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

    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.

  2. Health & Medicine

    Therapy dogs can ease young patients’ anxiety in the emergency room

    A clinical trial found that spending about 10 minutes with a therapy dog reduced patients’ anxiety in a pediatric emergency room.

  3. Health & Medicine

    Treating male partners along with women may help stop bacterial vaginosis

    In a clinical trial, treating both partners in a relationship significantly reduced the likelihood of recurrence of bacterial vaginosis.

  4. Health & Medicine

    Why a norovirus vaccine isn’t available — yet

    Norovirus is highly infectious and causing a lot of illness this winter. Several vaccine candidates are making their way through clinical trials.

  5. Health & Medicine

    A new kind of non-opioid painkiller gets FDA approval

    The new drug, called Journavx, is a non-opioid for treating short-term moderate to severe pain.

  6. Health & Medicine

    Cigarettes with less nicotine may help some smokers quit

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a rule to drastically reduce the amount of nicotine in cigarettes and other combusted tobacco products.

  7. Health & Medicine

    Is alcohol linked to cancer? Here’s what the science says

    A new U.S. Surgeon General's report describes the link between drinking alcohol and developing cancer. Many Americans aren’t aware of the risk.

  8. Health & Medicine

    Deaths related to the cold have grown since 1999 in the U.S.

    From 1999 to 2022, the rate of cold-related deaths rose from about 4 per 1 million people to 9 per 1 million in the United States.

  9. Health & Medicine

    Here’s how public health fared in 2024

    Viral outbreaks, extreme heat and access to clean water are among the year’s big public health headlines.

  10. Health & Medicine

    U.S. hospitals continue to shut down labor and delivery services

    More than half of rural hospitals and more than one-third of urban hospitals did not offer labor and delivery services in 2022.

  11. Health & Medicine

    Vaccines, fluoride, raw milk: How RFK Jr.’s views may shape public health

    If confirmed as head of the Department of Health and Human Services, Kennedy could influence U.S. policy on vaccines, drugs and food safety.

  12. Health & Medicine

    Youth tobacco use has gone down, but the work isn’t over

    In 2024, tobacco use among middle and high school students reached a record low, but new vapes and other products with nicotine keep coming.