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Rita Rubin

@ritarubin.bsky.social
199 followers 83 following 61 posts

Lead senior staff writer, Medical News @jamacurrent.bsky.social. Mountain Mama, short story author, Medill & Hopkins alum.

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Rita Rubin @ritarubin.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
That’s exactly what I was thinking, that I’d interviewed you for the story.
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Rita Rubin @ritarubin.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
Ha! I don’t think I even have a copy of that!
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Rita Rubin @ritarubin.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
My caffeinated beverage of choice is iced tea, thanks to my time working in Dallas. If yours is energy drinks, you might want to reconsider your choice, according to the American Heart Association. My latest for @jama.com:
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Rita Rubin @ritarubin.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
I was on a high after interviewing Drs Mignot and Yanagisawa. Their research is fascinating, and they are great storytellers, frank about the disappointments as well as the accomplishments on their way to identifying the neuropeptide orexin and its role in wakefulness.
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Rita Rubin @ritarubin.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
If you watch TV at all, you've probably seen commercials for a blood test to screen for colorectal cancer. But don't give up your screening colonoscopy or stool test just yet. My new story for @jama.com:
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Rita Rubin @ritarubin.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
My new story for @jama.com, with comments by @mtosterholm.bsky.social and Georges Benjamin, MD, of the @apha.org and infectious disease specialist Jesse Goodman, MD, MPH.
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Dorit Reiss @doritreiss.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
"...(CDC) will soon have a new official director for the first time in nearly a year, after the Senate on Wednesday voted to confirm Dr. Erica Schwartz. Schwartz was confirmed on a mostly party-line 51-44 vote. " thehill.com/policy/healt...
thehill.com
Senate confirms Erica Schwartz as new CDC leader
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will soon have a new official director for the first time in nearly a year, after the Senate on Wednesday voted to confirm Dr. Erica Schwartz.  …
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Peter Daszak @peterdaszak.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
Breaking: The dumbing down of America's scientific infrastructure continues. Dr. Quay, a conspiracist w/ zero training in infectious disease is in "final vetting" to lead NIAID, Tony Fauci's former institute. www.politico.com/news/2026/08...
politico.com
A lab-leak proponent is in line for Fauci’s old job
Steven Quay is in final vetting to run the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
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Rita Rubin @ritarubin.bsky.social · 02/08/2026
In my latest story for @jama.com, I discuss new research about #Alzheimer disease and related dementias presented at #AAIC2026:
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Flo Débarre @flodebarre.eurosky.social · 29/07/2026
The Dems' strategy seems to be talking about current shortcomings of public health actions by the Trump administration and saying this is what the HSGA (and the HELP) committees should be covering "instead we are here in an attempt to entrapt you" ▫️22/ #faucihearing
Sen. Hassan's speech
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Timothy Caulfield @caulfieldtim.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
Hard to watch the continued harassment of Fauci – a man who has dedicated his life to science & served his country during an extremely difficult time. I've had opportunity to meet & present with Fauci. Kind. Thoughtful. And still the focus of MAGA lies. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
theguardian.com
Trump administration needs to stop ‘public harassment’ of Fauci and scientists, open letter says
Letter, published before Anthony Fauci will appear before Congress, accuses Republicans of ‘waging a war on individual scientists’
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Isabel, booonyavirus wonk @isabelott.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
The thing that drives me batty with vit K refusers: these people are OBSESSED with taking vitamins and supplements, the vast majority of which they don’t need or can’t effectively metabolize and piss straight out, at best. They’re fearmongering around a life-saving, essential vitamin to supplement…
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Rita Rubin @ritarubin.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
My latest for @jama.com:
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NY Times Pitchbot @nytpitchbot.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
I can't breathe the air, I can't eat lettuce, I can't afford gas, and my kids have measles. But at least now our soldiers will have enough testosterone.
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Jesse Eisinger @jeisinger.bsky.social · 04/07/2026
Happy 250th to this country, whose constitution literally says no “presents” from foreigners!
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Raw Story @rawstory.com · 05/07/2026
On America's 250th anniversary Saturday, The Atlantic republished a decade-old essay that delivered a blistering rebuke of then-presidential candidate Donald Trump – one that was written by now-Vice President JD Vance.
bit.ly
The Atlantic republishes brutal anti-Trump essay for July 4 — its author is JD Vance
On America’s 250th anniversary Saturday, The Atlantic republished a decade-old essay that delivered a blistering rebuke of then-presidential candidate Donald Trump – one that was written by now-Vice President JD Vance.Atlantic writer Peter Wehner revisited the July 4, 2016 column Vance wrote just af...
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Sarah Tuttle @niais.cryptoanarchy.network · 04/07/2026
This hits heavy.
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Dr. Scandal Piñata @dr-g.myatproto.social · 03/07/2026
You do in fact have to hand it to the New York Post occasionally and this is one of those times.
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KOJAMF🤘🖤🤘 @kojamf.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
Jenna Norton @jenna-m-norton.bsky.social Also on: www.instagram.com/jmnorton www.tiktok.com/@jennajmn linktr.ee/Jenna_M_Norton
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Dorit Reiss @doritreiss.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
Maura Gillison, who identified the role of HPV in head and neck cancer, changing the standard of care, dies at 61 cancerletter.com/obituary/202...
cancerletter.com
Maura Gillison, who identified the role of HPV in head and neck cancer, changing the standard of care, dies at 61 - The Cancer Letter
Maura L. Gillison, MD, PhD, a medical oncologist and molecular epidemiologist whose work changed the standard of care for head and neck cancer by distinguishing human papillomavirus-positive from HPV-...
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Rita Rubin @ritarubin.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
My latest for @jama.com:
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JAMA @jama.com · 02/07/2026
The first FDA-cleared blood test for #AlzheimerDisease biomarkers, intended for use in specialty clinics for adults ≥50 with symptoms, may produce more false positive or indeterminate results in real-world practice than anticipated. 🎧 Listen now: ja.ma/4p66Lkc
Stylized head with medical symbols (stethoscope, syringe, Rx, Caduceus, ambulance, pills, heartbeat) flowing from its open brain, connected by arrows. Text: 'Alzheimer Disease Blood Test May Have Higher Rate o... JAMA Medical News'. 'Play' button.
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Seth Trueger @mdaware.org · 29/06/2026
we are spending so much time, effort, and resources unringing this bell
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Rita Rubin @ritarubin.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
My latest for @jama.com:
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Candice Johnson @cyjohnson.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
The ADA is citing their 501(c)(3) status and hoping no one notices it's irrelevant. Nonpartisan means restrictions on dealing with elections. There's no election or elected officials here. From the National Council of Nonprofits: "Nonprofits are permitted to and should engage in advocacy."
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Steven Kahn @sekahn.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
The ADA apologizes and says it is committed to biomedical research. I expect them and other non-profits to no longer hide behind 501(c)(3) status and to speak out vociferously in public about the destruction being wreaked upon US research, not just NIH. www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7K2...
youtube.com
Statement from The American Diabetes Association Regarding 2026 Scientific Sessions
YouTube video by American Diabetes Association
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Timothy Caulfield @caulfieldtim.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
Increasingly, the "raw milk" trend is about politics & personal identity. This science-free & demonstrably harmful trend is (yet another) example of the power of influencers & distrust mongers (government "overreach"!) to do harm. Ugh. www.propublica.org/article/mark... @anniewaldman.bsky.social
propublica.org
He Profits Off Raw Milk That’s Making People Sick. The Government Isn’t Stopping Him.
With Raw Farm, the largest raw-milk dairy in the country, Mark McAfee has capitalized on a once-fringe product that’s been thrust into the mainstream in recent years and backed by Health Secretary Rob...
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Hilda Bastian @hildabast.bsky.social · 31/05/2026
A big month for next generation Covid vaccine trials! — Details of an exciting trial in Tanzania for an intranasal vax for low-resource communities—results may come soon; — An overview of the Covid human challenge studies, as one reaches a milestone .... 1/2 absolutelymaybe.plos.org/2026/05/31/a...
absolutelymaybe.plos.org
A Bumper Month of Clinical Trial News (NextGen Covid Vax Update) - Absolutely Maybe
It was a big month for clinical trials of next generation Covid vaccines. An exciting phase 1/2 trial in Africa for an…
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JAMA @jama.com · 30/05/2026
@ritarubin.bsky.social spoke with semiretired oncologist Stephen Kornfeld, MD, about how he managed limited resources and isolation while caring for passengers during the MV Hondius #Hantavirus outbreak. 🎧 Listen now: ja.ma/4uGhwM1
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Rita Rubin @ritarubin.bsky.social · 29/05/2026
I had the pleasure of interviewing oncologist Steve Kornfeld during his stint in the National Quarantine Unit. Steve talked about what it was like to care for patients on the hantavirus-stricken cruise ship that, not surprisingly, lacked many of the tools available to him on land.
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Peter Daszak @peterdaszak.bsky.social · 27/05/2026
NIH Director is about to create a system that does the exact opposite of creating the “transparency” this group said they would bring. Funding decisions made in full darkness will remove the global leadership in health sciences that we’ve enjoyed for decades.
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Hank Green @hankgreen.bsky.social · 23/05/2026
This is very, very interesting but not proof of effect. They looked at a large group of people with diabetes, some taking GLP-1s, some taking DPP-4 inhibitors. The ones who had cancer and were taking GLP-1s, on average, had significantly better outcomes than a matched group on DPP-4 inhibitors.
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Dorit Reiss @doritreiss.bsky.social · 23/05/2026
Relief group is phasing out vaccines RFK Jr. believes are unsafe: @gavi is speeding up a plan to phase out some vaccines and replace them with combination vaccines that do not contain thimerosal. politi.co/4tOIPlK via @politico.com @carmenpaun.bsky.social
politi.co
Relief group is phasing out vaccines RFK Jr. believes are unsafe
The health secretary has blocked $600 million for Gavi, which provides shots to poor countries, because of his concerns about a mercury-containing preservative.
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Carl Quintanilla @carlquintanilla.bsky.social · 23/05/2026
“.. the latest attempt by the Trump administration to reframe the Jan. 6 siege and to paint the rioters who participated in it as victims.” @nbcnews.com www.nbcnews.com/politics/jus...
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Dorit Reiss @doritreiss.bsky.social · 23/05/2026
"... in Makary’s final weeks, jilted biotech companies made their case directly to the Trump administration, arguing that Makary was unreliable and doing a poor job leading the agency. ..." endpoints.news/how-a-group-... via @maxbayer.bsky.social @endpts.com
endpoints.news
Exclusive: Inside the covert campaign to push out FDA Commissioner Marty Makary
Jilted biotechs coordinated a covert campaign with the Trump administration and Capitol Hill that helped push out FDA Commissioner Marty Makary.
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Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · 23/05/2026
High level overview of some of the things that have happened at NIH over the past 16 months from @jenna-m-norton.bsky.social www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4iY... Worth the 15 minutes if you want a clear insider's perspective.
youtube.com
NIH Whistleblower Exposes Grant Terminations, AI Censorship & Research Cuts - Jenna Norton Interview
YouTube video by Annika Horne
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Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · 17/05/2026
Cruel and wrong-headed. Killing people and giving away influence in the name of trying to have more influence.
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Rita Rubin @ritarubin.bsky.social · 16/05/2026
Wellness influencers think these gray-market peptides are like the fountain of youth in a syringe. So, apparently, does RFK, Jr., who wants to make them more widely available despite a lack of clinical trials to assess safety and efficacy. My latest for @jama.com:
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Rita Rubin @ritarubin.bsky.social · 08/05/2026
My latest for @jama.com:
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Alicia Ault @aliciaault.bsky.social · 08/05/2026
The leader's departure comes on top of HHS laying off most of the Vessel Sanitation Program workers in April 2025. And in the middle of the hantavirus situation on MV Hondius. #vacations #IDsky #CDC #publichealth #WHO #healthpolicy #cruiseships
cbsnews.com
CDC's cruise ship inspectors laid off amid bad year for outbreaks
The steep cuts to the cruise ship inspection team baffled officials in the program, which is not paid for by taxpayer dollars.
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Amy Maxmen, PhD @amymaxmen.bsky.social · 02/05/2026
Doctors & researchers close to UCSF are circulating a petition to block Vinay Prasad's return to the university. They cite: -suppression of scientific findings -allegations of abuse -harmful rhetoric attacking public health -conflicts of interest form.jotform.com/260836126659...
form.jotform.com
OPEN PETITION TO UCSF LEADERSHIP
Please click the link to complete this form.
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Fred Guttenberg @fredguttenberg.bsky.social · 26/04/2026
Leaders last night experienced what it feels like to be a student in school dealing with an active shooter. Unfortunately, the current occupant of the White House is delivering the wrong message from last night. We don't need a ballroom sales job. We need a determination to end gun violence.
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Dorit Reiss @doritreiss.bsky.social · 21/04/2026
Let’s Talk About Saline Placebos Yet Again: it's unethical to do a saline placebo trial for a new vaccine when there's a licensed vaccine for that disease; many vaccines have been compared to saline, and are generally well tested. via @aboutpediatrics.bsky.social open.substack.com/pub/stopanti...
open.substack.com
Let’s Talk About Saline Placebos Yet Again
All kinds of vaccine studies, including many with saline placebos, have been done that show vaccines work well and are safe, with few risks.
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Timothy Caulfield @caulfieldtim.bsky.social · 19/04/2026
Nice sum of our new study! Your Chatbot Is Likely Not a Reliable Source on Nutrition conscienhealth.org/2026/04/16/y... by @conscienhealth.bsky.social 🙏 "Overall, the chatbots dispensed problematic information half the time."
conscienhealth.org
Your Chatbot Is Likely Not a Reliable Source on Nutrition - ConscienHealth
New research in BMJ Open tells us that information about nutrition from a chatbot is not reliable most of the time.
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Mike Hoerger, PhD, MSCR, MBA @michael-hoerger.bsky.social · 18/04/2026
COVlD: Week of Apr 20, 2026 (PMC, US) Levels are at their lowest in nearly 3 years, but unfortunately with a high baseline of >200,000 estimated new daily infections. Very High = WV (1 site only) Moderate = MS (limited data) & Guam All others low/very low 🧵THREAD 1/7
CDC heat map with PMC estimates
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T. Ryan Gregory 🇨🇦 @tryangregory.bsky.social · 18/04/2026
Got to speak with Rita Rubin again for another piece in JAMA, this time about the Cicada (BA.3.2) variant of SARS-CoV-2. jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
jamanetwork.com
What to Know About the Cicada SARS-CoV-2 Variant
This JAMA Medical News article discusses the unusual trajectory of BA.3.2, the most recent version of SARS-CoV-2 to be designated a Variant Under Monitoring by the World Health Organization.
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Eric Topol @erictopol.bsky.social · 17/04/2026
Everything known about the hyper-mutated BA.3.2 variant ("Cicada") of #SARSCoV2. While there's no cause for alarm, continued genome surveillance of this virus is essential. jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
jamanetwork.com
What to Know About the Cicada SARS-CoV-2 Variant
This JAMA Medical News article discusses the unusual trajectory of BA.3.2, the most recent version of SARS-CoV-2 to be designated a Variant Under Monitoring by the World Health Organization.
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Rita Rubin @ritarubin.bsky.social · 17/04/2026
My latest for @jama.com:
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Timothy Caulfield @caulfieldtim.bsky.social · 13/04/2026
Yet another tough one for antivaxx cult...👇 How mRNA Vaccines Could Help Treat Cancer jamanetwork.com/journals/jam.... “I don’t think we’re far from when patients and providers could discuss where vaccines could fit in their cancer care.”
jamanetwork.com
How mRNA Vaccines Could Help Treat Cancer
This Medical News article discusses experimental personalized messenger RNA vaccines designed to prevent recurrence and death in patients with cancerous tumors.
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Rita Rubin @ritarubin.bsky.social · 12/04/2026
And if larger clinical trials demonstrate the effectiveness of mRNA vaccines in preventing recurrences, will some patients with cancer still refuse them because of widespread misinformation about the technology? My latest for @jama.com:
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