March 16, 2025

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First Opinion editor

Hey there! The First Opinion Podcast kicked off its spring season this week with guest host Megan Molteni interviewing science writer Carl Zimmer about his new book, "Air-Borne: The Hidden History of the Life We Breathe." (I had to sit this one out because I lost my voice. Respiratory illness season ends soon, right? Right?)

In other big First Opinion news, I'm thrilled to announce that Paul S. Knoepfler has launched a new STAT column titled "Lab Dish" focused on regenerative medicine. This week, he wrote twice — first about a meeting of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research on cell therapies and tissue-based products, then about Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s hotly anticipated roundtable on regenerative medicine. But Lab Dish is only for STAT+ subscribers, so sign up now.

Recommendation of the week: A month ago, I recommended "Apple Cider Vinegar," the Netflix miniseries about an Australian influencer who became famous for curing her brain tumor with healthy eating — but she never had cancer to begin with. Continuing down the rabbit hole, I just read "The Woman Who Fooled the World," a nonfiction account of the scam by the two Australian journalists who broke the story. Not just about Belle Gibson's lies, the book delves into the realities of cancer, treatment, and false hope.

The Cellular, Tissue and Gene Therapies advisory committee and members of the public listen to testimony at the FDA in 2017.

Nick Wass/AP

A 'conflict of interest-free' FDA advisory committee policy is a terrible idea

Qualified experts who have also been actively involved in relevant and innovative scientific work are critical to FDA advisory committees.

By Peter J. Pitts

Vaccine hesitancy is about much more than misinformation

We analyzed 50 million vaccine-related social media posts and found that concern emerges from an interplay of interconnected social and economic factors.

By Huseyin Zeyd Koytak

I'm head of an NGO in Kenya. The shutoff of USAID support has been devastating

Even programs that were not directly supported by USAID have been affected as it disrupted the supply chain of medications in Kenya.

By Jeffrey Okoro

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

HIV self-testing is easy, effective — and underutilized

HIV self-testing is convenient, people like it, and it's recommended by the CDC — so why does uptake remain so low?

By Sabrina Assoumou, Sarah Miller, and Meg von Lossnitzer

Federal research instability risks postdoc careers, American leadership

The threats among early career researchers should be concerning to all who care about the future of American science and research leadership.

By Thomas P. Kimbis

Carl Zimmer on Covid, singing, and going 'Air-Borne'

"We still aren't really taking into full account the fact that diseases can spread through the air," says Carl Zimmer, author of the new book "Air-Borne."