People of African ancestry have been excluded from many studies of brain disorders. In Baltimore, scientists, doctors and community leaders are working to make neuroscience research more diverse.
Vietnam's Intergenerational Self Help Clubs encourage older people in the neighborhood to find solutions to their own challenges, whether it's feeling lonely or needing a little extra cash.
Scientists are racing to develop a vaccine that proves "safe and effective." It may not prevent infection in everyone who gets it, but it still could eventually stop the pandemic. Here's how.
There are dividing lines when it comes to how families are weathering the pandemic: Those living in big cities, those making less than $100,000 a year, and Latino and Black families are faring worst.
Three experts share advice on how to help the older people in our lives — parents, grandparents, neighbors, relatives, friends — feel comfortable and safe in the pandemic.
A vaccine against the coronavirus needs to keep people from getting very sick and dying. But preventing the spread of the disease is also important, and vaccines delivered by nasal spray may do that.
A century of U.S. statistics finds mortality rates and life expectancy were much worse for Black Americans during pre-pandemic years than they have been for white people during the COVID-19 crisis.
New vaccines usually take years to get the approval of the Food and Drug Administration. But the Trump administration suggests the FDA may greenlight a coronavirus vaccine by the end of the year.
America's rural hospitals were struggling even before the pandemic. Now, the loss of revenue from months of deferred treatments and surgeries have pulled more to the brink, as federal relief fades.
At least two-thirds of U.S. families are struggling to find safe and affordable child care as the pandemic rages on. NPR asked infectious disease experts to help sort the health risks of each option.
Dr. Deborah Birx says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is creating a new way to track COVID-19 hospitalizations a month after such data collection was moved outside the agency.
With the flu season looming, public health officials urge nearly all Americans over 6 months old to get immunized starting next month. Strategize now to avoid getting the flu while COVID-19 is raging.
Some nursing homes have switched to treating only COVID-19 patients, who bring in more government money. But to make room for them, the original residents are forced out of places they've called home.
Scientists are now checking to see if purified blood serum from people who have recovered from COVID-19 might be more than a useful treatment. Perhaps it's a way to prevent disease in someone else.
With the coronavirus spreading out of control in many parts of the U.S., some experts say the strategy of testing and tracing can't contain the pandemic until lockdowns bring case numbers down.
Two new human studies back earlier hints that vaccines designed to prevent respiratory infections might also provide some protection against Alzheimer's disease.
A growing number of researchers think until there's an effective vaccine, the coronavirus will simply persist in the population, causing illness indefinitely. Better to squelch the spread instead.
Natural disasters are already deadly for the elderly and people with disabilities. During the pandemic, advocates say disaster preparation has fallen short in meeting the needs of the most at risk.
Though anxiety has increased in the U.S. in recent months, a drastic spike in loneliness that psychologists expected hasn't emerged. People seem to be finding new ways to connect, researchers say.
Robert Speker wanted to keep spirits up while visitors and outside entertainment were banned due to COVID-19. His ingenious idea: cast the residents as rock stars.
Talking about death makes many of us uncomfortable, so we don't plan for it. NPR's Life Kit offers tips for starting an advanced directive to prepare for a good death.
When scientists revved up the production of an enzyme called GPLD1 in older mice, it stimulated nerve growth in their brains and the animals navigated a maze better.
After a decade of failure in treating Alzheimer's with drugs, the National Institutes of Health is funding a five-year effort in Seattle to learn more about how the disease starts in the brain.
If you miss your mom and dad — or they miss their grandkids — how safe is a summer trip? Older people are more likely to get seriously ill from the coronavirus, so consider these tips to reduce risk.
After three months of restrictions, nursing homes in the state are beginning to allow visitors again. Families are learning that the experience of reopening won't be the same for everyone.
