American children today are less active than ever before. On this episode, experts explore the relationship between our urban environments, childhood safety, and well-being.
Zoabe Hafeez, Sandra McKay, Edward M. EmmettApril 30, 2024
The number of anti-vaccine bills filed in Texas has risen, yet many Texans support vaccine policy. Fellow Kirstin R.W. Matthews and nonresident scholar Rekha Lakshmanan examine the stakes of legislative engagement in public health initiatives and provide a call to action for Texans to embrace public health as an act of freedom.
Latinos are the largest and most rapidly expanding minority group in the U.S. Our latest brief describes the overall state of health and wellness among Latino children and the broader community — including indicators of obesity, mental health, and kindergarten readiness.
Sandra McKay, Christopher F. Kulesza, Katarina ReyesMarch 14, 2024
Baker Institute experts examine the implications of the Alabama Supreme Court's recent ruling that frozen embryos can be considered children under state law. Listen as they explore both the science of human embryo research and the impacts on access to reproductive health care in the United States.
Kirstin R.W. Matthews, McClain Sampson, Edward M. EmmettFebruary 28, 2024
Over half of all Americans live in a state where cannabis is legalized. And yet, the federal government has not reclassified marijuana since 1970. According to the Controlled Substances Act, it is considered a “Schedule 1” substance — the same classification as heroin and crack cocaine with no accepted medical use.
Victoria Jupp, Gary J. Hale, Lisa PittmanFebruary 9, 2024
For research involving human embryos and other controversial subjects, science journals should require ethics statements from researchers detailing research oversight, what embryos were used, how many and for how long. This will help increase transparency and improve communication with the public, writes Science and Technology Policy Fellow Kirstin R.W. Matthews.
The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the academic trajectories of students and exacerbated disparities among our youths. In a new conference report, read how policymakers, educators, parents, and researchers propose to close the COVID-19 achievement gap in schools.
Sandra McKay, Christopher F. Kulesza, Katarina ReyesDecember 21, 2023
Synthetic biology is an emerging field with many possibilities to improve health, energy, the environment, and our food systems. This one-pager defines and describes what a synthetic biology project could look like.
Alicia L. Johnson, Kirstin R.W. Matthews, Caroline SniderDecember 15, 2023
The COVID-19 pandemic revealed a gap in our ability to track and stop the spread of infectious diseases. With funding from the National Science Foundation, a Rice University research team is engineering bacteria to sustainably and continuously monitor wastewater for viruses.
Alicia L. Johnson, Kirstin R.W. Matthews, Caroline SniderNovember 1, 2023