Contributor

B. David Zarley

Senior Staff Writer

Contact

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B. David Zarley is a senior staff writer for Freethink, where he covers health and medicine, including infectious disease, psychedelic research, mental health, and the brain. A graduate of SUNY Fredonia, his work has also appeared in The Atlantic, The Verge, Jezebel, Frieze, Sports Illustrated, VICE, Paste Magazine, and numerous other publications. He lives in Chicago and can be reached via Signal by request. Send him story ideas!

Medicine

Duke scientists find a potential vaccine for UTI

Despite being common, painful, and persistent, there’s currently no vaccine treatment for UTIs. But a new method has shown promise in mice.

B. David Zarley

Drugs

NYU is launching a center for psychedelic medicine

NYU’s Center for Psychedelic Medicine will serve as the nexus for the school’s psychedelic research, as well as provide training to budding researchers.

B. David Zarley

Coronavirus

Great apes get vaccinated against COVID-19

Great apes, our closest living relatives, are susceptible to COVID-19. The San Diego Zoo has given some an experimental vaccine to protect them.

B. David Zarley

Public Health

Can RNA create a malaria vaccine?

An effective malaria vaccine could save hundreds of thousands of lives each year. Can RNA vaccines like the ones fighting SARs-CoV-2 tackle another disease?

B. David Zarley

Coronavirus

Researchers have discovered how SARS-CoV-2 is mutating

SARS-CoV-2 mutations, which cause new variants of the virus, are eluding the virus’s proofreader. New research shows why.

B. David Zarley

Drugs

First-of-its-kind pilot study uses MDMA for alcohol addiction

A small, first-of-its-kind study has piloted the use of MDMA for alcohol addiction therapy.

B. David Zarley

Medicine

Radioactive bone cement may help treat spinal tumors

External radiation can damage bones and cause side effects. Radioactive bone cement directly into the spine may be a better option.

B. David Zarley

Public Health

Cone snail venom may help treat malaria

Clumps of infected red blood cells can make malaria dangerous even after its parasite is treated. Cone snail venom may one day help.

B. David Zarley

Meet the chess AI you might actually beat

Maia is a chess AI designed to play like you, not crush you. Predicting the most human decisions may pave the way for AI to train and work with us.

B. David Zarley

Healthcare

Stamp-sized wearable health monitor can do it all

Researchers at UCSD have developed a wearable health monitor that can measure both cardiovascular and biochemical signals at once.

B. David Zarley