
Christopher Wanjek
Christopher Wanjek is a Live Science contributor and a health and science writer. He is the author of three science books: Spacefarers (2020), Food at Work (2005) and Bad Medicine (2003). His "Food at Work" book and project, concerning workers' health, safety and productivity, was commissioned by the U.N.'s International Labor Organization. For Live Science, Christopher covers public health, nutrition and biology, and he has written extensively for The Washington Post and Sky & Telescope among others, as well as for the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, where he was a senior writer. Christopher holds a Master of Health degree from Harvard School of Public Health and a degree in journalism from Temple University.
Latest articles by Christopher Wanjek

Superhealing Drug Travels in Nanoparticles to Wounds
By Christopher Wanjek published
A wound-healing medicine that is suspended in nanoparticles could dramatically help wounds heal faster, researchers say.

Family Income Could Affect Kids' Brain Structures, Study Finds
By Christopher Wanjek published
Children and teens from poorer families show differences in their brains compared with wealthier children, a new analysis of MRI scans reveals.

'MIND' Your Diet, and Protect Against Alzheimer's
By Christopher Wanjek published
Researchers have created a new diet they call the "MIND" diet, which may lower the risk of Alzheimer's disease.

Energy Drinks Raise Blood Pressure, Study Finds
By Christopher Wanjek published
Energy drinks might prime you for heart problems, a new study finds.

Cough Medicine Ingredient May Aid Diabetes Fight
By Christopher Wanjek published
An ingredient in some cough medicines may help in the fight against Type 2 diabetes, new findings suggest.

Daily Coffee Could Lower Your MS Risk
By Christopher Wanjek published
People who drink four cups of joe daily have a lower risk of developing the debilitating disease multiple sclerosis (MS), researchers say.

Obesity Is Complicated and Needs New Approach, Scientists Say
By Christopher Wanjek published
We still aren't winning the fight against obesity. In a new series of articles, experts explain what society has done wrong in the battle of the bulge, and what needs to happen now.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease May Be from Mom's Bacteria, not DNA
By Christopher Wanjek published
The traits that you thought you inherited from your mom may have been actually passed from her to you in bacteria that she spread to you soon after birth, a new study finds.

Cost-of-Smoking Estimates Were Grossly Exaggerated
By Christopher Wanjek published
Smoking a pack of cigarettes a day will cost a person upwards of $2 million over his or her lifetime, a new study claims. But is that claim true?

Psychopaths' Brains Don't Grasp Punishment, Scans Reveal
By Christopher Wanjek published
The brains of violent criminals who are psychopathic are different from even those of violent criminals who are not psychopathic, new research finds.

Gen X and Y: Why You Need to Watch Your Cholesterol Now
By Christopher Wanjek published
People whose cholesterol levels are even slightly high while they are in their 30s are at an increased risk of heart disease later on, researchers say.

How Genes and Environment Conspire to Trigger Diabetes
By Christopher Wanjek published
Environmental factors such as diet may alter the expression of genes to cause, and reverse diabetes, new research finds.

3,000-Mile Run Across US Has Scientists Following Marathoners
By Christopher Wanjek published
Scientists will closely study runners' health and well-being as they run more than 3,000 miles across America in four months, about a marathon a day.

Sound Mind and Sound Body? This Protein Helps Both
By Christopher Wanjek published
A protein known to have antidepressant effects in the brain may also improve heart health, a new study finds.

Nix That: 5 Top Retracted Science Papers of 2014
By Christopher Wanjek published
Here is our annual listing of some of the more egregious retractions and questionable scientific papers of 2014.

Imagination and Reality Look Different in the Brain
By Christopher Wanjek published
In the brain, the information from real events that we see flows "up" from one brain lobe to another, but the images that we imagine flow "down," new research finds.

Dystextia: Garbled Phone Text May Be Sign of a Stroke
By Christopher Wanjek published
A woman's garbled text message to her son turned out to be a sign that she was having a stroke. This is the fourth incident now reported of someone with a stroke having "dystextia," researchers say.

Why Painful Memories Linger
By Christopher Wanjek published
Scientists reveal the mechanism by which the brain creates long-lasting memories of painful or scary events.

Heart Disease and Diabetes Risks Tied to Carbs, Not Fat, Study Finds
By Christopher Wanjek published
In what seems contrary to most diet advice, a small new study shows that doubling the saturated fat in a person's diet does not drive up the levels of saturated fat in the blood.

Many People with Dementia May Go Unscreened, Untreated
By Christopher Wanjek published
The majority of people with dementia have never seen a doctor about their memory and thinking problems, according to a new study published in Neurology.

From Birth to Death, Diet Affects the Brain's Health
By Christopher Wanjek published
Poor diets may adversely affect mental health in all stages of life, from fetal development through old age, a slew of new research shows.

Cholesterol-Lowing Drug Reverses Memory Deficit in Mice
By Christopher Wanjek published
A statin drug which is taken by millions of Americans to lower their cholesterol level may also reverse certain types of learning deficits, according to a new study in mice.
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