Rae Ellen Bichell
Rae Ellen Bichell is a reporter for NPR's Science Desk. She first came to NPR in 2013 as a Kroc fellow and has since reported Web and radio stories on biomedical research, global health, and basic science. She won a 2016 Michael E. DeBakey Journalism Award from the Foundation for Biomedical Research. After graduating from Yale University, she spent two years in Helsinki, Finland, as a freelance reporter and Fulbright grantee.
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What happens when you let loose with a juicy one? A lab of MIT mathematicians and physicists is taking a close look, with the goal of improving public health.
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Cyclist Kristin Armstrong, who won Olympic gold at age 42, is one of many athletes saying that high-level sports aren't just for the young. And scientists say exercise reduces aging's toll for us all. -
The government keeps track of who is alive and who is dead. But there can be errors. And when you're mistakenly ruled dead, it can be remarkably tough to convince people you're still among the living. -
Women encounter a dilemma when they get pregnant: Should they continue taking medications that keep them healthy? That question can be scary, because drugs are rarely tested for safety in pregnancy. -
Since 1979, the federal government has urged daily flossing. But the recommendation was removed recently from U.S. dietary guidelines after health advisers found the evidence of benefits to be weak. -
Officials say they've found the first indication that mosquitoes are transmitting Zika virus in the U.S. Four people in South Florida are infected; travel or sexual transmission has been ruled out. -
Health officials put blood donations in South Florida on pause until it's known whether four cases of Zika virus were caused by mosquitoes in the U.S., or until blood donations can be screened. -
Dolly, the first cloned mammal, had early arthritis and died young, raising concerns that clones age prematurely. But a study confirms the sheep's four sister clones are healthy and aging well. -
One in 10 U.S. adults has tinnitus. Cognitive behavioral therapy is one of the few interventions that have been shown to help, but it's rarely prescribed by doctors, a study finds. -
An NPR poll found that most working adults say they go to work when they're sick. For people who work in hospitals or restaurants that can be a problem, since it's easy to spread disease.
