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Disease

New light microscopy techniques can distinguish objects down to less than ten nanometers. 

These Super-Resolution Microscopes Are Revealing the Inner Lives of Cells

Advanced light microscopy techniques are giving scientists a new understanding of human biology and what goes wrong in diseases

Early detection cancer tests are showing signs of promise, but some researchers still have reservations.

Cancer DNA Can Be Detected in the Bloodstream Up to Three Years Before Diagnosis, Study Suggests

For a few individuals, scientists found genetic material from cancerous tumors in blood samples taken years before they were diagnosed through traditional methods

A Late Neolithic skull. For the recent study, scientists extracted DNA from skulls and teeth to look for traces of diseases.

With Ancient DNA, Scientists Have Mapped 37,000 Years of Disease Across Europe and Asia

Zoonoses—diseases that spread from animals to humans—began to gain prevalence some 6,500 years ago with the rise of animal husbandry, a new study suggests

Andreas Munch Studying Anatomy, Edvard Munch, 1886

Edvard Munch Was Haunted by Physical and Mental Illnesses—but He Was Also Fascinated by Them

Known as the painter of “The Scream,” the Norwegian artist and his loved ones spent many years suffering from health conditions. A new exhibition explores how the world of medicine influenced his art

As our companions, dogs are often exposed to the same carcinogens as us.

How Cancer Research for Dogs Is Helping Improve Treatment for Pets and Humans Alike

Canine and human cancers bear many similarities, and studies on dogs are helping advance care for our furry friends and for us

Mattel collaborated with leading diabetes organization Breakthrough T1D to design the first Barbie doll with Type 1 diabetes.

Meet the First Barbie With Type 1 Diabetes. Her Colorful Accessories Showcase the Tools People Use to Treat the Chronic Disease

The new doll boasts a pink continuous glucose monitor to track blood sugar levels and a pink insulin pump

Yersinia pestis, the bacteria that causes the plague

An Arizona Resident Died From the Plague. Here’s What to Know About the Rare Disease

The patient had the pneumonic plague, the rarest and deadliest form of the disease. Human cases remain very uncommon in the United States, though plague is endemic to the western part of the country

Girls' ADHD symptoms are often mistakenly attributed to other issues, like anxiety or depression, and it may take until adulthood for women to be accurately diagnosed.

The Future of Mental Health

Why Are So Many More Women Being Diagnosed With ADHD?

Experts once thought ADHD was something only boys experienced. The research is finally starting to catch up with reality

A measles vaccination is administered to a child.

U.S. Measles Cases Reach a Record High Since the Disease Was Declared Eliminated 25 Years Ago

With nearly six months left in the year, the total number of cases so far in 2025 has surpassed every year since 1992

A 99-million-year-old fly encased in amber shows infection with a prehistoric zombifying fungus.

Rare Amber Fossils Capture ‘Zombie’ Fungus Infecting Insects During a Time When Dinosaurs Still Walked the Earth

An ant and fly from the Cretaceous period offer insights into the history of Ophiocordyceps, the fungal parasite made popular by HBO’s “The Last of Us”

Scavengers like turkey vultures remove millions of tons of waste each year by consuming carrion.

Scavenger Animals Are in Trouble, and That Could Spell Bad News for Human Health

More than one-third of species that eat some amount of carrion are threatened or declining, a new analysis finds, and that could lead to a rise in zoonotic diseases

Experts say those patients at the highest risk of developing severe illness should get vaccinated.

Six Questions About Covid-19 Vaccines, Answered

Recent vaccination announcements have led to some confusion. Four physicians weigh in on who should get vaccinated and when

A computer illustration details dog roundworm (Toxocara canis). Humans can pick up the parasite when coming into contact with infected soil or feces.

How Worm-Inspired Treatments Are Inching Their Way Toward the Clinic

Infection by certain wrigglers may reduce inflammation and fight obesity and diabetes. Scientists are working to turn the findings into therapies

A dormitory at the San Servolo psychiatric hospital in Venice in the early 1900s

Tens of Thousands Were Treated for a Deadly Disease While Confined to Psychiatric Hospitals on These Two Venetian Islands

In the 19th and 20th centuries, San Servolo and San Clemente housed patients suffering from pellagrous insanity, a condition caused by a vitamin deficiency

A little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus) is seen with white fuzz on its nose, a characteristic of the deadly white-nose syndrome.

A Fungal Disease Ravaged North American Bats. Now, Researchers Found a Second Species That Suggests It Could Happen Again

White-nose syndrome caused millions of bat deaths, and scientists are sounding the alarm that a second fungus could be disastrous if it reaches American wildlife

Researchers have used genomic sequencing to trace what they’re calling the “longest migration out of Africa.”

New Research

Scientists Use DNA to Trace Early Humans’ Footsteps From Asia to South America

Over thousands of years, humans from Eurasia trekked more than 12,400 miles to eventually reach the southernmost tip of South America, a new genetic investigation suggests

During its first year of service, Freedom House Amublance Service transported more than 4,600 patients across 5,800 calls, saving 200 lives.

These Trailblazing Black Paramedics Are the Reason You Don’t Have to Ride a Hearse or a Police Van to the Hospital

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Freedom House Ambulance Service set the standard for emergency medical care, laying the groundwork for the services available today

Scientists raced to develop a specialized treatment for KJ Muldoon. 

In a Remarkable First, a Baby With a Rare Disease Receives Personalized Gene Therapy

Researchers say the CRISPR-based technique used could eventually be employed to treat more people with rare genetic diseases

Most babesiosis infections are caused by blacklegged ticks, also known as deer ticks.

A Potentially Life-Threatening Disease Caused by Ticks Is Expanding to New Parts of America

Babesiosis typically occurs in the Northeast and the Upper Midwest, but new research suggests rare cases are emerging in the mid-Atlantic region including Delaware, Maryland and Virginia

Blood type, metabolism, exercise, shirt color and even drinking beer can make individuals especially delicious to mosquitoes.

Ask Smithsonian

Why Do Mosquitos Bite Some People More Than Others? Your Blood Type, Sweat Contents and Even Alcohol Consumption May Make You More Attractive to the Pesky Insects

Scientists are working hard to discover the factors that drive the blood-sucking insects to target certain individuals

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