Genesis Perez-Melara, M.D.

​Infant feeding is still discussed as if it were a simple matter of personal choice. The familiar slogans, “breast is best” and “fed is best” dominate the conversation, yet neither fully reflects the realities facing families and clinicians. The better questions are: What do the data really show about the benefits of breastfeeding for infants, and what barriers determine whether breastfeeding is even realistic?

​Diet and health: truth in an old English idiom.
There’s an old English idiom that goes, “One man’s meat is another man’s poison.” It reminds us that what is healthy or enjoyable for one person might be unpleasant for another. This idea becomes relevant when it comes to changing our diets to mitigate the risk of chronic metabolic diseases. Nutrition isn’t one‑size‑fits‑all, and there are many other factors that shape how diet affects health. This is important when we look at a condition strongly shaped by diet, such as metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD).

Sanika Chakkamadathil 

​A plate of oysters or mussels might look like a healthy seafood choice but hidden inside could be dangerous levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Known as “forever chemicals,” these toxic substances are commonly used in nonstick cookware and fast-food wrapping papers, and are even present in waterways, food items, and the air. While the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) only classifies a select few PFAS, such as PFOS and PFOA, as official hazardous substances, the entire chemical class poses a serious threat to public health and the environment.
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Wei Perng, PhD, MPH

For years, type 2 diabetes (T2D) has been treated as a single disease. If someone has high blood sugar but does not meet criteria for type 1 diabetes or another form of diabetes, they are diagnosed with T2D. But researchers are starting to rethink what we call “type 2 diabetes” as multiple distinct conditions that all lead to elevated blood sugar.

Food insecurity or inconsistent or inadequate access to enough food for a healthy life is a well-documented social determinant of health. But it is not experienced equally across the population. Our new preliminary research using the Massachusetts Statewide Food Access Survey reveals a striking picture: in 2024, more than half of LGBTQ+ adults in the Commonwealth were food insecure, and many are not using the systems designed to help.