Nicoletta Lanese

Nicoletta Lanese

Channel Editor, Health

Nicoletta Lanese is the health channel editor at Live Science and was previously a news editor and staff writer at the site. She holds a graduate certificate in science communication from UC Santa Cruz and degrees in neuroscience and dance from the University of Florida. Her work has appeared in The Scientist, Science News, the Mercury News, Mongabay and Stanford Medicine Magazine, among other outlets. Based in NYC, she also remains heavily involved in dance and performs in local choreographers' work.

Articles by: Nicoletta Lanese

a man puts toothpaste on a toothbrush

'Black mold-like substance' and water contamination uncovered by FDA at Tom's of Maine toothpaste factory

By Nicoletta Lanese published

The Food and Drug Administration has issued a warning letter to a Tom's of Maine facility in Sanford that makes toothpaste.

a blue and purple image of a developing fetus, showing its cartilage and bones

Scientists take huge step forward in mapping all 37 trillion cells in the human body

By Nicoletta Lanese published

Scientists published more than three dozen papers as part of the Human Cell Atlas, an effort to map the human body cell by cell.

A close-up of psychedelic mushrooms

Diagnostic dilemma: A man whose 'magic mushroom' tea led to a bad trip to the hospital

By Nicoletta Lanese published

A man's attempt at self-medicating with shrooms resulted in a trip to the intensive care unit.

a close-up of carrots

39 sickened, 15 hospitalized in E. coli outbreak linked to organic carrots

By Nicoletta Lanese published

U.S. health officials are investigating an outbreak of E. coli tied to now-recalled organic whole bagged carrots and baby carrots from Grimmway Farms.

A close-up of wisdom teeth extracted after surgery

Diagnostic dilemma: A man's brain started bleeding after a dentist appointment

By Nicoletta Lanese published

A man's brain started bleeding just after he got teeth pulled at the dentist's office. Why?

An illustration of a flu virus

Canada reports 1st local case of H5 bird flu

By Nicoletta Lanese published

A teen in Canada may be the first person to catch an H5 bird flu virus within the country. Health officials are now working to confirm the diagnosis.

A woman completes a vision exam in the doctor's office

LED device treats leading cause of vision loss with light therapy, FDA says

By Nicoletta Lanese published

The Food and Drug Administration will allow a new device to be marketed as a treatment for dry age-related macular degeneration.

an illustration of a pink, rod-shaped bacterial cell against a black background

E. coli in the gut may fuel a 'chain reaction' leading to Parkinson's, early study suggests

By Nicoletta Lanese published

Two recent chemistry studies pinpoint reactions that may link the gut microbiome to the development of Parkinson's disease.

A doctor places a bandaids on a patient's arm after giving them a shot

Older adults should get 2 doses of the updated COVID shot, CDC says

By Nicoletta Lanese published

The 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccines are available, and the CDC recommends that certain groups get two doses, spaced six months apart.

bright blue cells shown assembling into an early embryo, a sphere with a distinct ridge wrapped around it like a belt

Scientists launch amazing 'atlas' of embryos, showing how cells move and develop through time

By Nicoletta Lanese published

"Zebrahub" is an atlas of cells in developing zebrafish embryos, and scientists say it will help us learn about our own biology, too.

A close-up of a McDonald's quarter pounder burger

Nearly 50 illnesses, 1 death caused by E. coli outbreak linked to McDonald's Quarter Pounders

By Nicoletta Lanese published

U.S. health officials are investigating a multi-state outbreak of bacterial infections that has been linked to McDonald's Quarter Pounders.

A woman holds a patient's hands in a hospital bed

How do people die of the flu?

By Bryan Rocha, Nicoletta Lanese published

Severe flu infections can lead to a range of deadly complications, especially in people whose immune systems are compromised by age or disease.

an acupuncturist applies a needle to a person's back

Acupuncture really works for sciatica pain, study finds

By Nicoletta Lanese published

A new trial that compared acupuncture to a convincing placebo suggests that the treatment can help relieve sciatica pain.

two mri images of a person's head shown facing the side and then the back. A large lump can be seen on top of the skull from both angles

Man developed a 'headspin hole' after years of breakdancing, case report says

By Nicoletta Lanese published

Doctors describe "breakdance bulge," a unique head injury among dancers, in a new case report.

A view of a petri dish with hundreds of tiny spiral worms in it

Parasitic worms cause terrible diseases — could the viruses they carry be to blame?

By Rohini Subrahmanyam published

Roundworms harbor viruses, which could be responsible for these parasites' painful symptoms in humans, scientists theorize.

A man in a lab coat writes equations on a transparent whiteboard

'Any protein you can imagine, it can deliver': AI will help discover the next breakthrough in RNA, says Nobel Prize winner Dr. Drew Weissman

By Nicoletta Lanese published

Live Science spoke with Nobel laureate Dr. Drew Weissman and engineer Daeyeon Lee about a new RNA research center they're helping to launch.

a doctor puts a bandaid on a woman's shoulder after a shot

Flu shot lowers hospitalization risk by 35% in vulnerable groups, data hint

By Nicoletta Lanese published

Data from the Southern Hemisphere hint that this year's flu shot lowers the risk of hospitalization among vulnerable demographics.

A mosquito biting into skin

New York resident dies of eastern equine encephalitis — what is it?

By Nicoletta Lanese last updated

Recent cases of a viral illness nicknamed "triple E" have occurred in New England. Here's what you should know about the disease.

Brain MRI scan, Frontal Cut Away View

Men have a daily hormone cycle — and it's synced to their brains shrinking from morning to night

By Nicoletta Lanese published

A month-long study of a man's brain revealed that its volume consistently shrunk over the course of each day and then reset overnight.

an older man wearing a lab coat and glasses looks into a large microscope as another, younger person in a lab coat observes

Scientist who discovered body's 'fire alarm' against invading bacteria wins $250,000 Lasker prize

By Nicoletta Lanese published

One of this year's coveted Lasker Awards has gone to Zhijian "James" Chen, a scientist behind a key immune-system discovery.

Profile image of psychologist, Dr Dinesh Bhugra

'What is normal today may not be normal in a year's time': Dr. Dinesh Bhugra on the idea of 'normal' in psychiatry

By Nicoletta Lanese published

Live Science spoke with leading psychiatrist Dr. Dinesh Bhugra ahead of his appearance at the HowTheLightGetsIn festival in London.

Two stylized images showing the amount of gray matter in the brain.

Pregnancy shrinks parts of the brain, leaving 'permanent etchings' postpartum

By Nicoletta Lanese published

A study tracks how the structure of the brain changes during pregnancy, drawing on brain scans gathered before, during and just after one person's pregnancy.

a close up on a brown tick from below; the tick is very round in shape and has curled legs around its body.

New tick-borne virus discovered in China can affect the brain, scientists report

By Nicoletta Lanese published

Scientists present evidence of a newly discovered tick-borne virus that can infect humans and potentially invade the brain, in some cases.

an illustration of a large pair of scissors cutting through a DNA molecule against a black background

'Enhancing' future generations with CRISPR is a road to a 'new eugenics,' says ethicist Rosemarie Garland-Thomson

By Rosemarie Garland-Thomson published

"Eugenics seeks to improve by eliminating the characteristics considered at a particular time and place to be disadvantages and to maximize those considered normal."

An illustration showing silhouettes of hands using scissors and tweezers on strands of DNA

'Who are we to say they shouldn't exist?': Dr. Neal Baer on the threat of CRISPR-driven eugenics

By Nicoletta Lanese published

Dr. Neal Baer discusses a new book about the incredible promise and potential pitfalls of CRISPR gene-editing technology.