Laura Beil

Laura Beil

Contributing Correspondent

Laura Beil is an independent journalist specializing in medicine, health policy and science. She was the recipient of the Victor Cohn Prize for Medical Science Reporting in 2018. In addition to being a contributing correspondent at Science News, her work has appeared in numerous publications, including The New York Times, Cosmopolitan, Reader's Digest, Men's Health, and other magazines. She began freelancing in 2007 after working as medical writer for the Dallas Morning News from 1992 to 2006. In 2018, she reported and hosted the podcast Dr. Death, which has been downloaded more than 50 million times.

All Stories by Laura Beil

  1. Health & Medicine

    Even short-term opioid use can set people up for addiction risks

    A study of opioid prescriptions for sprained ankles finds that patients prescribed 30 or more pills are more likely to seek refills.

  2. Health & Medicine

    ‘Exercise pill’ turns couch potato mice into marathoners

    An experimental "exercise in a pill" increases running endurance in mice before they step foot on a treadmill.

  3. Neuroscience

    Internal compass guides fruit fly navigation

    Experiments show how flies navigate — and why this might be important for humans.

  4. Health & Medicine

    Yes, statins protect hearts. But critics question their expanding use

    Even after decades of study, questions remain about statin safety.

  5. Health & Medicine

    Instead of starving a cancer, researchers go after its defenses

    There may be ways to block tumors from adapting and outrunning the body’s defenses.

  6. Health & Medicine

    Gastric bypass controls diabetes long term better than other methods

    Bariatric surgery outperforms other weight-loss measures in the longest-term study yet of diabetes outcomes.

  7. Health & Medicine

    Heartburn drugs may raise stroke risk

    Drugs used by millions for heartburn linked to increased risk of stroke.

  8. Health & Medicine

    Downside of yo-yo dieting is rise in heart disease risk

    Yo-yo dieting hurts the heart, even if you’re not overweight.

  9. Health & Medicine

    Restless sleep associated with heart rhythm problems

    Poor sleep, even without apnea, is tied to heart rhythm problems.

  10. Health & Medicine

    Marijuana use weakens heart muscle

    Marijuana linked to dangerous heart stress.

  11. Health & Medicine

    Popular painkiller doesn’t have more heart risks than others, study claims

    A long anticipated trial of the drug Celebrex finds it poses no more risk to the heart than do similar painkillers, but critics cite flaws in the study.

  12. Health & Medicine

    Poor diet in pregnancy, poor heart health for infants

    Moms who eat too little during pregnancy could have babies with heart risks.