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. Health & Medicine

    An estimated 54,600 young children are malnourished in Gaza

    A study that screened young children in Gaza for malnutrition found that nearly 16 percent suffered from wasting in August 2025.

  2. Health & Medicine

    COVID-19 is still a threat, but getting a vaccine is harder for many people

    Vaccination is still important to ward off the worst of the coronavirus. Three experts discuss the concerns with restricting access.

  3. Health & Medicine

    A cold today helps keep the COVID away

    A recent cold appears to be a defense against COVID-19 and a partial explanation for kids’ tendency toward milder coronavirus infections.

  4. Health & Medicine

    Higher colon cancer rates may reflect earlier screening success

    The recommended age for starting colorectal cancer screening is now 45. That shift may explain a rise in early cases.

  5. Health & Medicine

    A molecule produced by gut microbes may help spur heart disease

    A leftover from microbes’ meals is linked to early heart disease in people. In mice, it contributed to plaque buildup in the arteries.

  6. Health & Medicine

    Mailed self-sample kits boosted cervical cancer screening

    People who are uninsured or part of a minority racial or ethnic group are underscreened for cervical cancer. Mailing them a self-sample kit may help.

  7. Health & Medicine

    U.S. moms say their mental health is getting worse

    A national survey finds that mothers of children ages 0 to 17 years report mental health declines from 2016 to 2023.

  8. Health & Medicine

    Don’t wait until menopause to strengthen your bones 

    Screening for osteoporosis is recommended at age 65, but experts say women should be proactive about bone health long before that.

  9. Health & Medicine

    RSV wasn’t as hard on U.S. babies last winter. This may be why

    Two preventive tools — a maternal vaccine and a monoclonal antibody — were tied to a recent drop in RSV hospitalization rates for U.S. babies.

  10. Health & Medicine

    Teens who want to quit vaping have another medication option

    The drug varenicline, paired with counseling and text messaging support, helped teens and young adults abstain from vaping in a clinical trial.

  11. Health & Medicine

    A drug for heavy metal poisoning may double as a snakebite treatment

    An initial clinical trial in Kenya found no safety concerns, a first step toward testing unithiol as a treatment for venomous snakebites in people.

  12. Health & Medicine

    Avoidable deaths increased in the U.S. as they dropped elsewhere 

    In the United States, deaths that could have been avoided rose, on average, from 2009 to 2019. That’s in contrast to European Union countries.