Good morning from sunny San Diego! This is Jonathan Wosen, STAT’s West Coast biotech & life sciences reporter, filling in for Liz today. I also want to note that we're pausing the newsletter on Monday in observance of Presidents Day, but it'll return on Tuesday.

Epidemiologists in short supply across U.S. cities

Throughout the pandemic, local public health workers have endured constant criticism and even threats, with many suffering burnout and quitting. A new report released by the Big Cities Health Coalition and the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists underscores a severe shortage of local epidemiologists, the disease detectives that play a key role in battling outbreaks. The pair of nonprofits, which surveyed health departments in 30 cities that account for about a fifth of the U.S. population, found that there were 177 open positions for epidemiologists in 2021, more than twice the 83 openings in 2017. Those vacancies are not just affecting local Covid-19 responses, said Mysheika Roberts, chair of the Big Cities Health Coalition, in a statement: “Cities need direct, sustained funding to make our nation prepared for the next pandemic and to fight ongoing health crises like gun violence and the opioid epidemic.”

Jennifer Doudna talks the future of CRISPR

Jennifer Doudna’s pioneering work on CRISPR earned her a Nobel Prize, and now with a new role as chief science adviser at investment firm Sixth Street, she’s looking to Wall Street to help the gene-editing technology make its next big leap. On STAT's “Readout LOUD” podcast this week, Doudna and Sixth Street vice chairman Marty Chavez discussed CRISPR’s potential to revolutionize everything from disease diagnosis to agriculture, and the growing role of bioinformatics in making these breakthroughs possible. Doudna also weighed in on whether Eric Lander’s recent apology and resignation as White House science adviser signal a shift in the culture of science: “In this instance, hopefully, we collectively learn from this. … It’s also a chance to maybe move the needle in a meaningful way to change the way that all of us are conducting our work.” Read the full interview here, and listen to the podcast episode here.

Not so fast: Study suggests that mental speed doesn't drop until later in life

We all know that our minds slow down with age, but a study published yesterday in Nature Human Behavior suggests that this doesn’t happen nearly as soon as researchers (or perhaps the rest of us) thought. The authors analyzed data from more than 1 million people who’d taken an online cognitive test that measures implicit racial bias. Older adults took longer to respond than younger participants, but researchers found a likely reason — their responses were more accurate. Cautious thinking is still thinking, even when it means responding a moment later, and when researchers applied a statistical model to the data, they found that mental speed didn’t dip until a person was in their 60s, contrary to previous studies suggesting our brains start slowing down once we hit our 20s.

Closer look: Health tech companies fear compliance nightmare as states ratchet up privacy laws

(Alex Hogan/STAT)

From California to Colorado to Massachusetts, state legislators are debating and enacting consumer privacy laws that give the public more control over the use of their own data. Experts say that such regulations are sorely needed, but the patchwork of policies, which vary from state to state, has health tech companies bracing themselves for a compliance nightmare, writes STAT’s Mohana Ravindranath. Many firms argue that it’s time for a single nationwide standard that governs how they handle patient data. Without such a standard, they argue that dealing with fragmented regulations could become so cumbersome that it could discourage them from developing wearables, health apps, and other products altogether. STAT+ subscribers can read more here.

Pfizer criticized over patent strategy for Covid pill

Pfizer has agreed to make its highly effective Covid-19 pill, Paxlovid, widely available in low- and middle-income countries, but it is also filing patents in dozens of other nations representing nearly half of the global population, according to a new report, raising new questions about restricted access. Critics say this tale of two strategies isn’t surprising, given the potential for the pill to generate billions in revenue, but the patenting approach creates a monopoly that may limit access elsewhere. “I think Pfizer tried to save the day with its [Medicines Patent Pool] license and created a narrative about sharing technology. But in those countries where Pfizer will not be sharing technology, the company is building a patent wall,” said Burcu Kilic of Public Citizen, the advocacy group that issued the report. Read more from Ed Silverman in STAT+.

Opinion: Public health officials should be elected, not appointed

What if we elected public health officials, just like we do judges, attorneys general, and sheriffs? In a STAT First Opinion, epidemiologist Jay Varma argues that doing so would “ensure that health officials are both accountable to the population they serve and independent from interference by other elected officials.” Varma, who advised former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio on the city’s pandemic response from April 2020 to May 2021, writes that electing health officials would empower them to make decisions in the interest of public safety while also make them explain their thinking around the tradeoffs in their decisions. But he acknowledges the move would have its risks. Read more.

What to read around the web today

U.S. babies die at a staggering rate due to premature birth. The only drug meant to prevent it doesn’t work, FDA says. Los Angeles Times
Travel nurses saw an increase in pay during the pandemic. Now, they could lose those benefits. The 19th
FTC votes against probing the controversial practices of pharmacy benefit managers. STAT+
As politics infects public health, private companies profit. Kaiser Health News
Agios wins FDA approval for drug to treat rare form of anemia. STAT