Meghan Johnston, MPH
Conditions
Pregnancy is a well-documented risk factor for intimate partner violence (IPV), with homicide reported as a leading cause of death for pregnant and postpartum women in the United States. As abortion policy has shifted in the wake of Dobbs v.…
Pregnancy is a well-documented risk factor for intimate partner violence (IPV), with homicide reported as a leading cause of death for pregnant and postpartum women in the United States. As abortion policy has shifted in the wake of Dobbs v. Jackson (the ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade), researchers have begun examining how abortion access intersects with IPV in a post-Roe world. The sudden changes in abortion access have …
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Abortion bans and intimate partner violence rise together
Meds
The latest health craze from the wellness world is growing across social media platforms, leaving many wondering if they can stop taking their cholesterol medications. According to Google Trends, Americans are Googling "nattokinase" 130 percent more now than they did…
The latest health craze from the wellness world is growing across social media platforms, leaving many wondering if they can stop taking their cholesterol medications. According to Google Trends, Americans are Googling “nattokinase” 130 percent more now than they did this time last year, and #natto pulls up over 200,000 posts on Instagram. Interest has also been fueled by high-profile influencers like Joe Rogan, whose podcast published an enthusiastic …
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Nattokinase vs. statins and the limits of plaque data
Meds
At the end of September 2025, a gene therapy company released results from a clinical trial showing that a breakthrough procedure reduced the progression of Huntington’s symptoms by 75 percent over three years. Researchers collected data from 12 participants who…
At the end of September 2025, a gene therapy company released results from a clinical trial showing that a breakthrough procedure reduced the progression of Huntington’s symptoms by 75 percent over three years. Researchers collected data from 12 participants who received the therapy and compared the data with two types of control groups.
The company’s drug, AMT-130, shows unprecedented outcomes, so why is the FDA slowing …
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Huntington’s disease gene therapy: FDA reversal delays AMT-130
Policy
In the late 1990s, a U.S.-funded study randomized HIV-positive pregnant women in Bangkok, Thailand, to either a placebo group or a group treated with a short course of AZT. At the time, AZT was the standard of care in the…
In the late 1990s, a U.S.-funded study randomized HIV-positive pregnant women in Bangkok, Thailand, to either a placebo group or a group treated with a short course of AZT. At the time, AZT was the standard of care in the U.S., and researchers knew the medication protocol worked at reducing mother-to-child HIV transmission by nearly 70 percent. The study looked at whether a shortened protocol could meaningfully reduce …
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Repeating history: the ethics of the new Guinea-Bissau hepatitis B study
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