A multidisciplinary team from Baylor College of Medicine, Rice University and the University of Texas School of Public Health has received the inaugural Climate + Health Excellence award from the Burroughs Wellcome Fund. The five-year, $10 million award will support FORECAST, an ambitious program designed to investigate how climate change, extreme weather and environmental disruption influence the emergence and spread of infectious diseases. Led by infectious disease researcher Dr. Anthony Maresso, the project will combine wastewater surveillance, metagenomic sequencing, climate science, epidemiology and public education to create an early-warning system for pathogen activity across Texas.

FORECAST will build on Texas’s expanding wastewater-monitoring infrastructure, including the Texas Wastewater Environmental Biomonitoring Network, or TexWEB. The statewide network samples sewage from 15 Texas cities and analyzes biological material shed by communities. Unlike clinical surveillance, which depends on people seeking medical care and receiving diagnostic tests, wastewater epidemiology captures population-level signals from entire communities. Viral genetic fragments, bacterial DNA and other biological markers can appear in sewage before hospitals and clinics register a rise in patients, providing public health officials with valuable time to investigate and respond.

The program will use metagenomic surveillance, a technique that examines genetic material recovered from environmental samples rather than searching only for a predetermined pathogen. In conventional testing, laboratories typically use targeted molecular assays designed to detect a known virus or bacterium. Metagenomic sequencing can survey a much broader range of organisms, including variants and potentially unfamiliar pathogens. Researchers can then compare these signals with clinical data, geographic information and environmental measurements to determine whether changes in temperature, rainfall, flooding, drought or other conditions are associated with shifts in infectious disease activity.

The scientific goal is not simply to identify pathogens after they appear, but to uncover relationships between microbes and the environmental conditions that help them enter or circulate within human populations. Climate change can influence disease transmission through several pathways. Warmer temperatures may expand the geographic range or seasonal activity of mosquitoes and other vectors. Heavy rainfall and flooding can overwhelm sanitation systems and redistribute contaminants, while drought can alter water use and concentrate biological material. Changes in human behavior, animal movement and ecosystems may create additional opportunities for pathogens to cross species boundaries.

Maresso and his colleagues demonstrated during the COVID-19 pandemic that SARS-CoV-2 signals in wastewater could precede increases in clinically diagnosed infections. Viral RNA released in feces entered sewage systems, where researchers tracked changes in concentration over time. Although wastewater measurements cannot determine which individuals are infected, they can reveal whether pathogen activity is increasing or declining within a catchment area. The approach has since been extended to a wider range of targets, including avian influenza, measles, HIV and viruses associated with cancer. FORECAST aims to develop this surveillance capacity into a predictive climate-health platform.

Rice University climate scientist Dr. Sylvia Dee will help connect pathogen observations with weather and climate data. The team plans to examine whether specific environmental patterns consistently occur before increases in particular infectious agents. Such models could eventually function like a public health weather report, indicating when conditions are becoming more favorable for disease transmission. The researchers emphasize that predictive systems will require careful validation because the presence of pathogen genetic material does not necessarily indicate infectious virus, active transmission or a future outbreak. Interpreting the signal will require laboratory studies, clinical evidence and knowledge of local infrastructure.

The project will also investigate diseases transmitted by vectors such as mosquitoes. Dr. Peter Hotez and colleagues at the National School of Tropical Medicine will focus on vector-borne pathogen transmission and the growing health risks associated with changing climate conditions. Texas is particularly relevant for this work because it contains diverse ecological regions and experiences heat waves, hurricanes, flooding and rapid urban growth. These factors can affect mosquito habitats, human exposure and the movement of pathogens across communities. Integrating wastewater findings with vector surveillance could help reveal connections that would remain hidden if either system were used alone.

Education and public communication will form a central part of FORECAST. The team plans to create a “Middle to Medical” climate-health education track extending from middle school through medical training and professional development. Dr. Nancy Moreno, who developed Baylor’s BioEd online program, will lead educational efforts with Rice University’s Dr. Joseph Campana, director of the university’s Center for Environmental Studies and EcoStudio. The curriculum will explain how pathogens spread, how climate conditions alter disease risk and how scientific evidence can guide decisions by students, clinicians, policymakers and communities.

The award is particularly significant because FORECAST was selected as the sole funded project from 161 applications submitted to the new CHEX program. The initiative is intended to strengthen research, education and public engagement at the intersection of climate change and human health. Dr. Eric Boerwinkle, dean of the UT School of Public Health and a project co-investigator, will contribute access to large clinical datasets that can be used to evaluate wastewater and environmental signals against reported illnesses. The investigators say the work could improve outbreak preparedness while advancing the still-developing field of wastewater science.

By combining environmental sequencing with climate modeling and health education, FORECAST seeks to shift infectious disease surveillance from a largely reactive system toward earlier detection and prevention. Its findings may help officials recognize emerging threats before they produce widespread clinical disease, while also clarifying how environmental changes shape viral evolution, transmission and geographic spread. The researchers describe wastewater as an unusually candid public health resource: it aggregates biological information from a population without requiring individual testing. As climate pressures intensify, they argue, that collective signal could become an essential tool for protecting communities and preparing the next generation of scientists.

Subject of Research:
Climate-driven infectious disease emergence, wastewater epidemiology, metagenomic pathogen surveillance and climate-health education.

Article Title:
Texas Researchers Launch FORECAST Program to Link Climate Change With Emerging Viral Threats

Web References:
Baylor College of Medicine; Rice University; University of Texas School of Public Health; Burroughs Wellcome Fund; Texas Wastewater Environmental Biomonitoring Network (TexWEB).

References:
Information provided in the source news release concerning the FORECAST project, the Climate + Health Excellence award and TexWEB wastewater surveillance activities.

Keywords:
Wastewater epidemiology, viral surveillance, metagenomic sequencing, climate change, infectious diseases, pathogen emergence, public health, Texas, SARS-CoV-2, avian influenza, measles, vector-borne disease, climate health, epidemiology, wastewater science

The global expansion of chicken farming has created conditions that allow Campylobacter to spread, mix and adapt more readily. Commercial poultry farms now hold billions of chickens, creating a vast habitat where bacteria can move, mix and adapt. An analysis from the Ineos Oxford Institute for Antimicrobial Research at the University of Oxford found that [...]

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BU virologist Nancy Sullivan says the Bundibugyo outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo underscores the need for broader outbreak preparedness. The death of a nurse marked the moment health officials recognized that something dangerous was spreading. The illness was Bundibugyo virus, a rare but potentially deadly infection now driving a growing outbreak in [...]

Alcohol risk appears to increase beyond one drink per day, even at levels often described as moderate. Alcohol is often treated as a routine part of social life, but a new analysis suggests that even levels many Americans consider moderate carry measurable health risks. The study links drinking with a higher chance of death, disability, [...]

Breast cancer patterns are shifting rapidly in several Asian American communities. Breast cancer has long been considered less common among Asian American women than among white women in the United States. A new UC San Francisco-led study suggests that this pattern is changing quickly, especially among younger women and in some aggressive forms of the [...]

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New findings published in PLOS Digital Health highlight the challenges public health experts face in combating misleading health information on social media, particularly amid ongoing debates over whether sunscreen is truly beneficial.

To investigate how sunscreen is portrayed online, researchers at the University of Alberta analyzed 971 of the most-viewed TikTok videos associated with five popular sunscreen-related hashtags: #sunscreen, #sunscreenviral, #spf, #sunscreenreview, and #sunprotection.

The researchers examined how sunscreen was represented in the videos and measured audience engagement through views, likes, shares, and comments.

“Sunscreen misinformation may attract disproportionate attention,” says Alessandro Marcon of the University of Alberta, Canada, and colleagues in a statement.

The findings showed that most of the TikTok videos analyzed promoted sunscreen use, accounting for 86.8% of the content. Only 6% contained health-related criticism, including claims that sunscreen is harmful (1.5%) or that it interferes with the benefits of sun exposure, such as vitamin D production (1.2%). Despite representing only a small fraction of the content, these videos attracted disproportionately high levels of engagement, receiving more likes, shares, and comments on average than pro-sunscreen videos.

“Sunscreen misinformation on TikTok constitutes an area of concern not for the total sum of overarching influence in terms of content production but rather in how strongly some sunscreen misinformation ideas resonated among particular audiences,” adds Marcon.

The researchers suggest that the elevated engagement may be driven by the controversial and attention-grabbing nature of the content, which can help videos spread more widely on social media platforms.

They also found that even videos promoting sunscreen often omitted key public health messaging. Most focused on beauty and skincare benefits rather than health outcomes, with only 6% specifically mentioning sunscreen’s role in reducing skin cancer risk.

“Our analysis showed TikTok is not necessarily flooded with sunscreen misinformation, but TikToks that dangerously claim that sunscreen is harmful or unnecessary receive comparatively high levels of audience engagement. TikTok content creators commonly promoted sunscreen as part of skincare regimens where sunscreen benefits were more commonly related to beauty rather than health,” said Marcon.

“It was surprising to see so many TikToks promoting sunscreen use without specifically mentioning the important role it plays in cancer prevention. Only 6% of the TikToks analyzed explicitly mentioned the benefits of reducing the risk of skin cancer.”

The study suggests that misinformation can spread widely not because it is more common, but because it is often more controversial and attention-grabbing. It also highlights a broader communication gap, as many creators emphasize sunscreen’s cosmetic benefits while overlooking its well-established role in preventing skin cancer.

Chrissy Newton is a PR professional and the founder of VOCAB Communications. She currently appears on The Discovery Channel and Max and hosts the Rebelliously Curious podcast, which can be found on YouTube and on all audio podcast streaming platforms. Follow her on X: @ChrissyNewton, Instagram: @BeingChrissyNewton, and chrissynewton.com. To contact Chrissy with a story, please email chrissy @ thedebrief.org.

Early childhood diets higher in ultra-processed foods were associated with more behavioral and emotional challenges two years later. The preschool years are a critical period for both brain development and the formation of lifelong eating habits. New research led by the University of Toronto suggests that what children eat during this window may be associated [...]

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A groundbreaking study at The University of Texas at Arlington is poised to transform how families address adolescent alcohol use through innovative, technology-enhanced communication strategies. With a new five-year, $3.33 million federal grant, researchers are expanding their efforts to develop a family-based intervention program targeting early discussions between parents and teens about alcohol consumption and its social media influences.

Underage alcohol use remains a pressing public health issue in the United States, with nationwide surveys indicating that over 12 million individuals aged 12 to 20 have consumed alcohol at least once. Despite decades of research and intervention programs, the persistence of early alcohol experimentation underscores the need for novel approaches that account for the evolving digital landscape. Social media platforms profoundly shape adolescents’ perceptions and attitudes toward alcohol, often normalizing its consumption through peer influences and targeted advertising.

The UT Arlington project, led by the Studying Alcohol and Related Risks (STARR) Lab, harnesses multidisciplinary expertise spanning adolescent behavioral health, web-based intervention design, social work, and digital media studies. Principal investigator Dana Litt highlights that the initiative integrates years of collaborative research to craft a robust community resource that tackles the complex interplay between adolescent substance use and online social environments. By engaging families in effective communication, the program aims to instill critical thinking and awareness about alcohol-related risks before youths initiate use.

Previous intervention models often focused on older adolescents already experimenting with alcohol, but this study innovatively targets younger teens aged 12 to 17. This demographic shift is grounded in recent findings that pre-exposure attitudes toward substances significantly predict future use patterns. Early intervention that fosters open dialogue about alcohol and its portrayal on social media can disrupt these trajectories by equipping families with tools for informed conversations well before exposure escalates.

Co-principal investigator Melissa Lewis elaborates on the urgency of addressing alcohol use factors earlier in adolescent development due to the omnipresence of alcohol content on platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat. Studies reveal that repeated exposure to alcohol-related visuals and narratives subtly shapes normative beliefs, leading teens to underestimate the risks and overestimate peer approval. By facilitating early parent-teen discussions, the program leverages critical windows of neurocognitive development to build resilience against these influences.

An integral feature of the intervention is its bilingual accessibility, offering both English and Spanish versions tailored to the diverse communities in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. This linguistic inclusivity acknowledges the demographic realities and aims to bridge cultural gaps that often hinder engagement with prevention programs. By customizing content to resonate with multiple communities, the project enhances its potential for implementation and scalability.

The research team emphasizes the program’s flexibility as a dynamic communication tool that parents can adapt to address not only alcohol use but also emerging concerns such as vaping and other substance-related behaviors. This adaptability responds to the multifaceted nature of adolescent risk factors and the rapidly evolving social media landscape, promising long-term relevance and utility across different contexts and substances.

In developing this intervention, the STARR Lab collaborates with several local organizations, including Challenge of Tarrant County, SMART Arlington, Lena Pope, Recovery Resource Council, and JPS Health Network. These partnerships ensure that the tool is grounded in community needs and practical realities, facilitating its adoption as a trusted, no-cost resource for families. This community-engaged research model exemplifies a bidirectional flow between academic inquiry and real-world application.

The effort aligns with UTA’s broader mission to produce high-impact research that transcends academia and delivers tangible societal benefits. By positioning the university as a central hub for reliable information and support around adolescent health issues and social media influences, the project fosters a sustained infrastructure for preventive interventions that can evolve with technological trends and public health priorities.

Beyond its immediate aims, the research holds promise for significantly reducing underage drinking rates by addressing the root mechanisms through family dialogue and critical media literacy. This preventive focus contrasts with traditional approaches that often intervene post-initiation, offering a proactive paradigm shift. If effective, these models could also be adapted to mitigate other behavioral health challenges driven by digital media exposure.

The scientists behind the study bring methodological rigor by integrating behavioral theories, communication science, and digital evaluation metrics to assess intervention efficacy. The multidisciplinary team, including colleagues from UTHealth Houston School of Public Health, the University of Washington, and the University of North Texas Health Science Center, exemplifies comprehensive expertise essential to tackling a complex public health issue at multiple ecological levels.

Ultimately, this study represents a strategic nexus of research innovation, community partnership, and public health advocacy aimed at empowering families to navigate the often opaque and pernicious world of adolescent substance use amplified by digital media. Its success could redefine prevention frameworks nationwide, offering scalable, culturally sensitive tools for healthier youth development amid an increasingly interconnected social landscape.

Subject of Research: Adolescent alcohol use prevention through family-based communication interventions addressing social media influences

Article Title:
[Not provided in the original content]

News Publication Date:
[Not provided in the original content]

Web References:
[Not provided in the original content]

References:
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Image Credits:
[Not provided in the original content]

Keywords:
Social work, adolescent substance use, underage drinking, alcohol prevention, social media influence, family-based intervention, digital health, public health, bilingual program, adolescent behavior, substance use research, community partnership

In recent years, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists have emerged primarily as breakthrough medications targeting metabolic disorders such as type 2 diabetes and obesity. Medications like Ozempic and Wegovy have revolutionized treatment protocols by improving glycemic control and promoting weight loss through mechanisms involving appetite regulation and insulin modulation. However, intriguing new research spearheaded by scientists at Rutgers University suggests that the influence of GLP-1 receptor agonists may extend well beyond metabolic pathways, potentially modulating complex behaviors associated with violence and aggression.

The Rutgers study, published in the esteemed journal Criminology, delves into the behavioral ramifications of GLP-1 receptor agonist usage among adults in the United States. This groundbreaking investigation focused on whether these medications could attenuate the well-documented links between impulsivity, alcohol consumption, and violent behavior—an intersection of psychological and physiological domains rarely explored in pharmacological research. Given the increasing prevalence of GLP-1 usage, understanding these potential secondary effects holds substantial public health significance.

Researchers employed data gathered from a 2025 nationwide survey encompassing over 7,500 U.S. adults, narrowing their primary analysis to a subgroup of 821 individuals who had a history of GLP-1 medication use. This cohort was meticulously categorized into current versus former users to discern if ongoing GLP-1 receptor activity correlates with measurable differences in violent behavior frequency. Violent behavior metrics were derived from validated self-reported scales encompassing acts ranging from physical fights and assaults to more severe offenses like robbery, allowing for a comprehensive behavioral profile aligned with criminological standards.

A pivotal discovery from the analysis was the pronounced moderation of the relationship between impulsivity and violent conduct among current GLP-1 users. The data revealed that the association strength between impulsivity—a critical psychological trait linked to poor decision-making and aggression—and violent actions was reduced by approximately 62% in active GLP-1 users compared to those who had discontinued use. Such a substantial attenuation suggests that GLP-1 receptor agonists may exert neurobehavioral effects that temper impulsive drives which frequently precipitate violent acts.

Complementing these results, the study also examined the interplay between alcohol consumption, impulsivity, and violence. Alcohol’s role as a disinhibitor and amplifier of aggressive tendencies is well established. Among current GLP-1 medication users, the correlation between alcohol intake and violent behavior was notably diminished, showing around a 52% reduction in association strength relative to former users. While these findings were somewhat less consistent across different analytic models, they broadly indicate that GLP-1 receptor agonists might mitigate alcohol’s exacerbation of violent impulses, potentially via neurochemical or systemic pathways that modulate inhibitory control.

The underlying neural mechanisms posited by researchers revolve around the interplay of GLP-1 receptor activation within the central nervous system. GLP-1 receptors are expressed not only peripherally but also in brain regions implicated in impulse control, reward processing, and executive functions, such as the prefrontal cortex and limbic structures. Activation of these receptors could conceivably influence neurotransmitter systems including dopamine and serotonin pathways, which are integral to regulating mood, impulse control, and aggression. This neuropharmacological modulation may resemble cognitive behavioral therapy in effect — attenuating the translation of impulsive urges into violent actions without necessarily eradicating impulsivity itself.

Daniel Semenza, lead author and director of research at the New Jersey Gun Violence Research Center, underscored the public safety implications of these findings. With GLP-1 drugs increasingly prescribed globally, it is paramount to deepen scientific understanding of their broader psychobehavioral consequences. Exploring how these medications might serve dual roles in metabolic regulation and behavioral modulation opens new vistas in the multidisciplinary fields of medicine, psychology, and criminology. Such knowledge could inform clinical decisions and policies aimed at reducing violence, a persistent societal challenge with profound public health ramifications.

Nevertheless, the authors caution that the study’s observational, cross-sectional nature precludes definitive causal inferences. While associations are compelling, longitudinal and experimental research designs are essential to elucidate temporal dynamics and confirm whether GLP-1 receptor agonists actively reduce violence risk or if the observed correlations reflect confounding factors. Future studies integrating neuroimaging, pharmacokinetics, and behavioral assessments could unravel the precise biological and psychological pathways mediating these effects.

Christopher Thomas, coauthor and assistant professor at Rutgers University-Camden, highlighted the similarity between the behavioral influences observed and therapeutic interventions like cognitive behavioral therapy. Such parallels suggest that GLP-1 receptor agonists may have untapped potential as adjunctive treatments for impulse control disorders or behavioral problems characterized by aggression. Their dual metabolic and psychobehavioral actions could redefine therapeutic strategies for complex patients with overlapping physiological and psychiatric needs.

Moreover, understanding these effects could broaden the scope of violence prevention frameworks. If GLP-1 receptor agonists contribute to weaker links between impulsivity, substance use, and violent behavior, integrating pharmacotherapy with social and psychological interventions might amplify public safety outcomes. This intersection of neurobiology and criminology exemplifies the innovative, interdisciplinary research needed to address entrenched societal issues.

In summary, the Rutgers study furnishes compelling preliminary evidence that GLP-1 receptor agonist medications, beyond their established metabolic benefits, may significantly dampen the behavioral pathways leading from impulsivity and alcohol consumption to violence. These findings urge a paradigm shift toward holistic evaluation of drug effects encompassing neural, behavioral, and social domains. As the prescribing landscape for GLP-1 medications continues to expand, vigilant research and nuanced understanding will be critical to harnessing their full therapeutic potential while safeguarding public health.

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Subject of Research: People
Article Title: GLP-1 receptor agonist use and violent crime among US adults
News Publication Date: 17-Jun-2026
Keywords: Violence, Drug therapy, Weight loss, Mental health

You do not have to smoke cigarettes to be exposed to dangerous chemicals from tobacco. A new study has found that simply breathing in secondhand smoke can significantly increase levels of cadmium, a toxic metal linked to cancer and other serious health problems. Researchers at Texas A&M University discovered that adults exposed to secondhand cigarette […]

The post Even secondhand smoke can fill your body with a cancer-causing metal, study finds appeared first on Knowridge Science Report.