The Conversation

Nate Hafer, PhD, explains how rapid tests are used to help combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a piece written for The Conversation, Nate Hafer, PhD, explains why rapid tests play a critical role in fighting COVID-19 and describes how they work.

In a piece written for The Conversation, Nate Hafer, PhD, explains the differences between PCR and antigen tests for SAR-CoV-2. He is part of the RADx research team at UMass Chan. 

Kathleen Mazor, EdD, and Kimberly Fisher, MD, talk to The Conversation about ongoing research into COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and what it will take to influence people to get their shot.

Mark Klempner, MD, provides an update to a piece originally published last year on The Conversation about a yearly antibody for Lyme disease that shows promise for preventing infection.

Robert Finberg, MD, talks to The Conversation about the common misperception that side effects caused by the COVID-19 vaccine indicate a strong immune response in the recipient

In a piece published by The Conversation, Chancellor Michael F. Collins writes about the urgent need to vaccinate the U.S. population against COVID-19 and the institution's initiative to mobilize a vaccine corps comprising UMass Medical School students.

In a piece written for The Conversation, Ana Maldonado-Contreras, PhD, explains why the army of microbes living inside your gut is essential for fighting off threats, including the virus that causes COVID-19.

In a piece originally published on The Conversation, Hemant Khanna, PhD, comments on recent studies that use CRISPR to treat diseases that cause blindness and explains why the eye is an ideal organ for testing new therapeutic approaches.

In a piece originally published on The Conversation, Mark Klempner, MD, talks about a yearly antibody for Lyme disease that shows promise for preventing infection.

In a piece originally published by The Conversation, Amy Harrington, MD, discusses why smoking or vaping nicotine or other products might make coronavirus illnesses worse and how that is motivating nicotine users to quit.

In a piece originally published on The Conversation, Minjin Kim, PhD, a postdoctoral research associate, discusses the need to raise awareness among Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders about HPV, the HPV vaccine and cervical cancer.

In an essay originally published by The Conversation, Cancer Center Director Jonathan Gerber, MD, discusses the specifics of recently reported declines in cancer deaths and provides perspective for future continued progress.

In an essay originally published by The Conversation, mindfulness expert James Carmody, PhD, writes about the human tendency to worry and what we can do to help quiet our minds.

In an essay originally published by The Conversation, Luu Ireland, MD, writes about the abortion debate from the perspective of an obstetrician/gynecologist who understands the stories of the 1 in 4 women who choose abortion.

Hemant Khanna, PhD, an ophthalmology and visual sciences researcher, writes for The Conversation about a recent report in which scientists have found a new approach to target retinoblastoma using cancer-killing viruses. 

In an essay originally published by The Conversation, Michael Hirsh writes about his commitment to ending gun violence.

In an essay published by The Conversation, John Harris, MD, talks about his lab's vitiligo research and possible new therapeutics that could be longer lasting----possibly even permanent----than current treatments available.

In a piece originally published by The Conversation, Tiffany Moore Simas, MD, and Nancy Byatt, DO, discuss the urgent need to address depression in obstetric and pediatric settings----settings in which women are seen often during pregnancy and the year after birth.

In a piece first publish by The Conversation, Elinor Karlsson, PhD, discusses her research project Darwin's Dogs (now Darwin's Arc) that explores canine DNA to help understand how genetics impact dog behavior. The project may also decipher neural pathways involved in psychiatric and neurological diseases shared between people and dogs.