March 5, 2021

President Biden Pays NIH a Call
By Carla Garnett
Curbing the coronavirus pandemic is President Joe Biden’s top priority. To stress the urgency, he stopped by NIH, source of a powerful weapon against Covid-19—biomedical research. On Feb. 11—after just more than 3 weeks in office—Biden toured the lab where the Moderna vaccine was co-developed by scientists at the Vaccine Research Center.

Law Professor Proposes New Health Care Architecture
By Dana Talesnik
Dr. Barak Richman proposes rethinking our approach to health care delivery in a way that's more patient-focused and incorporates the latest technology. He believes this framework--which he discussed at a recent NIMH Director's innovation lecture--would be more affordable and sustainable in the long run.
Housing Segregation a Central Cause of Racial Health Inequities
By Eric Bock
Structural racism in the housing system is a fundamental cause of racial health inequity in the United States, said Dr. David Williams during a recent NIMHD/NINR Joint Directors’ Seminar on the Science of Structural Racism. “We will not make the progress we would like to make in reducing health inequities if we don’t address it,” he said.
Humidity from Masks May Lessen Severity of Covid-19
Wearing a mask may offer an unanticipated extra layer of protection. It's a benefit that may explain why mask-wearing has been linked to lower disease severity in people infected with SARS-CoV-2.