Read article—Amber Barnato, a professor of medicine, is featured in coverage of an FDA hearing on psychedelic therapy, urging caution as regulators consider expanded access. “I believe that FDA approval of access for terminally ill patients is ethically defensible… But ongoing comparative effectiveness research remains critical,” Barnato said.

Read article—Marcus Shaker, a professor of pediatrics and medicine, is quoted on the limits of current food allergy blood tests and the importance of considering a patient’s pretest probability of allergy. “Just because you have a food-specific IgE doesn’t mean it causes disease,” Shaker said.

Read article—Dartmouth researchers are featured in coverage of the growing prevalence of tick-borne diseases in the Upper Valley, including new research linking alpha-gal antibodies to severe transfusion reactions due to alpha-gal syndrome, which can develop after a tick bite. Richard Kaufman, a professor of pathology and laboratory medicine, said Dartmouth Hitchcock has changed transfusion practices to avoid giving type O patients B or AB platelets or plasma unless necessary.

Read article—Richard Kaufman and Nancy Dunbar, professors of pathology and laboratory medicine, are quoted in coverage of a Dartmouth-led study finding that alpha-gal syndrome can increase the risk of severe allergic reactions to certain blood transfusions, which could potentially change transfusion practices in regions where the tick-borne disease is more common. “The changing climate and ensuing greater proliferation of ticks is leading to illnesses and symptoms we had not seen before, and we continue to learn about them in real time,” Dunbar said.

Read article—Kathleen Clem, a professor of emergency medicine, is quoted in an opinion piece about cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome, which  can cause severe vomiting and why heat may temporarily relieve symptoms. “Every time that someone who has CHS uses a drug with cannabis in it, they can develop these same symptoms again,” Clem said.

Watch Video—Nicholas Jacobson, an associate professor ofbiomedical data science and psychiatry, and the Therabot platform developed at Dartmouth are featured in a story about  young people using AI therapy chatbots. “I think one of the things that folks often don’t consider when they think about what our current care system is that most folks are not accessing a human already,” Jacobson said.

Read article—Amber Barnato, a professor of medicine, testified Monday at an FDA public hearing on psychedelic therapies, pointing to evidence that psilocybin-assisted treatment can produce durable reductions in depression, anxiety and demoralization among patients facing life-threatening illness, but that more research is required.

Read article—Shane Chapman, a professor of dermatology, is featured discussing FDA approval of a nonsurgical photodynamic therapy option for superficial basal cell carcinoma. “I see this as a meaningful expansion in the use of this treatment,” Chapman said.

Read article—Features a study led by Lynn Fiellin, a professor of biomedical data science and medicine, and postdoctoral research fellow Caroline Barry showing that PlaySmart, a digital behavioral health game developed in the Fiellin lab, reduced depressive symptoms among teens and improved attitudes toward seeking mental health care. “The key takeaway for clinicians and schools is that prevention does not have to wait until an adolescent is in crisis,” Barry said. “Digital tools like PlaySmart may provide another way to engage young people earlier and in a format that feels familiar and interactive.”

Read article—In an opinion piece, Miriam Voran, an assistant professor of psychology, offers guidance for parents on helping children navigate political instability, emphasizing age-appropriate conversations, emotional regulation, and independent thinking. “Stand for reality, but don’t rush your children out of childhood. Remember that civic education fits the goal of keeping up with your child’s maturing interests,” Voran writes. “Educate your children about the broader world.”