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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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. -
Flint, Mich., brought the risk of lead pipes to many people's attention, but the problems go further. Find out if lead pipes could be affecting your drinking water. -
Citing growing evidence that no amount of lead exposure is safe for kids, the American Academy of Pediatrics has called for tighter regulations on the amount of lead in house dust, water and soil. -
People are supposed to get vaccine boosters for tetanus and diphtheria once every 10 years. But researchers in Oregon say that's overkill: For adults, one booster every 30 years might be good enough.
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One man died and five others were injured in a clinical trial in France this year. Trials like those depend on healthy people willing to take experimental medications in return for cash. -
After a decline throughout the '90s, suicide rates have reversed course. Suicide has increased in almost every age group over the past 15 years.
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U.S. health officials say they are now convinced that Zika virus can target the developing brain before birth, leading to a severe type of microcephaly and other brain abnormalities. -
Evidence has ping-ponged over the decades on the effects of hormone therapy on a woman's arteries. The latest study suggests a brief stint on hormones might be helpful — if given at the right time. -
Getting an accurate diagnosis is a big hurdle in the current outbreak of Zika virus. There are three kinds of tests for Zika, and each has problems. Scientists are working hard to improve diagnosis.
