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Yuki Noguchi Yuki Noguchi is a correspondent on the Science Desk based out of NPR's headquarters in Washington, D.C.
Yuki Noguchi
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Yuki Noguchi

Yuki Noguchi

Correspondent, Science Desk

Story Archive

Tuesday

Scant obesity training in medical school leaves docs ill-prepared to help patients
wagnerokasaki/Getty Images

Shots - Health News

Scant obesity training in medical school leaves docs ill-prepared to help patients

Most doctors get little training in the science of obesity or how to counsel people with the disease. As a result, many patients experience stigma in the exam room.

Scant obesity training in medical school leaves docs ill-prepared to help patients

Listen · 6:24
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Thursday

Therapy by chatbot? The promise and challenges in using AI for mental health
Ariel Davis for NPR

Shots - Health News

Therapy by chatbot? The promise and challenges in using AI for mental health

Some companies and researchers think smart computers might eventually help with provider shortages in mental health, and some consumers are already turning to chatbots to build "emotional resilience."

Therapy by chatbot? The promise and challenges in using AI for mental health

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Health

Revisiting the idea of whether AI might help those dealing with isolation, depression

The need for mental health care far exceeds the supply of therapists. Could AI technology help bridge the gap ethically and safely?

Revisiting the idea of whether AI might help those dealing with isolation, depression

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Tuesday

Health

Encore: How did COVID warp our sense of time? It's a matter of perception

The pandemic distorted our sense of time. For some, time stood still. For others, it sped up. The difference depended on factors from culture to emotional state.

Encore: How did COVID warp our sense of time? It's a matter of perception

Listen · 6:26
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Thursday

American life expectancy is now at its lowest in nearly two decades

In 2021, the three leading causes of death were heart disease, cancer and COVID-19. Andy Ryan/Getty Images hide caption

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Andy Ryan/Getty Images

Shots - Health News

American life expectancy is now at its lowest in nearly two decades

A new report shows the pandemic and the overdose crisis helped push down the average life expectancy in the U.S. for a second year in a row.

American life expectancy is now at its lowest in nearly two decades

Listen · 2:31
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Wednesday

How did COVID warp our sense of time? It's a matter of perception
DrAfter123/Getty Images

Shots - Health News

How did COVID warp our sense of time? It's a matter of perception

Many people reported a distortion in their sense of time during the pandemic, but the individual experience is highly dependent on a range of factors from emotional state to culture.

How did COVID warp our sense of time? It's a matter of perception

Listen · 6:56
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Tuesday

The chase is on: Regulators are slowly cracking down on vapes aimed at teens

Nearly two years after the FDA issued a policy denouncing the marketing of fruit-flavored vape juice and other vape products to young people, the products are still widely available in stores. But experts hope that could be about to change. Helen H. Richardson/Denver Post via Getty Images hide caption

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Helen H. Richardson/Denver Post via Getty Images

Shots - Health News

The chase is on: Regulators are slowly cracking down on vapes aimed at teens

The advent of vaping revived nicotine addiction among young people after a dramatic decline. The FDA seems poised to at last yank some products aimed at teens from the market. Will it work?

Monday

Children's Health

The future of vaping depends on how regulators act now

E-cigarettes have transformed nicotine use among U.S. teens in less than a decade, repopularizing it and creating a new generation of users. How regulators act now will determine the future of vaping.

The future of vaping depends on how regulators act now

Listen · 6:27
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Thursday

Health

Proposition 31 passes in California: flavored tobacco will be banned

Californians voted overwhelmingly to uphold a ban on flavored tobacco products — including e-cigarettes. Anti-smoking advocates hope more states and federal regulators will follow.

Proposition 31 passes in California: flavored tobacco will be banned

Listen · 2:17
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Wednesday

Paying for mental health care leaves families in debt and isolated
Jesse Zhang for NPR and KHN

Shots - Health News

Paying for mental health care leaves families in debt and isolated

A youth mental health crisis and a shortage of therapists and other care providers who take insurance are pushing many U.S. families into financial ruin. But it's rarely acknowledged as medical debt.

Paying for mental health care leaves families in debt and isolated

Listen · 6:29
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Monday

Health

A Rhode Island woman's struggle to get her young daughter Medicaid coverage

Faced with a lack of treatment providers and frequent insurance denials, many parents are considering desperate measures to qualify for public insurance like Medicaid to get treatment for their kids.

A Rhode Island woman's struggle to get her young daughter Medicaid coverage

Listen · 4:17
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Monday

Mental Health

The mental health crisis and shortage of providers is creating big debt for Americans

The mental health crisis and the shortage of providers to treat them is creating a parallel problem for families: debt. But how much Americans are having to pay for this care is hidden in the shadows.

The mental health crisis and shortage of providers is creating big debt for Americans

Listen · 6:29
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Wednesday

Health

To settle state probes into teen vaping, Juul will pay nearly $440 million

Electronic cigarette maker Juul has agreed to a multi-state settlement. The states allege the company marketed aggressively to teenagers. It's the latest blow to a company under fire.

To settle state probes into teen vaping, Juul will pay nearly $440 million

Listen · 1:48
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Tuesday

Health

E-cigarette company Juul reaches settlement over its marketing of vaping products

E-cigarette company Juul has reached a multi-million dollar settlement with more than 30 states over its marketing of vaping products.

E-cigarette company Juul reaches settlement over its marketing of vaping products

Listen · 3:13
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Monday

This group's wiped out $6.7 billion in medical debt, and it's just getting started

After years of carrying medical debt from the premature birth of her daughter, Terri Logan recently discovered a nonprofit called RIP Medical Debt had paid off her bills. Juan Diego Reyes for KHN and NPR hide caption

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Juan Diego Reyes for KHN and NPR

Shots - Health News

This group's wiped out $6.7 billion in medical debt, and it's just getting started

Nonprofit RIP Medical Debt buys up unpaid hospital bills plaguing low-income patients and frees them from having to pay.

This group's wiped out $6.7 billion in medical debt, and it's just getting started

Listen · 6:28
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Friday

How to get rid of medical debt — or avoid it in the first place
Oona Tempest/KHN

Shots - Health News

How to get rid of medical debt — or avoid it in the first place

Bills can add up fast when you're dealing with a health crisis. And if you can't pay them, they can wreak havoc on your finances. Here's how to stay out of medical debt — or make it go away.

How to get rid of medical debt — or avoid it in the first place

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Thursday

Health

41% of adults in the U.S. have medical debt. Here are some ways to try to avoid it

High deductibles, copays and health care costs are fueling a massive debt crisis in the U.S. In our ongoing investigation into medical debt, we look at ways to stay out of the health care debt trap.

41% of adults in the U.S. have medical debt. Here are some ways to try to avoid it

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Wednesday

Law

The complicated — and rapidly shifting — legal risks of getting an abortion by pill

Abortions by pill make up more than half of abortions now. But the Supreme Court's ruling means about half of states will eventually ban or seriously restrict abortion, including by medication.

The complicated — and rapidly shifting — legal risks of getting an abortion by pill

Listen · 4:20
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Friday

Business

Juul is ordered by the FDA to pull all of its vaping products from the U.S. market

JUUL Labs is no longer allowed to sell or distribute its e-cigarette or vaping products in the U.S. The FDA said its review found Juul products potentially harmful. The company plans to fight back.

Juul is ordered by the FDA to pull all of its vaping products from the U.S. market

Listen · 2:19
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Wednesday

National

The FDA wants to reduce the amount of nicotine allowed in cigarettes

The Food and Drug Administration is planning to reduce the amount of nicotine in cigarettes to make the products less addictive. And the agency may move to pull Juul e-cigarettes off the market.

The FDA wants to reduce the amount of nicotine allowed in cigarettes

Listen · 2:55
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Saturday

Children's Health

FDA gives emergency approval for COVID-19 vaccines for kids as young as 6 months

The FDA has given emergency approval for the use COVID-19 vaccines on kids as young as 6 months of age. Now, the decision moves to advisers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

FDA gives emergency approval for COVID-19 vaccines for kids as young as 6 months

Listen · 2:12
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Thursday

Medical debt upended their lives. Here's what it took from them

Some lost their homes. Some emptied their retirement accounts. Some struggled to feed and clothe their families. Medical debt now touches more than 100 million people in America, as the U.S. health care system pushes patients into debt on a mass scale. Jamar Coach; Eamon Queeney; Laura Buckman for KHN and NPR hide caption

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Jamar Coach; Eamon Queeney; Laura Buckman for KHN and NPR

Shots - Health News

Medical debt upended their lives. Here's what it took from them

Kaiser Health News

First, they were struck by illness and then by medical bills they couldn't pay. Here are 15 stories of Americans living under the shadow of health care debt.

Monday

3 people with a serious mental illness share their journeys through the pandemic
Joe Anderson for NPR

Shots - Health News

3 people with a serious mental illness share their journeys through the pandemic

More than one in 20 Americans struggled with serious mental illness even before the pandemic hit, and the shutdown of services and support networks took a toll. But many found ways to get through it.

3 people with a serious mental illness share their journeys through the pandemic

Listen · 6:57
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Tuesday

Health

What is the future of abortion pills, if the Supreme Court lets states ban abortion?

Medication accounts for more than half of abortions, fueled in part by a greater reliance on telehealth. How would a Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade affect abortion pills availability?

What is the future of abortion pills, if the Supreme Court lets states ban abortion?

Listen · 6:40
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