Keren Landman

Atlanta

Independent Journalist at Freelance

health/medicine reporter @ https://t.co/naxIWmoIhg | epidemiologist, ID doc | health equity, @soljourno, Southern stuff | DMs open for tips | keep talking, ur probably muted

Featured in: Favicon

vox.com

medium.com (+1) Favicon

msn.com

nytimes.com Favicon

nbcnews.com Favicon

npr.org

theatlantic.com Favicon

usnews.com Favicon

vice.com

wired.com + 96 more

Articles

The reason dementia rates are rising is surprisingly simple

1 month ago | nationalgeographic.com | Keren Landman

In January, a study published in the journal Nature Medicine suggested that by 2060, the number of Americans with dementia will double to a total of one million. Also doubling: The estimated lifetime risk of developing the condition, compared to previous estimates. Figures like these can sound scary — and indeed, dementia projections carry some warnings. For one, they suggest the U.S. urgently needs to pour resources into growing its caregiving workforce to meet future needs.
What we do-and don’t-know about the mysterious illness in the DRC

1 month ago | nationalgeographic.com | Keren Landman

Over the past month, an unidentified illness has sickened more than 1,300 people and led to more than 50 deaths in the northwestern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The exact cause of the outbreak is still unknown, although the World Health Organization hypothesizes it could be some combination of chemical poisoning, meningitis, malaria, and other infections.
Why everyone has a gnarly stomach bug right now, explained in one chart

Jan 7, 2025 | vox.com | Keren Landman

Keren Landman, MD is a senior reporter covering public health, consumer health, and health misinformation at Vox. Keren is trained as a physician, researcher, and epidemiologist and has served as a disease detective at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. You’re not imagining it: An unusually large number of Americans are barfing these days.
Which cold and cough medicines actually do anything?

Dec 9, 2024 | vox.com | Keren Landman

With the arrival of cooler weather, the season of hacking and sniffling is here. Once again, haggard-looking people roam the aisles of American pharmacies, clutching tissues and looking for relief — and often coming up empty-handed. Last year, the FDA recommended that phenylephrine, a decongestant in many popular cold medicines that’s been proven to be ineffective when taken orally, be removed from pharmacy shelves.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s “Make America Healthy Again” campaign, explained

Dec 9, 2024 | vox.com | Keren Landman

Anybody can be a part of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Make America Healthy Again campaign.
Washing your hands with antibiotic soap might not do as much as you think

Dec 5, 2024 | vox.com | Keren Landman

A Vox reader asks: Why is some soap labeled antibiotic? Is there a soap that is friendly to germs, viruses, etc.? I thought the whole idea was to get rid of germs and viruses. There really are too many varieties of soap out there. Too many brands, too many fragrances and colors, too many claims about their hand-softening, nail-beautifying, nostalgia-enhancing qualities to keep it all straight. And that’s before you even consider whether a product actually gets rid of disease-causing microbes.
Time to Go “Cold Turkey” on that cold turkey?

Nov 30, 2024 | change-links.org | Keren Landman

The Dangers of Processed Meatsby Keren Landman, MDhttps://link.vox.com/view/65c10f15857f73a0591000d9m55mj.2of9/666f6769I am a person of nostalgic lunchmeat experience: One of the deepest gustatory pleasures of my childhood involved stripping a bologna round of its red plastic casing, slicking on a generous smear of mayonnaise, twirling it into a rubbery tube — or a cone, in the occasional case of a pickle cameo — and quickly devouring it. But even I have to admit that deli meat has baggage.
Food safety tips for cooking Thanksgiving and other holiday meals

Nov 26, 2024 | vox.com | Keren Landman

Not to brag, but I’m pretty good in the kitchen; I love a complex pastry project, ferment things with relish (sorry), and am probably above-average at emulsifying a sauce. But there is one scenario involving cooking for others that strikes dread in my heart: getting them sick. I’m a doctor with specialty medical training in infectious diseases and public health. If I prepared a meal that sent a crowd of my friends and loved ones running for the bathroom, I might never emerge from the shame hole.
Political polarization is linked to worse health. Could RFK Jr. change that?

Nov 26, 2024 | vox.com | Keren Landman

Americans have never been more polarized, and we dislike each other on partisan grounds now more than ever. Perhaps that’s not shocking, but what may come as a surprise is the way it’s hurting our health.
RFK Jr. to lead HHS under Trump. Here’s how he could reshape public health.

Nov 15, 2024 | vox.com | Keren Landman

Donald Trump announced Thursday that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. would be his nominee to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, setting the stage for a potentially radical remaking of the nation’s health care. Kennedy’s nomination was not a surprise.