Aimee Cunningham

Aimee Cunningham

Biomedical Writer

Biomedical writer Aimee Cunningham is on her second tour at Science News. From 2005 to 2007, she covered chemistry, environmental science, biology and materials science for Science News.  Between stints Aimee was a freelance writer for outlets such as NPR and Scientific American Mind. She has a degree in English from the University of Michigan and a master’s degree in science journalism from New York University. She received the 2019 Award for Excellence in Science and Medical Journalism from the Endocrine Society for the article "Hormone replacement makes sense for some menopausal women."

All Stories by Aimee Cunningham

  1. Neuroscience

    ‘Mommy brain’ doesn’t capture how the brain transforms during pregnancy

    During the transition to motherhood, there's more going on than “momnesia,” neuroscientists argue. The brain changes to prep for the job of caregiving

  2. Health & Medicine

    Too much of this bacteria in the nose may worsen allergy symptoms

    Hay fever sufferers have an overabundance of Streptococcus salivarius. The mucus-loving bacteria boost inflammation, causing an endlessly runny nose.

  3. Health & Medicine

    HDL ‘good’ cholesterol isn’t always good for heart health

    High levels of HDL cholesterol don’t appear to protect against heart disease, while harm from low levels may depend on race, a study reports.

  4. Health & Medicine

    Medical racism didn’t begin or end with the syphilis study at Tuskegee

    Racism that fueled the syphilis study still permeates the U.S. health care system, causing disparities in access to medical care and health measures.

  5. Health & Medicine

    How 4 major coronavirus tools impacted the pandemic in 2022

    During the third year of the pandemic, young kids got vaccines, a new booster shot came along, the use of at-home tests soared and Paxlovid became widely available.

  6. Health & Medicine

    Brief bursts of activity offer health benefits for people who don’t exercise

    Non-exercisers who had brief bouts of vigorous day-to-day activity saw a reduced risk of death comparable to that of people who exercise regularly.

  7. Health & Medicine

    Pollution mucks up the lungs’ immune defenses over time

    A study of immune tissue in the lungs reports that particulate matter buildup from air pollution may impair respiratory immunity in older adults.

  8. Health & Medicine

    The U.S.’s alcohol-induced death rate rose sharply in the pandemic’s first year

    Studies suggested cases of alcoholic liver disease rose in the first pandemic year, and new data show the death rate from alcohol use climbed too.

  9. Health & Medicine

    A study questioning colonoscopy screening’s benefits has big caveats

    The study included a lot of people who were invited to get the procedure but didn’t. That’s one limitation of several.

  10. Health & Medicine

    Losing amphibians may be tied to spikes in human malaria cases

    Missing frogs, toads and salamanders may have led to more mosquitoes and potentially more malaria transmission, a study in Panama and Costa Rica finds.

  11. Health & Medicine

    Genetics of human evolution wins 2022 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine

    By figuring out how to extract DNA from ancient bones, Svante Pääbo was able to decipher the genomes of our hominid relatives.

  12. Health & Medicine

    Poliovirus is spreading in New York. Here’s what you need to know

    With signs of poliovirus spreading in a handful of counties in New York, unvaccinated people could be at risk of paralytic polio.