Research Library

Non-medical drivers of health, also known as social determinants of health, have a significant impact on health outcomes. As fellow Sandra McKay and her co-authors explain, adequate funding to identify and address non-medical drivers — housing and food insecurity, transport issues, and financial strain — can improve patients’ health and health care delivery systems, while also reducing costs.

Building on the success of hunter education courses in Texas and experience in other states, fellow Sandra McKay and other Texas physicians explain how mandatory firearm safety courses and waiting periods for young firearm buyers could reduce gun violence.

Stem cells have two unique properties that make them an appealing therapeutic tool for regenerative medicine: they can grow indefinitely and can differentiate into a wide variety of cell types, including those that form blood, bones, lungs, skin, and the brain.

As the pandemic persisted across the state, did Texans living in cities have better access to Covid-19 vaccines than those in rural areas? How did race or age factor in? The authors assess the successes and shortfalls of Texas' vaccine distribution strategy, and how to do better next time.

By Michael W. Deem, Melia E. Bonomo and Kirstin R.W. Matthews Due to the rapidly mutating influenza virus, a new vaccine is usually developed for each flu season. In this policy brief, the authors discuss the current method used by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to develop the flu vaccine and propose the use of mathematical modeling to improve the vaccine's effectiveness.

Ambassador Edward P. Djerejian, director of the Baker Institute, makes the case for a comprehensive North American strategy in which the U.S., Mexico and Canada act in concert to become the global superpower of the 21st century.

High cancer drug prices significantly contribute to health care costs in the United States, with the average annual price of new cancer drugs increasing from less than $10,000 before 2000 to $145,000 in 2015. Baker Institute fellows Hagop M. Kantarjian and Vivian Ho highlight this issue and propose possible solutions.

Ambassador Edward P. Djerejian, director of the Baker Institute, describes the key elements of a coherent strategy for defeating ISIS, incorporating both nearer-term strategies and long-term approaches.

Science, technology, and innovation are vital to America’s economy and workforce, and the competitiveness of U.S. industry. The authors offer five recommendations to ensure the establishment of an effective White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.

This issue brief argues that continued investments in global health and the study of emerging pathogens could yield better tools to fight infectious diseases like the Zika virus long before they become a problem in the developed world.