result in more diverse fields of candidates, one would expect more racially-polarized voting in voters’ top rankings, not less, because more voters would have someone on that ballot who represents their racial or ethnic identity and more freedom to vote for their real first choice. By encouraging more diverse candidates and eliminating the spoiler effect, RCV facilitates voting for a favorite candidate of your own race and then selecting a second choice with the best likelihood of winning. The real measure is what voters do with their additional rankings – do they consider other candidates and vote “for the best of the rest”? This study didn’t tell us anything useful about that. But readily available data shows this is common in real RCV elections, and candidates act on this knowledge by engaging with voters outside their racial group. So the authors of this study failed to consider or account for what actually happens in real-world elections, and their conclusions are tainted by this failure. New America has contributed a great deal over the past 2.5 decades to our understanding of many policy areas, including politics and political reform (full disclosure: Steven Hill, one of the authors of this article and of the “Shaky Political Science” research paper and series, is a former senior fellow and former director of New America’s political reform program, 2005-2010). So it was especially disappointing that New America funded and published such a large batch of dubious studies about ranked choice voting. The stated praiseworthy goal of its Electoral Reform Research Group was to inspire new academic research about ranked choice voting that would shed light and help the public better understand the impacts of RCV. Instead, the ERRG research did just the opposite. It produced dubious research that created more confusion and misinformation. In so doing, New America’s political reform program contributed to “shaky political science.” Steven Hill and Paul Haughey Share Upgrade to $5 subscription Thanks for reading DemocracySOS, a reader-supported digital portal for the pro-democracy movement. Subscribe for only $5 per month to receive full benefits and to support our work. Subscribe
4 Pitt students won DAAD RISE scholarships
Students selected can study at leading German universities for a summer.
High school journalism and business education, even if it's incidental
Study finds high school journalism helps lead in financial literacy education, even though it might not be the direct intent.
NY's best and worst small cities to start a business
A new study ranks New York's small cities for starting a business. See which ones are best and worst.
AI Gives 'Problematic' Health Advice Around Half The Time, Study Suggests
The most dangerous advice may sound most convincing.
AI Gives 'Problematic' Health Advice Around Half The Time, Study Suggests
The most dangerous advice may sound most convincing.
The Science of piRNA and Predicting Death With a Blood Test
A new study analyzed piRNA — first discovered in 2006 — as a strong predictor of short-term survival in older patients. It could one day be a simple blood test.
New imaging technique helps scientists see the inside of living cells to study how cancer spreads and grows
New fluorescent dyes allow scientists to watch cancer activity inside living cells in real time, opening new possibilities for treatment.
Trump’s order on psychedelics could have far-reaching science consequences
A new executive order could make it easier for researchers studying how psychedelic drugs like psilocybin, LSD and ibogaine may be useful in medicine
Oregon open for business: Study shows more biz openings than closings
On this edition we talk with OSU Doctor of Applied Economics Richard Acquah-Sarpong about his study which showed that since 2012 more businesses have opening in Oregon than have closed. Then we talk to KLCC's Julia Boboc about her story on the life and lessons of a local sheep farmer.
Planets need more water for life than scientists thought
A new study explores how much surface water a planet needs to support life.
On the frontlines of speech science with Liberty Hamilton and Alex
Last summer, UC Berkeley hired not one but two computational neuroscientists, Liberty Hamilton and Alex Huth, who study how the brain processes language. The pair has a lot more in common. Both
Daytime napping patterns may reveal hidden health decline in older adults
New research reveals that as people age, naps may be an easily trackable warning sign of underlying conditions or declining health. A new study by investigators from Mass General Brigham and Rush University ...
Just a few minutes of intense exercise daily can reduce disease risk. Yes, really.
Vigorous activity may reduce your risk of multiple diseases, according to a recent study.
Cocaine pollution in rivers and lakes may disrupt behaviour of salmon, study finds
Fish swam further and dispersed more widely after exposure to environmental levels of drug and main metabolite
New study finds young adults are struggling significantly more with their mental health than past ge
A game of split-second decisions: Putting health and human performance to the test
When athletes step onto the field, reacting a fraction of a second too late can be the difference between making a play and sustaining an injury. At the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, faculty in the Department of Health and Human Performance (HHP) are studying what drives those split-second decisions and how sleep, mental health and cognitive processing affect performance and injury risk.
Dario Demonstrates Improved Workplace Function and Productivity Outcomes Through Digital Behavioral Health Program: Real-World Study Published in JMIR Formative Research
/PRNewswire/ -- DarioHealth Corp. (NASDAQ: DRIO) (the "Company", "DarioHealth" or "Dario"), a leader in global digital health, today announced the publication...
Dario Demonstrates Improved Workplace Function and Productivity Outcomes Through Digital Behavioral Health Program: Real-World Study Published in JMIR Formative Research
/PRNewswire/ -- DarioHealth Corp. (NASDAQ: DRIO) (the "Company", "DarioHealth" or "Dario"), a leader in global digital health, today announced the publication...
Having more kids associated with reduced risk of stroke and brain damage, research co-led by UT Health San Antonio shows - UT Health San Antonio
Number of live births could be an important predictive factor Contact: Steven Lee, (210) 450-3823, lees22@uthscsa.edu SAN ANTONIO, April 20, 2026 – While some say having lots of kids can make you lose your faculties, a new study suggests otherwise. Research co-led by UT Health San Antonio, the academic health center of The University of […]
Chatbots often offer 'problematic' cancer advice, study finds
Popular artificial intelligence programs told users where to find alternative, potentially dangerous treatments for cancer and other health scenarios.
New study reveals how maze-like magnetic patterns form and evolve in materials
Maze magnetic domains in soft magnetic materials strongly influence energy loss in electric motors, particularly at high temperatures. However, existing models struggle to explain their complex, temperature-dependent behavior. To address this gap, researchers developed an entropy-extended Ginzburg-Landau model combined with data-driven analysis to study these structures. The approach reveals how entropy and energy interactions drive magnetization reversal and increasing domain complexity, providing new insights into magnetic energy-loss mechanisms.
Advancing epidemic and pandemic preparedness through research readiness: SEAR Unity Studies Network Sites chart the way forward in 2026
On 25 March 2026, WHO Regional Office for the South‑East Asia Region (SEARO) convened the first meeting of the SEAR Chapter of the Unity Studies Network Meeting in 2026 to take stock of progress and plan next steps for strengthening epidemic and pandemic preparedness across the Region. The meeting focused on reviewing the ongoing adaptation of selected, standard Unity Study methodologies, sharing field implementation experiences from 2025, and identifying key priorities to guide collaborative work in 2026.Held virtually, the meeting brought together representatives from six Unity Studies network sites across five countries (Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand) as well as participants from all three levels of WHO.The meeting took place against the backdrop of ongoing regional efforts in South‑East Asia to strengthen early investigations and studies for epidemic and pandemic preparedness, with a focus on pandemic influenza and other emerging respiratory pathogens with epidemic and pandemic potential. In this context, and as part of preparedness for the rapid generation of evidence, the WHO Health Emergencies Programme in SEAR (WHE/SEAR) encourages Unity Studies sites to adapt prioritized, standardized Unity Study protocols to their national contexts. This approach supports the generation of timely and reliable evidence to inform public health decision‑making during epidemics and pandemics.These efforts are supported through a combination of experience sharing, participation in the global Unity Studies network webinars, capacity‑building of the national public health workforce, and regional collaboration that promotes inter‑country, inter‑agency, and inter‑ministerial action. In parallel, sites are encouraged to explore diversified funding sources to help sustain research preparedness over the long term.Discussions highlighted the importance of WHO’s catalytic financial support through the Pandemic Influenza Preparedness (PIP) Partnership Contributions (PIP‑PC). When combined with national and institutional resources, this support enables countries and sites to maintain continuity of activities at a core level and remain prepared to respond rapidly and effectively to future epidemics and pandemics.Regional and Global Updates: Opening the session, Dr Pushpa Ranjan Wijesinghe, Programme Area Manager, Pandemic and Epidemic Management (PEM) Unit, WHO Health Emergencies Programme, highlighted the progress made in operationalizing the Unity Studies Network across the Region and acknowledged the collaborative efforts of WHO at all three levels, together with country unity studies sites. He emphasized the availability of limited but catalytic funding through the Pandemic Influenza Preparedness (PIP) Partnership Contribution (PIP‑PC) workplan at SEARO to sustain network activities in 2026, while encouraging sites to leverage additional funding sources to expand implementation.Representing SEARO, Dr Ashok Basnet, consultant, Pandemic Influenza Preparedness reported that, at the regional level, the Unity Studies Network currently includes six sites across five countries: Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. He noted that in 2025, catalytic funding supported protocol adaptation, training, and pilot implementation. In addition, a regional Unity Studies symposium held during the Global Public Health Summit in Sri Lanka strengthened and advocated collaboration between the Unity Studies site, national decision‑making forum, relevant technical units of the ministry of health, WHO and other partners.The symposium also highlighted the role of early investigations and studies as a key component of a multi‑source surveillance system needed at country level to generate a broad range of evidence. It underscored the critical role of country Unity Studies sites and similar research entities in generating evidence to support public health decision‑making during epidemics and pandemics.Participants of the WHO GISRS Unity Studies Sites Network- SEAR Chapter Meeting 2026 (Photo credit- PEM/WHE/SEARO). SEARO also updated participants on ongoing efforts to develop a regional Unity Studies webpage and to promote participation in global knowledge‑sharing platforms, including webinars and the WHO Community of Practice. Priorities for 2026 include supporting the implementation of Unity protocols, strengthening collaboration and experience sharing across sites, documenting and publishing findings, integrating Unity Studies activities as a component of multi-source national surveillance systems, and building workforce capacity.Dr Nickle Boddington of the Global Influenza Programme (GIP) at WHO Headquarters, which coordinates the Unity Studies Network globally, provided updates on global Unity Studies activities, noting that the network has expanded to 16 sites worldwide. New and updated protocols, including rapid clinical severity assessment tools and standardized data platforms, are being developed to support implementation. The global Community of Practice has also been launched to facilitate technical exchange, and continued support will be provided to sites for protocol adaptation, ethical approvals, and readiness for early investigation during outbreaks. Updates from Unity Studies sites in SEAR in 2025Unity Studies sites shared progress and experiences in implementing protocols across diverse country contexts. Sites initiated activities in 2025 using catalytic funding from SEARO, complemented by the mobilization of internal national resources. The Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), Bangladesh, reported the adoption and piloting of investigation protocols on non‑seasonal influenza and emerging respiratory diseases during recent avian influenza outbreaks, demonstrating a multi‑source funding approach involving government, WHO and One Health partners.The Hamdard Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (HIMSR), New Delhi, India, highlighted the piloting of household transmission investigation studies, the expansion of the national Unity Studies network, and the contribution of study findings to global evidence through published outputs. The All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, India, shared experiences from large‑scale seroprevalence studies conducted during the COVID‑19 pandemic, recent efforts to strengthen national Unity network sites through training activities, and plans to initiate multi‑centre studies on respiratory viruses.Similarly, Prince of Songkla University, Thailand, highlighted its experience in developing integrated surveillance and diagnostic protocols for multiple respiratory pathogens, enhancing readiness for targeted investigations of emerging threats. The University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka, reported ongoing engagement with the Ministry of Health and exploration of additional funding sources to initiate studies. Meanwhile, the National Public Health Laboratory, Nepal, provided updates on continued coordination with national stakeholders to initiate implementation, despite delays related to the country context.Across sites, shared experiences underscored the importance of protocol adaptation, multisectoral collaboration, and sustainable funding to operationalize Unity Studies and generate evidence for public health action.Discussions and Way ForwardThe meeting reinforced key priorities for 2026, including strengthening unity studies protocol implementation, enhancing collaboration, knowledge sharing, integrating research as a component of national multi-source surveillance systems, and ensuring that generated evidence informs public health decision‑making. Participants also emphasized the importance of documentation, visibility, and leveraging multiple funding sources, and agreed on the following action points.Unity Studies Sites and WHO Country Offices:Advance adoption and implementation of at least one Unity protocol, continuing activities initiated in 2025 with catalytic funding, supplemented with other sources of funding where feasible.Document site-specific experiences, outcomes, and lessons learned; participate in regional and global knowledge-sharing platforms including WHO webinars and the Community of Practice.Work closely with ministries of health to establish unified national platforms for translating generated evidence into national public health decision-making. WHO Country Offices may facilitate technical support and complementary, synergistic funding opportunities where feasible. WHO Regional OfficeCoordinate with WHO Country Offices to support implementation of core unity studies activities by network sites through catalytic funding and provide technical guidance and virtual engagement opportunities throughout 2026.Facilitate the participation of all Unity Studies sites in the regional meeting on Unity Studies implementation in October 2026, to be held back‑to‑back with the Annual SEAR Regional PIP‑PC Meeting; develop and host a SEAR Unity Studies website; and mobilize support from academic institutions within the SEAR Unity Studies Network to support the development of regional manuscripts that showcase Unity Studies activities to scientific audiences and promote knowledge‑sharing.Explore complementary funding opportunities and partnerships to sustain and expand network activities across the Region.WHO HeadquartersProvide global technical guidance, updated protocols, and toolkits to support the implementation of Unity Studies in SEAR.Facilitate engagement of SEAR sites in global webinars, the Community of Practice, and opportunities to showcase their work.Support joint publications, inclusion of SEAR experiences in global outputs, and identification of additional funding and collaborative opportunities to strengthen Unity Studies activities.
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It makes a difference.
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USC study suggests link between healthy diet and increased lung cancer risk
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This Chicago suburb ranked No.1 in Illinois for starting a business, report says
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Scientists Say Black Holes Are Breaking Their Own Rules of Physics
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Why Promising Cancer Drugs Failed: Scientists Uncover the Missing Piece
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Artificial intelligence is reshaping environmental science into a predictive and precision-driven discipline
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Amid ‘constant' data center noise, Sterling residents also worry about health impact
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Traws Pharma Reports Full Year 2025 Results and Provides Business Highlights
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Osara Health Publishes New Peer-Reviewed Study Demonstrating Clinically Meaningful Improvements in Physical and Mental Health for People With Cancer
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UT Health San Antonio Multispecialty and Research Hospital treats first clinical trial participant in novel cancer study - UT Health San Antonio
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