The Conversation

Repurposing generic drugs can reduce time and cost to develop new treatments – but low profitability remains a barrier

Written by Jonathan Sexton, Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine and Medicinal Chemistry, University of Michigan

From thalidomide to Viagra, drug repurposing salvaged failed treatments by giving them new targets.smartboy10/DigitalVision Vectors via Getty Images

Discovering new ways to use existing drugs can come about intentionally or by chance.

Sometimes physicians or patients notice an unanticipated beneficial effect from a drug. One example is sildenafil,...

How a poet and professor promotes racial understanding with lessons from history

Written by Quraysh Ali Lansana, Lecturer in Africana Studies and English, Oklahoma State University

Gaining a deeper understanding of our shared history can allow for healing.Terry Vine/The Image Bank via Getty Images

Quraysh Ali Lansana is the director of the Center for Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation at Oklahoma State University in Tulsa, part of a nationwide, community-based initiative to “plan for and bring about...

Paid family leave makes people happier, global data shows

Written by Kristen Schultz Lee, Associate Professor of Sociology, University at Buffalo

Caring for a newborn can be joyous.Johner Images via Getty Images

The U.S. remains the only advanced economy without federal paid leave, despite overwhelming support for this benefit.

Employers are free to provide this benefit at their own expense. But only 1 in 4 U.S. workers, including federal employees, can take paid time off to care for a...

To understand why Biden extended tariffs on solar panels, take a closer look at their historical impact

Written by David J. Feldman, Financial Analyst, National Renewable Energy Laboratory

China's cheaper solar panels made it harder for U.S. companies to compete.Ruan Xuefeng/VCG via Getty Images

President Joe Biden extended tariffs on imported solar panels in February 2022 in a bid to protect domestic manufacturing. These tariffs add a 14%-15% tax on cheaper imports, raising their cost in the U.S. At the same time, the Biden...

The cheerful lexicon of the Spanish language may help solve a health mystery called the Hispanic Paradox

Written by Maria Magdalena Llabre, Professor of Psychology, University of Miami

Clues to solve the paradox have emerged from an unlikely place. Jose Luis Pelaez/Stone via Getty Images

In early December 2021, I was seeing a physical therapist for a shoulder injury. During one of my visits, the therapist was alternating between me and another patient on an adjacent bed, who had a knee replacement. While the therapist worked on...

What is palliative care? How is it different from hospice?

Written by Yael Schenker, Professor of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Health Sciences

Palliative care tries to support a patient's quality of life.Pekic/E+ via Getty Images

When most people hear the term palliative care, they look worried or confused. Introducing myself to patients and families as a palliative medicine physician, I commonly hear things like, “Does this mean I am dying?” or “I am not ready for...

Ukrainian refugees might not return home, even long after the war eventually ends

Written by Sandra Joireman, Weinstein Chair of International Studies, Professor of Political Science, University of Richmond

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has caused more than 4.2 million people to flee to the neighboring countries of Poland, Romania, Moldova and elsewhere.

Russia’s violence against civilians and attacks on cities caused an additional 6.5 million or more people to become internally displaced. They left their homes but moved within Ukraine...

5 ways Americans' lives will change if Congress makes daylight saving time permanent

Written by Steve Calandrillo, Professor of Law, University of Washington

Some people dread the time change that occurs twice a year -- and for good reason.AP Photo/Elise Amendola

The U.S. Senate approved the Sunshine Protection Act in March 2022, with the goal of making daylight saving time permanent starting in November 2023. If that happens, the U.S. will never again “spring forward” or “fall...

How Ukraine has defended itself against cyberattacks – lessons for the US

Written by Robert Peacock, Assistant Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Florida International University

As missiles rain down on Ukraine's telecommunications infrastructure, including Kyiv's TV tower, hackers have been attacking in cyberspace.Sergei Supinsky/AFP via Getty Images

In 2014, as Russia launched a proxy war in Eastern Ukraine and annexed Crimea, and in the years that followed, Russian hackers hammered Ukraine. The cyberattacks went so far...

Ketanji Brown Jackson and the color blind society of Martin Luther King Jr.

Written by Bev-Freda Jackson, Adjunct Professorial Lecturer, American University School of Public Affairs

U.S. Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson in a US Senate office on March 29, 2022.Alex Wong/Getty Images

U.S. Sen. Chuck E. Grassley had a question for Ketanji Brown Jackson during her confirmation hearings to be the first African American woman on the U.S. Supreme Court.

Grassley, the ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, wanted...