Series on Logical Fallacies
Data Literacy Uncertainty and Misinformation
Kristen Panthagani, MD, PhD
In this collaboration series, Dr. Kristen Panthagani of You Can Know Things dissects some common logical fallacies that can lead people astray. Logical fallacies are common patterns of reasoning that seem true on the surface but have one or more critical flaws. At their root, many are oversimplifications–like a cognitive shortcut. They are appealing because Read more…
What is an eating disorder?
Mental Health
Aparna Kumar, PhD CRNP MPH
What is an eating disorder? Please read on to learn a little bit more about eating disorders and how to get help. What are eating disorders? Eating disorders are serious diseases responsible for both medical and physical illness. They are defined as changes in eating behaviors and patterns that affect mental and physical health. Up Read more…
What’s happening with the ongoing measles outbreaks? How can I protect myself and my loved ones?
Infectious Diseases
Measles cases continue to rise in the US, and four people have died recently. Vaccination remains the best way to protect yourself and those around you. So how bad is it? Where are we on numbers? Let’s take a look: Note – we use data from the Brown University Pandemic Center’s weekly tracking report. While Read more…
What do vaccination and umbrellas have in common?
Vaccines
Sandy Laping, MSc
Community immunity (aka “herd immunity”) is a really important factor in preventing the spread of infectious diseases… and just like an umbrella can protect you and the person standing next to you from the rain, vaccination can do the same. Did you know? The term herd immunity was first used when British scientists back in Read more…
Why do we know so little about migraines?
General Health
Sara Gorman, PhD, MPH
Despite affecting at least 12% of the US population, our understanding of migraines is limited due to a combination of difficulties with diagnosis, an extremely complex genetic picture, and the historic lack of investment in studying conditions that primarily affect women. On August 31, 2026, the American Academy of Neurology and the American Headache Society Read more…
What can I do to help prevent suicide?
Mental Health
MK Haber, FNP-C, IBCLC
TL; DR: There are steps that all of us can take to raise awareness around suicide, to help someone who is struggling, and to intervene when there is a risk of suicide. Read on to learn more about the different levels of prevention. Content Warning: This post discusses the prevention of death from suicide*. If Read more…
Why do I still feel grief months or years later?
Mental Health
Kelly Valentin, MPH
Grief doesn’t always act the way we may expect it to in ourselves or others. It can change, surprise us, and feel different from one day to the next. Turns out, there is a reason. We know the loss happened months or maybe even years ago. Most of the time, we’re okay. We’ve returned to Read more…
September 16th is National Working Parents Day.
Families/Kids
Pamela Chung, MD
September 16th is National Working Parents Day. Are you juggling work and family responsibilities? Do you get overwhelmed with trying to do it all and do it well? First, let us honor and validate our struggles and suffering while recognizing that our systems are not set up to support us in “doing it all” well. Read more…
What are newborn screenings?
Families/Kids General Health
Rebecca Raskin-Wish
Newborn screenings are simple tests, recommended by American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) done in the hospital, birth center, or clinical office soon after your baby is born. They contain three parts: a hearing screen, a screen to look at oxygen levels, and a blood test to check for metabolic conditions. These tests help Read more…
How long does it take to grieve the death of a loved one?
Mental Health
Those Nerdy Girls
The process of grief is different for everyone, taking place over weeks, months, and often years. This post provides science on grief as well as perspective on coping with the death of a loved one with the hope of normalizing a process that is both extremely personal and universally shared. Grief is the process of Read more…
What happens at a cervical cancer screening, a.k.a. a pap smear?
Reproductive Health
Guest Author Lyra Cauley
Another post in our series Nerdy Notes: Science in Story & Verse I got my first pap smear (cervical cancer screening) the summer before senior year of college. I was 22 and facing a laundry list of health related tasks before leaving for the fall. The pap smear, at the top of my list, was Read more…
I heard that updated COVID vaccines have been approved for the fall. Can you tell me more?
Vaccines
Yes, the FDA recently approved three updated COVID vaccines for the 2026-2027 season that will target the JN.1 lineage XFG subvariant of the virus (SARS-CoV-2), and they are available. At the end of August, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved updated COVID vaccines for the 2026/2027 season. Let’s break it down: They are Moderna’s Read more…
Today is the 25th International Overdose Awareness Day
General Health
Today is the 25th International Overdose Awareness Day. We ache with worry Lest ours be the next to die Thank G-d for NARCAN® Those Nerdy Girls would like to take time today to remember and honor those we’ve lost to opioid overdose. Today, let’s learn more and work to reduce the stigma of Read more…
What is Prior Authorization?
Health Policy
Sara Gorman, PhD, MPH
Prior Authorization (PA) is an approval process for insurance coverage for certain services, treatments, and medications. There is some evidence that it can cut healthcare costs, but on balance, it seems to do more harm than good to both patient care and healthcare spending. PA emerged in the 1960s in response to spiraling healthcare costs Read more…
Summer is for reading! What books are you reading?
Uncategorized
Those Nerdy Girls
Some Nerds share what they’ve been reading over the summer, and we’d love to hear from you! Summer reading is a joy. And it’s also a privilege that many folks don’t have. Not everyone has easy access to books, which can be expensive, maybe a language someone speaks isn’t easily available in print. Maybe work Read more…
From Gen X Pool Days to Gen Z Tanfluencers: Sharing the Sun, Not the Damage
General Health Nerdy Notes
Daphne Berryhill, RPh
For many Gen Xers, unprotected kiddie pool days are now showing up as sunspots, wrinkles, and for some of us, skin cancer. Gen Zers face the same UV risks, but that doesn’t mean they’ll always listen. Community sun-safe habits that balance fun in the sun with future risk can make it easier for all of Read more…
What is the deal with the new U.S. childhood vaccine schedule?
Families/Kids Vaccines
UPDATE: Recently, the President signed an executive order involving childhood vaccines in the United States. This follows a January 2026 announcement from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that changed the childhood vaccine schedule, but that change has been paused by the courts. This executive order is very similar to that January announcement. Read more…
August is National Immunization Awareness Month.
Vaccines
Cynthia (Cindy) Leifer, PhD
Those Nerdy Girls trust vaccines and know they’ve saved many lives so we are taking a moment to celebrate them in August, since it is National Immunization Awareness Month. At Those Nerdy Girls, we argue that no breakthrough has been more important in keeping us healthy than the development of vaccines! Instead of hoping there Read more…
A new type of flu vaccine was just approved.
Infectious Diseases Vaccines
Cynthia (Cindy) Leifer, PhD
mFlusiva, or mRNA-1010, is a new type of flu vaccine made by Moderna to protect against flu. It has recently received final approval and will hopefully be available this fall for adults over 50. What is mFlusiva and how is it different from the other flu vaccines? This new type of flu vaccine is based Read more…
I’ve been feeling down even though it is bright and sunny out. Can I be depressed in the summer?
Mental Health
Aparna Kumar, PhD CRNP MPH
Yes, you can be depressed in the summer. Some people actually feel depressed every summer, and they may have summer seasonal affective disorder (SAD). 😥 But WHAT is summer SAD and why does it happen? People with SAD generally have depression that happens seasonally and for at least two years in a row. You might Read more…
In this collaboration series, Dr. Kristen Panthagani of You Can Know Things dissects some common logical fallacies that can lead people astray. Logical fallacies are common patterns of reasoning that seem true on the surface but have one or more critical flaws. At their root, many are oversimplifications–like a cognitive shortcut. They are appealing because Read more…
What is an eating disorder?
Mental HealthAparna Kumar, PhD CRNP MPH
What is an eating disorder? Please read on to learn a little bit more about eating disorders and how to get help. What are eating disorders? Eating disorders are serious diseases responsible for both medical and physical illness. They are defined as changes in eating behaviors and patterns that affect mental and physical health. Up Read more…
What’s happening with the ongoing measles outbreaks? How can I protect myself and my loved ones?
Infectious Diseases
Measles cases continue to rise in the US, and four people have died recently. Vaccination remains the best way to protect yourself and those around you. So how bad is it? Where are we on numbers? Let’s take a look: Note – we use data from the Brown University Pandemic Center’s weekly tracking report. While Read more…
What do vaccination and umbrellas have in common?
Vaccines
Sandy Laping, MSc
Community immunity (aka “herd immunity”) is a really important factor in preventing the spread of infectious diseases… and just like an umbrella can protect you and the person standing next to you from the rain, vaccination can do the same. Did you know? The term herd immunity was first used when British scientists back in Read more…
Why do we know so little about migraines?
General Health
Sara Gorman, PhD, MPH
Despite affecting at least 12% of the US population, our understanding of migraines is limited due to a combination of difficulties with diagnosis, an extremely complex genetic picture, and the historic lack of investment in studying conditions that primarily affect women. On August 31, 2026, the American Academy of Neurology and the American Headache Society Read more…
What can I do to help prevent suicide?
Mental Health
MK Haber, FNP-C, IBCLC
TL; DR: There are steps that all of us can take to raise awareness around suicide, to help someone who is struggling, and to intervene when there is a risk of suicide. Read on to learn more about the different levels of prevention. Content Warning: This post discusses the prevention of death from suicide*. If Read more…
Why do I still feel grief months or years later?
Mental Health
Kelly Valentin, MPH
Grief doesn’t always act the way we may expect it to in ourselves or others. It can change, surprise us, and feel different from one day to the next. Turns out, there is a reason. We know the loss happened months or maybe even years ago. Most of the time, we’re okay. We’ve returned to Read more…
September 16th is National Working Parents Day.
Families/Kids
Pamela Chung, MD
September 16th is National Working Parents Day. Are you juggling work and family responsibilities? Do you get overwhelmed with trying to do it all and do it well? First, let us honor and validate our struggles and suffering while recognizing that our systems are not set up to support us in “doing it all” well. Read more…
What are newborn screenings?
Families/Kids General Health
Rebecca Raskin-Wish
Newborn screenings are simple tests, recommended by American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) done in the hospital, birth center, or clinical office soon after your baby is born. They contain three parts: a hearing screen, a screen to look at oxygen levels, and a blood test to check for metabolic conditions. These tests help Read more…
How long does it take to grieve the death of a loved one?
Mental Health
Those Nerdy Girls
The process of grief is different for everyone, taking place over weeks, months, and often years. This post provides science on grief as well as perspective on coping with the death of a loved one with the hope of normalizing a process that is both extremely personal and universally shared. Grief is the process of Read more…
What happens at a cervical cancer screening, a.k.a. a pap smear?
Reproductive Health
Guest Author Lyra Cauley
Another post in our series Nerdy Notes: Science in Story & Verse I got my first pap smear (cervical cancer screening) the summer before senior year of college. I was 22 and facing a laundry list of health related tasks before leaving for the fall. The pap smear, at the top of my list, was Read more…
I heard that updated COVID vaccines have been approved for the fall. Can you tell me more?
Vaccines
Yes, the FDA recently approved three updated COVID vaccines for the 2026-2027 season that will target the JN.1 lineage XFG subvariant of the virus (SARS-CoV-2), and they are available. At the end of August, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved updated COVID vaccines for the 2026/2027 season. Let’s break it down: They are Moderna’s Read more…
Today is the 25th International Overdose Awareness Day
General Health
Today is the 25th International Overdose Awareness Day. We ache with worry Lest ours be the next to die Thank G-d for NARCAN® Those Nerdy Girls would like to take time today to remember and honor those we’ve lost to opioid overdose. Today, let’s learn more and work to reduce the stigma of Read more…
What is Prior Authorization?
Health Policy
Sara Gorman, PhD, MPH
Prior Authorization (PA) is an approval process for insurance coverage for certain services, treatments, and medications. There is some evidence that it can cut healthcare costs, but on balance, it seems to do more harm than good to both patient care and healthcare spending. PA emerged in the 1960s in response to spiraling healthcare costs Read more…
Summer is for reading! What books are you reading?
Uncategorized
Those Nerdy Girls
Some Nerds share what they’ve been reading over the summer, and we’d love to hear from you! Summer reading is a joy. And it’s also a privilege that many folks don’t have. Not everyone has easy access to books, which can be expensive, maybe a language someone speaks isn’t easily available in print. Maybe work Read more…
From Gen X Pool Days to Gen Z Tanfluencers: Sharing the Sun, Not the Damage
General Health Nerdy Notes
Daphne Berryhill, RPh
For many Gen Xers, unprotected kiddie pool days are now showing up as sunspots, wrinkles, and for some of us, skin cancer. Gen Zers face the same UV risks, but that doesn’t mean they’ll always listen. Community sun-safe habits that balance fun in the sun with future risk can make it easier for all of Read more…
What is the deal with the new U.S. childhood vaccine schedule?
Families/Kids Vaccines
UPDATE: Recently, the President signed an executive order involving childhood vaccines in the United States. This follows a January 2026 announcement from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that changed the childhood vaccine schedule, but that change has been paused by the courts. This executive order is very similar to that January announcement. Read more…
August is National Immunization Awareness Month.
Vaccines
Cynthia (Cindy) Leifer, PhD
Those Nerdy Girls trust vaccines and know they’ve saved many lives so we are taking a moment to celebrate them in August, since it is National Immunization Awareness Month. At Those Nerdy Girls, we argue that no breakthrough has been more important in keeping us healthy than the development of vaccines! Instead of hoping there Read more…
A new type of flu vaccine was just approved.
Infectious Diseases Vaccines
Cynthia (Cindy) Leifer, PhD
mFlusiva, or mRNA-1010, is a new type of flu vaccine made by Moderna to protect against flu. It has recently received final approval and will hopefully be available this fall for adults over 50. What is mFlusiva and how is it different from the other flu vaccines? This new type of flu vaccine is based Read more…
I’ve been feeling down even though it is bright and sunny out. Can I be depressed in the summer?
Mental Health
Aparna Kumar, PhD CRNP MPH
Yes, you can be depressed in the summer. Some people actually feel depressed every summer, and they may have summer seasonal affective disorder (SAD). 😥 But WHAT is summer SAD and why does it happen? People with SAD generally have depression that happens seasonally and for at least two years in a row. You might Read more…
What is an eating disorder? Please read on to learn a little bit more about eating disorders and how to get help. What are eating disorders? Eating disorders are serious diseases responsible for both medical and physical illness. They are defined as changes in eating behaviors and patterns that affect mental and physical health. Up Read more…
What’s happening with the ongoing measles outbreaks? How can I protect myself and my loved ones?
Infectious Diseases
Measles cases continue to rise in the US, and four people have died recently. Vaccination remains the best way to protect yourself and those around you. So how bad is it? Where are we on numbers? Let’s take a look: Note – we use data from the Brown University Pandemic Center’s weekly tracking report. While Read more…
What do vaccination and umbrellas have in common?
VaccinesSandy Laping, MSc
Community immunity (aka “herd immunity”) is a really important factor in preventing the spread of infectious diseases… and just like an umbrella can protect you and the person standing next to you from the rain, vaccination can do the same. Did you know? The term herd immunity was first used when British scientists back in Read more…
Why do we know so little about migraines?
General Health
Sara Gorman, PhD, MPH
Despite affecting at least 12% of the US population, our understanding of migraines is limited due to a combination of difficulties with diagnosis, an extremely complex genetic picture, and the historic lack of investment in studying conditions that primarily affect women. On August 31, 2026, the American Academy of Neurology and the American Headache Society Read more…
What can I do to help prevent suicide?
Mental Health
MK Haber, FNP-C, IBCLC
TL; DR: There are steps that all of us can take to raise awareness around suicide, to help someone who is struggling, and to intervene when there is a risk of suicide. Read on to learn more about the different levels of prevention. Content Warning: This post discusses the prevention of death from suicide*. If Read more…
Why do I still feel grief months or years later?
Mental Health
Kelly Valentin, MPH
Grief doesn’t always act the way we may expect it to in ourselves or others. It can change, surprise us, and feel different from one day to the next. Turns out, there is a reason. We know the loss happened months or maybe even years ago. Most of the time, we’re okay. We’ve returned to Read more…
September 16th is National Working Parents Day.
Families/Kids
Pamela Chung, MD
September 16th is National Working Parents Day. Are you juggling work and family responsibilities? Do you get overwhelmed with trying to do it all and do it well? First, let us honor and validate our struggles and suffering while recognizing that our systems are not set up to support us in “doing it all” well. Read more…
What are newborn screenings?
Families/Kids General Health
Rebecca Raskin-Wish
Newborn screenings are simple tests, recommended by American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) done in the hospital, birth center, or clinical office soon after your baby is born. They contain three parts: a hearing screen, a screen to look at oxygen levels, and a blood test to check for metabolic conditions. These tests help Read more…
How long does it take to grieve the death of a loved one?
Mental Health
Those Nerdy Girls
The process of grief is different for everyone, taking place over weeks, months, and often years. This post provides science on grief as well as perspective on coping with the death of a loved one with the hope of normalizing a process that is both extremely personal and universally shared. Grief is the process of Read more…
What happens at a cervical cancer screening, a.k.a. a pap smear?
Reproductive Health
Guest Author Lyra Cauley
Another post in our series Nerdy Notes: Science in Story & Verse I got my first pap smear (cervical cancer screening) the summer before senior year of college. I was 22 and facing a laundry list of health related tasks before leaving for the fall. The pap smear, at the top of my list, was Read more…
I heard that updated COVID vaccines have been approved for the fall. Can you tell me more?
Vaccines
Yes, the FDA recently approved three updated COVID vaccines for the 2026-2027 season that will target the JN.1 lineage XFG subvariant of the virus (SARS-CoV-2), and they are available. At the end of August, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved updated COVID vaccines for the 2026/2027 season. Let’s break it down: They are Moderna’s Read more…
Today is the 25th International Overdose Awareness Day
General Health
Today is the 25th International Overdose Awareness Day. We ache with worry Lest ours be the next to die Thank G-d for NARCAN® Those Nerdy Girls would like to take time today to remember and honor those we’ve lost to opioid overdose. Today, let’s learn more and work to reduce the stigma of Read more…
What is Prior Authorization?
Health Policy
Sara Gorman, PhD, MPH
Prior Authorization (PA) is an approval process for insurance coverage for certain services, treatments, and medications. There is some evidence that it can cut healthcare costs, but on balance, it seems to do more harm than good to both patient care and healthcare spending. PA emerged in the 1960s in response to spiraling healthcare costs Read more…
Summer is for reading! What books are you reading?
Uncategorized
Those Nerdy Girls
Some Nerds share what they’ve been reading over the summer, and we’d love to hear from you! Summer reading is a joy. And it’s also a privilege that many folks don’t have. Not everyone has easy access to books, which can be expensive, maybe a language someone speaks isn’t easily available in print. Maybe work Read more…
From Gen X Pool Days to Gen Z Tanfluencers: Sharing the Sun, Not the Damage
General Health Nerdy Notes
Daphne Berryhill, RPh
For many Gen Xers, unprotected kiddie pool days are now showing up as sunspots, wrinkles, and for some of us, skin cancer. Gen Zers face the same UV risks, but that doesn’t mean they’ll always listen. Community sun-safe habits that balance fun in the sun with future risk can make it easier for all of Read more…
What is the deal with the new U.S. childhood vaccine schedule?
Families/Kids Vaccines
UPDATE: Recently, the President signed an executive order involving childhood vaccines in the United States. This follows a January 2026 announcement from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that changed the childhood vaccine schedule, but that change has been paused by the courts. This executive order is very similar to that January announcement. Read more…
August is National Immunization Awareness Month.
Vaccines
Cynthia (Cindy) Leifer, PhD
Those Nerdy Girls trust vaccines and know they’ve saved many lives so we are taking a moment to celebrate them in August, since it is National Immunization Awareness Month. At Those Nerdy Girls, we argue that no breakthrough has been more important in keeping us healthy than the development of vaccines! Instead of hoping there Read more…
A new type of flu vaccine was just approved.
Infectious Diseases Vaccines
Cynthia (Cindy) Leifer, PhD
mFlusiva, or mRNA-1010, is a new type of flu vaccine made by Moderna to protect against flu. It has recently received final approval and will hopefully be available this fall for adults over 50. What is mFlusiva and how is it different from the other flu vaccines? This new type of flu vaccine is based Read more…
I’ve been feeling down even though it is bright and sunny out. Can I be depressed in the summer?
Mental Health
Aparna Kumar, PhD CRNP MPH
Yes, you can be depressed in the summer. Some people actually feel depressed every summer, and they may have summer seasonal affective disorder (SAD). 😥 But WHAT is summer SAD and why does it happen? People with SAD generally have depression that happens seasonally and for at least two years in a row. You might Read more…
Community immunity (aka “herd immunity”) is a really important factor in preventing the spread of infectious diseases… and just like an umbrella can protect you and the person standing next to you from the rain, vaccination can do the same. Did you know? The term herd immunity was first used when British scientists back in Read more…
Why do we know so little about migraines?
General HealthSara Gorman, PhD, MPH
Despite affecting at least 12% of the US population, our understanding of migraines is limited due to a combination of difficulties with diagnosis, an extremely complex genetic picture, and the historic lack of investment in studying conditions that primarily affect women. On August 31, 2026, the American Academy of Neurology and the American Headache Society Read more…
What can I do to help prevent suicide?
Mental Health
MK Haber, FNP-C, IBCLC
TL; DR: There are steps that all of us can take to raise awareness around suicide, to help someone who is struggling, and to intervene when there is a risk of suicide. Read on to learn more about the different levels of prevention. Content Warning: This post discusses the prevention of death from suicide*. If Read more…
Why do I still feel grief months or years later?
Mental Health
Kelly Valentin, MPH
Grief doesn’t always act the way we may expect it to in ourselves or others. It can change, surprise us, and feel different from one day to the next. Turns out, there is a reason. We know the loss happened months or maybe even years ago. Most of the time, we’re okay. We’ve returned to Read more…
September 16th is National Working Parents Day.
Families/Kids
Pamela Chung, MD
September 16th is National Working Parents Day. Are you juggling work and family responsibilities? Do you get overwhelmed with trying to do it all and do it well? First, let us honor and validate our struggles and suffering while recognizing that our systems are not set up to support us in “doing it all” well. Read more…
What are newborn screenings?
Families/Kids General Health
Rebecca Raskin-Wish
Newborn screenings are simple tests, recommended by American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) done in the hospital, birth center, or clinical office soon after your baby is born. They contain three parts: a hearing screen, a screen to look at oxygen levels, and a blood test to check for metabolic conditions. These tests help Read more…
How long does it take to grieve the death of a loved one?
Mental Health
Those Nerdy Girls
The process of grief is different for everyone, taking place over weeks, months, and often years. This post provides science on grief as well as perspective on coping with the death of a loved one with the hope of normalizing a process that is both extremely personal and universally shared. Grief is the process of Read more…
What happens at a cervical cancer screening, a.k.a. a pap smear?
Reproductive Health
Guest Author Lyra Cauley
Another post in our series Nerdy Notes: Science in Story & Verse I got my first pap smear (cervical cancer screening) the summer before senior year of college. I was 22 and facing a laundry list of health related tasks before leaving for the fall. The pap smear, at the top of my list, was Read more…
I heard that updated COVID vaccines have been approved for the fall. Can you tell me more?
Vaccines
Yes, the FDA recently approved three updated COVID vaccines for the 2026-2027 season that will target the JN.1 lineage XFG subvariant of the virus (SARS-CoV-2), and they are available. At the end of August, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved updated COVID vaccines for the 2026/2027 season. Let’s break it down: They are Moderna’s Read more…
Today is the 25th International Overdose Awareness Day
General Health
Today is the 25th International Overdose Awareness Day. We ache with worry Lest ours be the next to die Thank G-d for NARCAN® Those Nerdy Girls would like to take time today to remember and honor those we’ve lost to opioid overdose. Today, let’s learn more and work to reduce the stigma of Read more…
What is Prior Authorization?
Health Policy
Sara Gorman, PhD, MPH
Prior Authorization (PA) is an approval process for insurance coverage for certain services, treatments, and medications. There is some evidence that it can cut healthcare costs, but on balance, it seems to do more harm than good to both patient care and healthcare spending. PA emerged in the 1960s in response to spiraling healthcare costs Read more…
Summer is for reading! What books are you reading?
Uncategorized
Those Nerdy Girls
Some Nerds share what they’ve been reading over the summer, and we’d love to hear from you! Summer reading is a joy. And it’s also a privilege that many folks don’t have. Not everyone has easy access to books, which can be expensive, maybe a language someone speaks isn’t easily available in print. Maybe work Read more…
From Gen X Pool Days to Gen Z Tanfluencers: Sharing the Sun, Not the Damage
General Health Nerdy Notes
Daphne Berryhill, RPh
For many Gen Xers, unprotected kiddie pool days are now showing up as sunspots, wrinkles, and for some of us, skin cancer. Gen Zers face the same UV risks, but that doesn’t mean they’ll always listen. Community sun-safe habits that balance fun in the sun with future risk can make it easier for all of Read more…
What is the deal with the new U.S. childhood vaccine schedule?
Families/Kids Vaccines
UPDATE: Recently, the President signed an executive order involving childhood vaccines in the United States. This follows a January 2026 announcement from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that changed the childhood vaccine schedule, but that change has been paused by the courts. This executive order is very similar to that January announcement. Read more…
August is National Immunization Awareness Month.
Vaccines
Cynthia (Cindy) Leifer, PhD
Those Nerdy Girls trust vaccines and know they’ve saved many lives so we are taking a moment to celebrate them in August, since it is National Immunization Awareness Month. At Those Nerdy Girls, we argue that no breakthrough has been more important in keeping us healthy than the development of vaccines! Instead of hoping there Read more…
A new type of flu vaccine was just approved.
Infectious Diseases Vaccines
Cynthia (Cindy) Leifer, PhD
mFlusiva, or mRNA-1010, is a new type of flu vaccine made by Moderna to protect against flu. It has recently received final approval and will hopefully be available this fall for adults over 50. What is mFlusiva and how is it different from the other flu vaccines? This new type of flu vaccine is based Read more…
I’ve been feeling down even though it is bright and sunny out. Can I be depressed in the summer?
Mental Health
Aparna Kumar, PhD CRNP MPH
Yes, you can be depressed in the summer. Some people actually feel depressed every summer, and they may have summer seasonal affective disorder (SAD). 😥 But WHAT is summer SAD and why does it happen? People with SAD generally have depression that happens seasonally and for at least two years in a row. You might Read more…
Despite affecting at least 12% of the US population, our understanding of migraines is limited due to a combination of difficulties with diagnosis, an extremely complex genetic picture, and the historic lack of investment in studying conditions that primarily affect women. On August 31, 2026, the American Academy of Neurology and the American Headache Society Read more…
What can I do to help prevent suicide?
Mental HealthMK Haber, FNP-C, IBCLC
TL; DR: There are steps that all of us can take to raise awareness around suicide, to help someone who is struggling, and to intervene when there is a risk of suicide. Read on to learn more about the different levels of prevention. Content Warning: This post discusses the prevention of death from suicide*. If Read more…
Why do I still feel grief months or years later?
Mental Health
Kelly Valentin, MPH
Grief doesn’t always act the way we may expect it to in ourselves or others. It can change, surprise us, and feel different from one day to the next. Turns out, there is a reason. We know the loss happened months or maybe even years ago. Most of the time, we’re okay. We’ve returned to Read more…
September 16th is National Working Parents Day.
Families/Kids
Pamela Chung, MD
September 16th is National Working Parents Day. Are you juggling work and family responsibilities? Do you get overwhelmed with trying to do it all and do it well? First, let us honor and validate our struggles and suffering while recognizing that our systems are not set up to support us in “doing it all” well. Read more…
What are newborn screenings?
Families/Kids General Health
Rebecca Raskin-Wish
Newborn screenings are simple tests, recommended by American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) done in the hospital, birth center, or clinical office soon after your baby is born. They contain three parts: a hearing screen, a screen to look at oxygen levels, and a blood test to check for metabolic conditions. These tests help Read more…
How long does it take to grieve the death of a loved one?
Mental Health
Those Nerdy Girls
The process of grief is different for everyone, taking place over weeks, months, and often years. This post provides science on grief as well as perspective on coping with the death of a loved one with the hope of normalizing a process that is both extremely personal and universally shared. Grief is the process of Read more…
What happens at a cervical cancer screening, a.k.a. a pap smear?
Reproductive Health
Guest Author Lyra Cauley
Another post in our series Nerdy Notes: Science in Story & Verse I got my first pap smear (cervical cancer screening) the summer before senior year of college. I was 22 and facing a laundry list of health related tasks before leaving for the fall. The pap smear, at the top of my list, was Read more…
I heard that updated COVID vaccines have been approved for the fall. Can you tell me more?
Vaccines
Yes, the FDA recently approved three updated COVID vaccines for the 2026-2027 season that will target the JN.1 lineage XFG subvariant of the virus (SARS-CoV-2), and they are available. At the end of August, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved updated COVID vaccines for the 2026/2027 season. Let’s break it down: They are Moderna’s Read more…
Today is the 25th International Overdose Awareness Day
General Health
Today is the 25th International Overdose Awareness Day. We ache with worry Lest ours be the next to die Thank G-d for NARCAN® Those Nerdy Girls would like to take time today to remember and honor those we’ve lost to opioid overdose. Today, let’s learn more and work to reduce the stigma of Read more…
What is Prior Authorization?
Health Policy
Sara Gorman, PhD, MPH
Prior Authorization (PA) is an approval process for insurance coverage for certain services, treatments, and medications. There is some evidence that it can cut healthcare costs, but on balance, it seems to do more harm than good to both patient care and healthcare spending. PA emerged in the 1960s in response to spiraling healthcare costs Read more…
Summer is for reading! What books are you reading?
Uncategorized
Those Nerdy Girls
Some Nerds share what they’ve been reading over the summer, and we’d love to hear from you! Summer reading is a joy. And it’s also a privilege that many folks don’t have. Not everyone has easy access to books, which can be expensive, maybe a language someone speaks isn’t easily available in print. Maybe work Read more…
From Gen X Pool Days to Gen Z Tanfluencers: Sharing the Sun, Not the Damage
General Health Nerdy Notes
Daphne Berryhill, RPh
For many Gen Xers, unprotected kiddie pool days are now showing up as sunspots, wrinkles, and for some of us, skin cancer. Gen Zers face the same UV risks, but that doesn’t mean they’ll always listen. Community sun-safe habits that balance fun in the sun with future risk can make it easier for all of Read more…
What is the deal with the new U.S. childhood vaccine schedule?
Families/Kids Vaccines
UPDATE: Recently, the President signed an executive order involving childhood vaccines in the United States. This follows a January 2026 announcement from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that changed the childhood vaccine schedule, but that change has been paused by the courts. This executive order is very similar to that January announcement. Read more…
August is National Immunization Awareness Month.
Vaccines
Cynthia (Cindy) Leifer, PhD
Those Nerdy Girls trust vaccines and know they’ve saved many lives so we are taking a moment to celebrate them in August, since it is National Immunization Awareness Month. At Those Nerdy Girls, we argue that no breakthrough has been more important in keeping us healthy than the development of vaccines! Instead of hoping there Read more…
A new type of flu vaccine was just approved.
Infectious Diseases Vaccines
Cynthia (Cindy) Leifer, PhD
mFlusiva, or mRNA-1010, is a new type of flu vaccine made by Moderna to protect against flu. It has recently received final approval and will hopefully be available this fall for adults over 50. What is mFlusiva and how is it different from the other flu vaccines? This new type of flu vaccine is based Read more…
I’ve been feeling down even though it is bright and sunny out. Can I be depressed in the summer?
Mental Health
Aparna Kumar, PhD CRNP MPH
Yes, you can be depressed in the summer. Some people actually feel depressed every summer, and they may have summer seasonal affective disorder (SAD). 😥 But WHAT is summer SAD and why does it happen? People with SAD generally have depression that happens seasonally and for at least two years in a row. You might Read more…
TL; DR: There are steps that all of us can take to raise awareness around suicide, to help someone who is struggling, and to intervene when there is a risk of suicide. Read on to learn more about the different levels of prevention. Content Warning: This post discusses the prevention of death from suicide*. If Read more…
Why do I still feel grief months or years later?
Mental HealthKelly Valentin, MPH
Grief doesn’t always act the way we may expect it to in ourselves or others. It can change, surprise us, and feel different from one day to the next. Turns out, there is a reason. We know the loss happened months or maybe even years ago. Most of the time, we’re okay. We’ve returned to Read more…
September 16th is National Working Parents Day.
Families/Kids
Pamela Chung, MD
September 16th is National Working Parents Day. Are you juggling work and family responsibilities? Do you get overwhelmed with trying to do it all and do it well? First, let us honor and validate our struggles and suffering while recognizing that our systems are not set up to support us in “doing it all” well. Read more…
What are newborn screenings?
Families/Kids General Health
Rebecca Raskin-Wish
Newborn screenings are simple tests, recommended by American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) done in the hospital, birth center, or clinical office soon after your baby is born. They contain three parts: a hearing screen, a screen to look at oxygen levels, and a blood test to check for metabolic conditions. These tests help Read more…
How long does it take to grieve the death of a loved one?
Mental Health
Those Nerdy Girls
The process of grief is different for everyone, taking place over weeks, months, and often years. This post provides science on grief as well as perspective on coping with the death of a loved one with the hope of normalizing a process that is both extremely personal and universally shared. Grief is the process of Read more…
What happens at a cervical cancer screening, a.k.a. a pap smear?
Reproductive Health
Guest Author Lyra Cauley
Another post in our series Nerdy Notes: Science in Story & Verse I got my first pap smear (cervical cancer screening) the summer before senior year of college. I was 22 and facing a laundry list of health related tasks before leaving for the fall. The pap smear, at the top of my list, was Read more…
I heard that updated COVID vaccines have been approved for the fall. Can you tell me more?
Vaccines
Yes, the FDA recently approved three updated COVID vaccines for the 2026-2027 season that will target the JN.1 lineage XFG subvariant of the virus (SARS-CoV-2), and they are available. At the end of August, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved updated COVID vaccines for the 2026/2027 season. Let’s break it down: They are Moderna’s Read more…
Today is the 25th International Overdose Awareness Day
General Health
Today is the 25th International Overdose Awareness Day. We ache with worry Lest ours be the next to die Thank G-d for NARCAN® Those Nerdy Girls would like to take time today to remember and honor those we’ve lost to opioid overdose. Today, let’s learn more and work to reduce the stigma of Read more…
What is Prior Authorization?
Health Policy
Sara Gorman, PhD, MPH
Prior Authorization (PA) is an approval process for insurance coverage for certain services, treatments, and medications. There is some evidence that it can cut healthcare costs, but on balance, it seems to do more harm than good to both patient care and healthcare spending. PA emerged in the 1960s in response to spiraling healthcare costs Read more…
Summer is for reading! What books are you reading?
Uncategorized
Those Nerdy Girls
Some Nerds share what they’ve been reading over the summer, and we’d love to hear from you! Summer reading is a joy. And it’s also a privilege that many folks don’t have. Not everyone has easy access to books, which can be expensive, maybe a language someone speaks isn’t easily available in print. Maybe work Read more…
From Gen X Pool Days to Gen Z Tanfluencers: Sharing the Sun, Not the Damage
General Health Nerdy Notes
Daphne Berryhill, RPh
For many Gen Xers, unprotected kiddie pool days are now showing up as sunspots, wrinkles, and for some of us, skin cancer. Gen Zers face the same UV risks, but that doesn’t mean they’ll always listen. Community sun-safe habits that balance fun in the sun with future risk can make it easier for all of Read more…
What is the deal with the new U.S. childhood vaccine schedule?
Families/Kids Vaccines
UPDATE: Recently, the President signed an executive order involving childhood vaccines in the United States. This follows a January 2026 announcement from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that changed the childhood vaccine schedule, but that change has been paused by the courts. This executive order is very similar to that January announcement. Read more…
August is National Immunization Awareness Month.
Vaccines
Cynthia (Cindy) Leifer, PhD
Those Nerdy Girls trust vaccines and know they’ve saved many lives so we are taking a moment to celebrate them in August, since it is National Immunization Awareness Month. At Those Nerdy Girls, we argue that no breakthrough has been more important in keeping us healthy than the development of vaccines! Instead of hoping there Read more…
A new type of flu vaccine was just approved.
Infectious Diseases Vaccines
Cynthia (Cindy) Leifer, PhD
mFlusiva, or mRNA-1010, is a new type of flu vaccine made by Moderna to protect against flu. It has recently received final approval and will hopefully be available this fall for adults over 50. What is mFlusiva and how is it different from the other flu vaccines? This new type of flu vaccine is based Read more…
I’ve been feeling down even though it is bright and sunny out. Can I be depressed in the summer?
Mental Health
Aparna Kumar, PhD CRNP MPH
Yes, you can be depressed in the summer. Some people actually feel depressed every summer, and they may have summer seasonal affective disorder (SAD). 😥 But WHAT is summer SAD and why does it happen? People with SAD generally have depression that happens seasonally and for at least two years in a row. You might Read more…
Grief doesn’t always act the way we may expect it to in ourselves or others. It can change, surprise us, and feel different from one day to the next. Turns out, there is a reason. We know the loss happened months or maybe even years ago. Most of the time, we’re okay. We’ve returned to Read more…
September 16th is National Working Parents Day.
Families/KidsPamela Chung, MD
September 16th is National Working Parents Day. Are you juggling work and family responsibilities? Do you get overwhelmed with trying to do it all and do it well? First, let us honor and validate our struggles and suffering while recognizing that our systems are not set up to support us in “doing it all” well. Read more…
What are newborn screenings?
Families/Kids General Health
Rebecca Raskin-Wish
Newborn screenings are simple tests, recommended by American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) done in the hospital, birth center, or clinical office soon after your baby is born. They contain three parts: a hearing screen, a screen to look at oxygen levels, and a blood test to check for metabolic conditions. These tests help Read more…
How long does it take to grieve the death of a loved one?
Mental Health
Those Nerdy Girls
The process of grief is different for everyone, taking place over weeks, months, and often years. This post provides science on grief as well as perspective on coping with the death of a loved one with the hope of normalizing a process that is both extremely personal and universally shared. Grief is the process of Read more…
What happens at a cervical cancer screening, a.k.a. a pap smear?
Reproductive Health
Guest Author Lyra Cauley
Another post in our series Nerdy Notes: Science in Story & Verse I got my first pap smear (cervical cancer screening) the summer before senior year of college. I was 22 and facing a laundry list of health related tasks before leaving for the fall. The pap smear, at the top of my list, was Read more…
I heard that updated COVID vaccines have been approved for the fall. Can you tell me more?
Vaccines
Yes, the FDA recently approved three updated COVID vaccines for the 2026-2027 season that will target the JN.1 lineage XFG subvariant of the virus (SARS-CoV-2), and they are available. At the end of August, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved updated COVID vaccines for the 2026/2027 season. Let’s break it down: They are Moderna’s Read more…
Today is the 25th International Overdose Awareness Day
General Health
Today is the 25th International Overdose Awareness Day. We ache with worry Lest ours be the next to die Thank G-d for NARCAN® Those Nerdy Girls would like to take time today to remember and honor those we’ve lost to opioid overdose. Today, let’s learn more and work to reduce the stigma of Read more…
What is Prior Authorization?
Health Policy
Sara Gorman, PhD, MPH
Prior Authorization (PA) is an approval process for insurance coverage for certain services, treatments, and medications. There is some evidence that it can cut healthcare costs, but on balance, it seems to do more harm than good to both patient care and healthcare spending. PA emerged in the 1960s in response to spiraling healthcare costs Read more…
Summer is for reading! What books are you reading?
Uncategorized
Those Nerdy Girls
Some Nerds share what they’ve been reading over the summer, and we’d love to hear from you! Summer reading is a joy. And it’s also a privilege that many folks don’t have. Not everyone has easy access to books, which can be expensive, maybe a language someone speaks isn’t easily available in print. Maybe work Read more…
From Gen X Pool Days to Gen Z Tanfluencers: Sharing the Sun, Not the Damage
General Health Nerdy Notes
Daphne Berryhill, RPh
For many Gen Xers, unprotected kiddie pool days are now showing up as sunspots, wrinkles, and for some of us, skin cancer. Gen Zers face the same UV risks, but that doesn’t mean they’ll always listen. Community sun-safe habits that balance fun in the sun with future risk can make it easier for all of Read more…
What is the deal with the new U.S. childhood vaccine schedule?
Families/Kids Vaccines
UPDATE: Recently, the President signed an executive order involving childhood vaccines in the United States. This follows a January 2026 announcement from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that changed the childhood vaccine schedule, but that change has been paused by the courts. This executive order is very similar to that January announcement. Read more…
August is National Immunization Awareness Month.
Vaccines
Cynthia (Cindy) Leifer, PhD
Those Nerdy Girls trust vaccines and know they’ve saved many lives so we are taking a moment to celebrate them in August, since it is National Immunization Awareness Month. At Those Nerdy Girls, we argue that no breakthrough has been more important in keeping us healthy than the development of vaccines! Instead of hoping there Read more…
A new type of flu vaccine was just approved.
Infectious Diseases Vaccines
Cynthia (Cindy) Leifer, PhD
mFlusiva, or mRNA-1010, is a new type of flu vaccine made by Moderna to protect against flu. It has recently received final approval and will hopefully be available this fall for adults over 50. What is mFlusiva and how is it different from the other flu vaccines? This new type of flu vaccine is based Read more…
I’ve been feeling down even though it is bright and sunny out. Can I be depressed in the summer?
Mental Health
Aparna Kumar, PhD CRNP MPH
Yes, you can be depressed in the summer. Some people actually feel depressed every summer, and they may have summer seasonal affective disorder (SAD). 😥 But WHAT is summer SAD and why does it happen? People with SAD generally have depression that happens seasonally and for at least two years in a row. You might Read more…
September 16th is National Working Parents Day. Are you juggling work and family responsibilities? Do you get overwhelmed with trying to do it all and do it well? First, let us honor and validate our struggles and suffering while recognizing that our systems are not set up to support us in “doing it all” well. Read more…
What are newborn screenings?
Families/Kids General HealthRebecca Raskin-Wish
Newborn screenings are simple tests, recommended by American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) done in the hospital, birth center, or clinical office soon after your baby is born. They contain three parts: a hearing screen, a screen to look at oxygen levels, and a blood test to check for metabolic conditions. These tests help Read more…
How long does it take to grieve the death of a loved one?
Mental Health
Those Nerdy Girls
The process of grief is different for everyone, taking place over weeks, months, and often years. This post provides science on grief as well as perspective on coping with the death of a loved one with the hope of normalizing a process that is both extremely personal and universally shared. Grief is the process of Read more…
What happens at a cervical cancer screening, a.k.a. a pap smear?
Reproductive Health
Guest Author Lyra Cauley
Another post in our series Nerdy Notes: Science in Story & Verse I got my first pap smear (cervical cancer screening) the summer before senior year of college. I was 22 and facing a laundry list of health related tasks before leaving for the fall. The pap smear, at the top of my list, was Read more…
I heard that updated COVID vaccines have been approved for the fall. Can you tell me more?
Vaccines
Yes, the FDA recently approved three updated COVID vaccines for the 2026-2027 season that will target the JN.1 lineage XFG subvariant of the virus (SARS-CoV-2), and they are available. At the end of August, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved updated COVID vaccines for the 2026/2027 season. Let’s break it down: They are Moderna’s Read more…
Today is the 25th International Overdose Awareness Day
General Health
Today is the 25th International Overdose Awareness Day. We ache with worry Lest ours be the next to die Thank G-d for NARCAN® Those Nerdy Girls would like to take time today to remember and honor those we’ve lost to opioid overdose. Today, let’s learn more and work to reduce the stigma of Read more…
What is Prior Authorization?
Health Policy
Sara Gorman, PhD, MPH
Prior Authorization (PA) is an approval process for insurance coverage for certain services, treatments, and medications. There is some evidence that it can cut healthcare costs, but on balance, it seems to do more harm than good to both patient care and healthcare spending. PA emerged in the 1960s in response to spiraling healthcare costs Read more…
Summer is for reading! What books are you reading?
Uncategorized
Those Nerdy Girls
Some Nerds share what they’ve been reading over the summer, and we’d love to hear from you! Summer reading is a joy. And it’s also a privilege that many folks don’t have. Not everyone has easy access to books, which can be expensive, maybe a language someone speaks isn’t easily available in print. Maybe work Read more…
From Gen X Pool Days to Gen Z Tanfluencers: Sharing the Sun, Not the Damage
General Health Nerdy Notes
Daphne Berryhill, RPh
For many Gen Xers, unprotected kiddie pool days are now showing up as sunspots, wrinkles, and for some of us, skin cancer. Gen Zers face the same UV risks, but that doesn’t mean they’ll always listen. Community sun-safe habits that balance fun in the sun with future risk can make it easier for all of Read more…
What is the deal with the new U.S. childhood vaccine schedule?
Families/Kids Vaccines
UPDATE: Recently, the President signed an executive order involving childhood vaccines in the United States. This follows a January 2026 announcement from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that changed the childhood vaccine schedule, but that change has been paused by the courts. This executive order is very similar to that January announcement. Read more…
August is National Immunization Awareness Month.
Vaccines
Cynthia (Cindy) Leifer, PhD
Those Nerdy Girls trust vaccines and know they’ve saved many lives so we are taking a moment to celebrate them in August, since it is National Immunization Awareness Month. At Those Nerdy Girls, we argue that no breakthrough has been more important in keeping us healthy than the development of vaccines! Instead of hoping there Read more…
A new type of flu vaccine was just approved.
Infectious Diseases Vaccines
Cynthia (Cindy) Leifer, PhD
mFlusiva, or mRNA-1010, is a new type of flu vaccine made by Moderna to protect against flu. It has recently received final approval and will hopefully be available this fall for adults over 50. What is mFlusiva and how is it different from the other flu vaccines? This new type of flu vaccine is based Read more…
I’ve been feeling down even though it is bright and sunny out. Can I be depressed in the summer?
Mental Health
Aparna Kumar, PhD CRNP MPH
Yes, you can be depressed in the summer. Some people actually feel depressed every summer, and they may have summer seasonal affective disorder (SAD). 😥 But WHAT is summer SAD and why does it happen? People with SAD generally have depression that happens seasonally and for at least two years in a row. You might Read more…
Newborn screenings are simple tests, recommended by American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) done in the hospital, birth center, or clinical office soon after your baby is born. They contain three parts: a hearing screen, a screen to look at oxygen levels, and a blood test to check for metabolic conditions. These tests help Read more…
How long does it take to grieve the death of a loved one?
Mental HealthThose Nerdy Girls
The process of grief is different for everyone, taking place over weeks, months, and often years. This post provides science on grief as well as perspective on coping with the death of a loved one with the hope of normalizing a process that is both extremely personal and universally shared. Grief is the process of Read more…
What happens at a cervical cancer screening, a.k.a. a pap smear?
Reproductive Health
Guest Author Lyra Cauley
Another post in our series Nerdy Notes: Science in Story & Verse I got my first pap smear (cervical cancer screening) the summer before senior year of college. I was 22 and facing a laundry list of health related tasks before leaving for the fall. The pap smear, at the top of my list, was Read more…
I heard that updated COVID vaccines have been approved for the fall. Can you tell me more?
Vaccines
Yes, the FDA recently approved three updated COVID vaccines for the 2026-2027 season that will target the JN.1 lineage XFG subvariant of the virus (SARS-CoV-2), and they are available. At the end of August, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved updated COVID vaccines for the 2026/2027 season. Let’s break it down: They are Moderna’s Read more…
Today is the 25th International Overdose Awareness Day
General Health
Today is the 25th International Overdose Awareness Day. We ache with worry Lest ours be the next to die Thank G-d for NARCAN® Those Nerdy Girls would like to take time today to remember and honor those we’ve lost to opioid overdose. Today, let’s learn more and work to reduce the stigma of Read more…
What is Prior Authorization?
Health Policy
Sara Gorman, PhD, MPH
Prior Authorization (PA) is an approval process for insurance coverage for certain services, treatments, and medications. There is some evidence that it can cut healthcare costs, but on balance, it seems to do more harm than good to both patient care and healthcare spending. PA emerged in the 1960s in response to spiraling healthcare costs Read more…
Summer is for reading! What books are you reading?
Uncategorized
Those Nerdy Girls
Some Nerds share what they’ve been reading over the summer, and we’d love to hear from you! Summer reading is a joy. And it’s also a privilege that many folks don’t have. Not everyone has easy access to books, which can be expensive, maybe a language someone speaks isn’t easily available in print. Maybe work Read more…
From Gen X Pool Days to Gen Z Tanfluencers: Sharing the Sun, Not the Damage
General Health Nerdy Notes
Daphne Berryhill, RPh
For many Gen Xers, unprotected kiddie pool days are now showing up as sunspots, wrinkles, and for some of us, skin cancer. Gen Zers face the same UV risks, but that doesn’t mean they’ll always listen. Community sun-safe habits that balance fun in the sun with future risk can make it easier for all of Read more…
What is the deal with the new U.S. childhood vaccine schedule?
Families/Kids Vaccines
UPDATE: Recently, the President signed an executive order involving childhood vaccines in the United States. This follows a January 2026 announcement from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that changed the childhood vaccine schedule, but that change has been paused by the courts. This executive order is very similar to that January announcement. Read more…
August is National Immunization Awareness Month.
Vaccines
Cynthia (Cindy) Leifer, PhD
Those Nerdy Girls trust vaccines and know they’ve saved many lives so we are taking a moment to celebrate them in August, since it is National Immunization Awareness Month. At Those Nerdy Girls, we argue that no breakthrough has been more important in keeping us healthy than the development of vaccines! Instead of hoping there Read more…
A new type of flu vaccine was just approved.
Infectious Diseases Vaccines
Cynthia (Cindy) Leifer, PhD
mFlusiva, or mRNA-1010, is a new type of flu vaccine made by Moderna to protect against flu. It has recently received final approval and will hopefully be available this fall for adults over 50. What is mFlusiva and how is it different from the other flu vaccines? This new type of flu vaccine is based Read more…
I’ve been feeling down even though it is bright and sunny out. Can I be depressed in the summer?
Mental Health
Aparna Kumar, PhD CRNP MPH
Yes, you can be depressed in the summer. Some people actually feel depressed every summer, and they may have summer seasonal affective disorder (SAD). 😥 But WHAT is summer SAD and why does it happen? People with SAD generally have depression that happens seasonally and for at least two years in a row. You might Read more…
The process of grief is different for everyone, taking place over weeks, months, and often years. This post provides science on grief as well as perspective on coping with the death of a loved one with the hope of normalizing a process that is both extremely personal and universally shared. Grief is the process of Read more…
What happens at a cervical cancer screening, a.k.a. a pap smear?
Reproductive HealthGuest Author Lyra Cauley
Another post in our series Nerdy Notes: Science in Story & Verse I got my first pap smear (cervical cancer screening) the summer before senior year of college. I was 22 and facing a laundry list of health related tasks before leaving for the fall. The pap smear, at the top of my list, was Read more…
I heard that updated COVID vaccines have been approved for the fall. Can you tell me more?
Vaccines
Yes, the FDA recently approved three updated COVID vaccines for the 2026-2027 season that will target the JN.1 lineage XFG subvariant of the virus (SARS-CoV-2), and they are available. At the end of August, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved updated COVID vaccines for the 2026/2027 season. Let’s break it down: They are Moderna’s Read more…
Today is the 25th International Overdose Awareness Day
General Health
Today is the 25th International Overdose Awareness Day. We ache with worry Lest ours be the next to die Thank G-d for NARCAN® Those Nerdy Girls would like to take time today to remember and honor those we’ve lost to opioid overdose. Today, let’s learn more and work to reduce the stigma of Read more…
What is Prior Authorization?
Health Policy
Sara Gorman, PhD, MPH
Prior Authorization (PA) is an approval process for insurance coverage for certain services, treatments, and medications. There is some evidence that it can cut healthcare costs, but on balance, it seems to do more harm than good to both patient care and healthcare spending. PA emerged in the 1960s in response to spiraling healthcare costs Read more…
Summer is for reading! What books are you reading?
Uncategorized
Those Nerdy Girls
Some Nerds share what they’ve been reading over the summer, and we’d love to hear from you! Summer reading is a joy. And it’s also a privilege that many folks don’t have. Not everyone has easy access to books, which can be expensive, maybe a language someone speaks isn’t easily available in print. Maybe work Read more…
From Gen X Pool Days to Gen Z Tanfluencers: Sharing the Sun, Not the Damage
General Health Nerdy Notes
Daphne Berryhill, RPh
For many Gen Xers, unprotected kiddie pool days are now showing up as sunspots, wrinkles, and for some of us, skin cancer. Gen Zers face the same UV risks, but that doesn’t mean they’ll always listen. Community sun-safe habits that balance fun in the sun with future risk can make it easier for all of Read more…
What is the deal with the new U.S. childhood vaccine schedule?
Families/Kids Vaccines
UPDATE: Recently, the President signed an executive order involving childhood vaccines in the United States. This follows a January 2026 announcement from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that changed the childhood vaccine schedule, but that change has been paused by the courts. This executive order is very similar to that January announcement. Read more…
August is National Immunization Awareness Month.
Vaccines
Cynthia (Cindy) Leifer, PhD
Those Nerdy Girls trust vaccines and know they’ve saved many lives so we are taking a moment to celebrate them in August, since it is National Immunization Awareness Month. At Those Nerdy Girls, we argue that no breakthrough has been more important in keeping us healthy than the development of vaccines! Instead of hoping there Read more…
A new type of flu vaccine was just approved.
Infectious Diseases Vaccines
Cynthia (Cindy) Leifer, PhD
mFlusiva, or mRNA-1010, is a new type of flu vaccine made by Moderna to protect against flu. It has recently received final approval and will hopefully be available this fall for adults over 50. What is mFlusiva and how is it different from the other flu vaccines? This new type of flu vaccine is based Read more…
I’ve been feeling down even though it is bright and sunny out. Can I be depressed in the summer?
Mental Health
Aparna Kumar, PhD CRNP MPH
Yes, you can be depressed in the summer. Some people actually feel depressed every summer, and they may have summer seasonal affective disorder (SAD). 😥 But WHAT is summer SAD and why does it happen? People with SAD generally have depression that happens seasonally and for at least two years in a row. You might Read more…
Another post in our series Nerdy Notes: Science in Story & Verse I got my first pap smear (cervical cancer screening) the summer before senior year of college. I was 22 and facing a laundry list of health related tasks before leaving for the fall. The pap smear, at the top of my list, was Read more…
I heard that updated COVID vaccines have been approved for the fall. Can you tell me more?
VaccinesYes, the FDA recently approved three updated COVID vaccines for the 2026-2027 season that will target the JN.1 lineage XFG subvariant of the virus (SARS-CoV-2), and they are available. At the end of August, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved updated COVID vaccines for the 2026/2027 season. Let’s break it down: They are Moderna’s Read more…
Today is the 25th International Overdose Awareness Day
General HealthToday is the 25th International Overdose Awareness Day. We ache with worry Lest ours be the next to die Thank G-d for NARCAN® Those Nerdy Girls would like to take time today to remember and honor those we’ve lost to opioid overdose. Today, let’s learn more and work to reduce the stigma of Read more…
What is Prior Authorization?
Health PolicySara Gorman, PhD, MPH
Prior Authorization (PA) is an approval process for insurance coverage for certain services, treatments, and medications. There is some evidence that it can cut healthcare costs, but on balance, it seems to do more harm than good to both patient care and healthcare spending. PA emerged in the 1960s in response to spiraling healthcare costs Read more…
Summer is for reading! What books are you reading?
Uncategorized
Those Nerdy Girls
Some Nerds share what they’ve been reading over the summer, and we’d love to hear from you! Summer reading is a joy. And it’s also a privilege that many folks don’t have. Not everyone has easy access to books, which can be expensive, maybe a language someone speaks isn’t easily available in print. Maybe work Read more…
From Gen X Pool Days to Gen Z Tanfluencers: Sharing the Sun, Not the Damage
General Health Nerdy Notes
Daphne Berryhill, RPh
For many Gen Xers, unprotected kiddie pool days are now showing up as sunspots, wrinkles, and for some of us, skin cancer. Gen Zers face the same UV risks, but that doesn’t mean they’ll always listen. Community sun-safe habits that balance fun in the sun with future risk can make it easier for all of Read more…
What is the deal with the new U.S. childhood vaccine schedule?
Families/Kids Vaccines
UPDATE: Recently, the President signed an executive order involving childhood vaccines in the United States. This follows a January 2026 announcement from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that changed the childhood vaccine schedule, but that change has been paused by the courts. This executive order is very similar to that January announcement. Read more…
August is National Immunization Awareness Month.
Vaccines
Cynthia (Cindy) Leifer, PhD
Those Nerdy Girls trust vaccines and know they’ve saved many lives so we are taking a moment to celebrate them in August, since it is National Immunization Awareness Month. At Those Nerdy Girls, we argue that no breakthrough has been more important in keeping us healthy than the development of vaccines! Instead of hoping there Read more…
A new type of flu vaccine was just approved.
Infectious Diseases Vaccines
Cynthia (Cindy) Leifer, PhD
mFlusiva, or mRNA-1010, is a new type of flu vaccine made by Moderna to protect against flu. It has recently received final approval and will hopefully be available this fall for adults over 50. What is mFlusiva and how is it different from the other flu vaccines? This new type of flu vaccine is based Read more…
I’ve been feeling down even though it is bright and sunny out. Can I be depressed in the summer?
Mental Health
Aparna Kumar, PhD CRNP MPH
Yes, you can be depressed in the summer. Some people actually feel depressed every summer, and they may have summer seasonal affective disorder (SAD). 😥 But WHAT is summer SAD and why does it happen? People with SAD generally have depression that happens seasonally and for at least two years in a row. You might Read more…
Prior Authorization (PA) is an approval process for insurance coverage for certain services, treatments, and medications. There is some evidence that it can cut healthcare costs, but on balance, it seems to do more harm than good to both patient care and healthcare spending. PA emerged in the 1960s in response to spiraling healthcare costs Read more…
Summer is for reading! What books are you reading?
UncategorizedThose Nerdy Girls
Some Nerds share what they’ve been reading over the summer, and we’d love to hear from you! Summer reading is a joy. And it’s also a privilege that many folks don’t have. Not everyone has easy access to books, which can be expensive, maybe a language someone speaks isn’t easily available in print. Maybe work Read more…
From Gen X Pool Days to Gen Z Tanfluencers: Sharing the Sun, Not the Damage
General Health Nerdy Notes
Daphne Berryhill, RPh
For many Gen Xers, unprotected kiddie pool days are now showing up as sunspots, wrinkles, and for some of us, skin cancer. Gen Zers face the same UV risks, but that doesn’t mean they’ll always listen. Community sun-safe habits that balance fun in the sun with future risk can make it easier for all of Read more…
What is the deal with the new U.S. childhood vaccine schedule?
Families/Kids Vaccines
UPDATE: Recently, the President signed an executive order involving childhood vaccines in the United States. This follows a January 2026 announcement from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that changed the childhood vaccine schedule, but that change has been paused by the courts. This executive order is very similar to that January announcement. Read more…
August is National Immunization Awareness Month.
Vaccines
Cynthia (Cindy) Leifer, PhD
Those Nerdy Girls trust vaccines and know they’ve saved many lives so we are taking a moment to celebrate them in August, since it is National Immunization Awareness Month. At Those Nerdy Girls, we argue that no breakthrough has been more important in keeping us healthy than the development of vaccines! Instead of hoping there Read more…
A new type of flu vaccine was just approved.
Infectious Diseases Vaccines
Cynthia (Cindy) Leifer, PhD
mFlusiva, or mRNA-1010, is a new type of flu vaccine made by Moderna to protect against flu. It has recently received final approval and will hopefully be available this fall for adults over 50. What is mFlusiva and how is it different from the other flu vaccines? This new type of flu vaccine is based Read more…
I’ve been feeling down even though it is bright and sunny out. Can I be depressed in the summer?
Mental Health
Aparna Kumar, PhD CRNP MPH
Yes, you can be depressed in the summer. Some people actually feel depressed every summer, and they may have summer seasonal affective disorder (SAD). 😥 But WHAT is summer SAD and why does it happen? People with SAD generally have depression that happens seasonally and for at least two years in a row. You might Read more…
Some Nerds share what they’ve been reading over the summer, and we’d love to hear from you! Summer reading is a joy. And it’s also a privilege that many folks don’t have. Not everyone has easy access to books, which can be expensive, maybe a language someone speaks isn’t easily available in print. Maybe work Read more…
From Gen X Pool Days to Gen Z Tanfluencers: Sharing the Sun, Not the Damage
General Health Nerdy NotesDaphne Berryhill, RPh
For many Gen Xers, unprotected kiddie pool days are now showing up as sunspots, wrinkles, and for some of us, skin cancer. Gen Zers face the same UV risks, but that doesn’t mean they’ll always listen. Community sun-safe habits that balance fun in the sun with future risk can make it easier for all of Read more…
What is the deal with the new U.S. childhood vaccine schedule?
Families/Kids Vaccines
UPDATE: Recently, the President signed an executive order involving childhood vaccines in the United States. This follows a January 2026 announcement from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that changed the childhood vaccine schedule, but that change has been paused by the courts. This executive order is very similar to that January announcement. Read more…
August is National Immunization Awareness Month.
Vaccines
Cynthia (Cindy) Leifer, PhD
Those Nerdy Girls trust vaccines and know they’ve saved many lives so we are taking a moment to celebrate them in August, since it is National Immunization Awareness Month. At Those Nerdy Girls, we argue that no breakthrough has been more important in keeping us healthy than the development of vaccines! Instead of hoping there Read more…
A new type of flu vaccine was just approved.
Infectious Diseases Vaccines
Cynthia (Cindy) Leifer, PhD
mFlusiva, or mRNA-1010, is a new type of flu vaccine made by Moderna to protect against flu. It has recently received final approval and will hopefully be available this fall for adults over 50. What is mFlusiva and how is it different from the other flu vaccines? This new type of flu vaccine is based Read more…
I’ve been feeling down even though it is bright and sunny out. Can I be depressed in the summer?
Mental Health
Aparna Kumar, PhD CRNP MPH
Yes, you can be depressed in the summer. Some people actually feel depressed every summer, and they may have summer seasonal affective disorder (SAD). 😥 But WHAT is summer SAD and why does it happen? People with SAD generally have depression that happens seasonally and for at least two years in a row. You might Read more…
For many Gen Xers, unprotected kiddie pool days are now showing up as sunspots, wrinkles, and for some of us, skin cancer. Gen Zers face the same UV risks, but that doesn’t mean they’ll always listen. Community sun-safe habits that balance fun in the sun with future risk can make it easier for all of Read more…
What is the deal with the new U.S. childhood vaccine schedule?
Families/Kids VaccinesUPDATE: Recently, the President signed an executive order involving childhood vaccines in the United States. This follows a January 2026 announcement from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that changed the childhood vaccine schedule, but that change has been paused by the courts. This executive order is very similar to that January announcement. Read more…
August is National Immunization Awareness Month.
VaccinesCynthia (Cindy) Leifer, PhD
Those Nerdy Girls trust vaccines and know they’ve saved many lives so we are taking a moment to celebrate them in August, since it is National Immunization Awareness Month. At Those Nerdy Girls, we argue that no breakthrough has been more important in keeping us healthy than the development of vaccines! Instead of hoping there Read more…
A new type of flu vaccine was just approved.
Infectious Diseases Vaccines
Cynthia (Cindy) Leifer, PhD
mFlusiva, or mRNA-1010, is a new type of flu vaccine made by Moderna to protect against flu. It has recently received final approval and will hopefully be available this fall for adults over 50. What is mFlusiva and how is it different from the other flu vaccines? This new type of flu vaccine is based Read more…
I’ve been feeling down even though it is bright and sunny out. Can I be depressed in the summer?
Mental Health
Aparna Kumar, PhD CRNP MPH
Yes, you can be depressed in the summer. Some people actually feel depressed every summer, and they may have summer seasonal affective disorder (SAD). 😥 But WHAT is summer SAD and why does it happen? People with SAD generally have depression that happens seasonally and for at least two years in a row. You might Read more…
Those Nerdy Girls trust vaccines and know they’ve saved many lives so we are taking a moment to celebrate them in August, since it is National Immunization Awareness Month. At Those Nerdy Girls, we argue that no breakthrough has been more important in keeping us healthy than the development of vaccines! Instead of hoping there Read more…
A new type of flu vaccine was just approved.
Infectious Diseases VaccinesCynthia (Cindy) Leifer, PhD
mFlusiva, or mRNA-1010, is a new type of flu vaccine made by Moderna to protect against flu. It has recently received final approval and will hopefully be available this fall for adults over 50. What is mFlusiva and how is it different from the other flu vaccines? This new type of flu vaccine is based Read more…
I’ve been feeling down even though it is bright and sunny out. Can I be depressed in the summer?
Mental Health
Aparna Kumar, PhD CRNP MPH
Yes, you can be depressed in the summer. Some people actually feel depressed every summer, and they may have summer seasonal affective disorder (SAD). 😥 But WHAT is summer SAD and why does it happen? People with SAD generally have depression that happens seasonally and for at least two years in a row. You might Read more…
mFlusiva, or mRNA-1010, is a new type of flu vaccine made by Moderna to protect against flu. It has recently received final approval and will hopefully be available this fall for adults over 50. What is mFlusiva and how is it different from the other flu vaccines? This new type of flu vaccine is based Read more…
I’ve been feeling down even though it is bright and sunny out. Can I be depressed in the summer?
Mental HealthAparna Kumar, PhD CRNP MPH
Yes, you can be depressed in the summer. Some people actually feel depressed every summer, and they may have summer seasonal affective disorder (SAD). 😥 But WHAT is summer SAD and why does it happen? People with SAD generally have depression that happens seasonally and for at least two years in a row. You might Read more…
Yes, you can be depressed in the summer. Some people actually feel depressed every summer, and they may have summer seasonal affective disorder (SAD). 😥 But WHAT is summer SAD and why does it happen? People with SAD generally have depression that happens seasonally and for at least two years in a row. You might Read more…
