Stephanie Desmon

May 14, 2024 | press.jhu.edu | Arturo Casadevall |Stephanie Desmon |Laura Sullivan |PBS's Frontline

Could fungal pathogens outsmart us before we find ways to combat them? Humans and fungi share nearly 50 percent of the same DNA. Because we're related, designing drugs to combat the varieties that attack us is a challenge. Meanwhile, in an ever hotter, wetter world, fungi may be finding new ways to thrive, queueing up global outbreak potentials for which no vaccine and woefully few medications exist; some fungi are already beginning to resist treatment.

May 6, 2024 | ccp.jhu.edu | Stephanie Desmon

The COVID-19 pandemic made it clear that every journalist, media producer, and social media influencer is indirectly a health reporter. It also became evident that many journalists lacked the ability to translate science data into effective communication to mitigate the impact of the outbreak. And the COVID-19 pandemic was characterized by unprecedented levels of misinformation and disinformation.

Mar 1, 2024 | publichealth.jhu.edu | Stephanie Desmon

The manslaughter conviction of Jennifer Crumbley, whose son shot and killed four students at his school, is unprecedented. But will it be a watershed moment for gun violence in schools? In this Q&A, adapted from the March 1 episode of Public Health On Call, Tim Carey, JD, a law and policy adviser at the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions, talks about the unique facts of this case, its larger implications, and why child access prevention laws are an important part of the conversation.

Dec 19, 2023 | medicalxpress.com | Stephanie Desmon

There has been an alarming increase in sexually transmitted infections in the U.S. over the past decade: In 2021 alone, 2.53 million cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis were recorded, a 7% increase from 2017—and the numbers continue to climb. There are no vaccines for bacterial STIs, and because they are often symptomless and progress unnoticed, they can be difficult to treat when finally reported. Research suggests a single dose of antibiotic may help turn the tide.

Nov 21, 2023 | publichealth.jhu.edu | Stephanie Desmon

Why are there so many deadly car crashes in the U.S.? One reason appears to be modern street design­—specifically, the oversized travel lanes we see on many American roads.