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Health sciences articles from across Nature Portfolio

The health sciences study all aspects of health, disease and healthcare. This field of study aims to develop knowledge, interventions and technology for use in healthcare to improve the treatment of patients.

Selective targeting of malignant T cells

Targeted therapies that use small-molecule inhibitors for the treatment of T cell blood cancer exist only for certain subtypes, and the development of immunologically based CAR T cell therapies has been challenging. A study now exploits the fact that malignant T cells express one of two T cell receptor-β variants and investigates strategies for targeting these malignant cells while sparing half of the non-malignant T cells.

• Charles E. de Bock

Cardiac ACTN2 enhancer regulates cardiometabolism and maturation

A study describes the role of the ACTN2 enhancer in myocardial maturation, highlighting its relevance in regulating structural, functional and metabolic dynamics in the heart. These findings offer insights that may advance our understanding of cardiovascular disease.

• Francisco X. Galdos
• Carissa Lee

Constructing co-stimulation to boost TCR therapy

T cell receptor (TCR)-engineered T cells offer great promise for targeting tumor antigens in cancer therapy. A synthetic fusion protein termed 80BB, which can simultaneously activate the CD28 and 4-1BB co-stimulatory pathways, is now shown to enhance overall functionality of therapeutic TCR/CD3-dependent T cells in an antigen-agnostic manner.

• Julia Höbart
• Jürgen Ruland

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Research Topics & Ideas: Public Health

50 Topic Ideas To Kickstart Your Research Project

If you’re just starting out exploring public health and/or epidemiology-related topics for your dissertation, thesis or research project, you’ve come to the right place. In this post, we’ll help kickstart your research by providing a hearty list of research ideas , including examples from recent studies in public health and epidemiology.

PS – This is just the start…

We know it’s exciting to run through a list of research topics, but please keep in mind that this list is just a starting point . These topic ideas provided here are intentionally broad and generic , so keep in mind that you will need to develop them further. Nevertheless, they should inspire some ideas for your project.

To develop a suitable research topic, you’ll need to identify a clear and convincing research gap , and a viable plan to fill that gap. If this sounds foreign to you, check out our free research topic webinar that explores how to find and refine a high-quality research topic, from scratch. Alternatively, consider our 1-on-1 coaching service .

Public Health-Related Research Topics

• Evaluating the impact of community-based obesity prevention programs in urban areas.
• Analyzing the effectiveness of public smoking bans on respiratory health outcomes.
• Investigating the role of health education in reducing the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa.
• The impact of air pollution on asthma rates in industrial cities.
• Evaluating the effectiveness of school nutrition programs on childhood obesity rates.
• The role of public health policies in addressing mental health stigma.
• Analyzing the impact of clean water access on infectious disease rates in rural communities.
• The effectiveness of needle exchange programs in reducing the spread of hepatitis C.
• Investigating the impact of social determinants on maternal and child health in low-income neighborhoods.
• The role of digital health interventions in managing chronic diseases.
• Analyzing the effectiveness of workplace wellness programs on employee health and productivity.
• The impact of urban green spaces on community mental health.
• Evaluating the effectiveness of vaccination campaigns in preventing outbreaks of infectious diseases.
• The role of public health initiatives in reducing alcohol-related harm.
• Analyzing the impact of aging populations on healthcare systems.
• Analyzing the impact of urbanization on mental health disorders in metropolitan areas.
• The effectiveness of telemedicine services in improving healthcare access in remote regions.
• Investigating the health impacts of electronic waste recycling practices.
• The role of health literacy in managing non-communicable diseases in aging populations.
• Evaluating the public health response to opioid addiction in rural communities.
• Analyzing the relationship between housing quality and respiratory illnesses.
• The effectiveness of community engagement in improving reproductive health services.
• Investigating the health effects of long-term exposure to low-level environmental radiation.
• The role of public health campaigns in reducing the prevalence of tobacco use among teenagers.
• Analyzing the impact of food deserts on nutritional outcomes in urban communities.

Epidemiology Research Ideas (Continued)

• Investigating the epidemiology of antibiotic-resistant infections in hospital settings.
• The impact of climate change on the spread of vector-borne diseases.
• Evaluating the factors contributing to the rise in type 2 diabetes prevalence.
• Analyzing the epidemiology of mental health disorders in conflict zones.
• The role of epidemiological surveillance in pandemic preparedness and response.
• Investigating the link between environmental exposures and the incidence of childhood cancers.
• The impact of dietary patterns on the prevalence of cardiovascular diseases.
• Evaluating the effectiveness of intervention strategies in controlling obesity epidemics.
• Analyzing the spread and control of zoonotic diseases in rural communities.
• The role of genetic factors in the epidemiology of autoimmune diseases.
• Investigating the socio-economic disparities in cancer incidence and outcomes.
• The impact of urbanization on the epidemiology of infectious diseases.
• Evaluating the public health consequences of occupational exposures to hazardous substances.
• Analyzing the trends and determinants of mental health disorders among adolescents.
• The role of lifestyle factors in the epidemiology of neurodegenerative diseases.
• Investigating the patterns of mental health service utilization during economic recessions.
• The epidemiology of sports-related concussions in youth athletics.
• Evaluating the effectiveness of public health interventions in reducing the spread of tuberculosis in high-risk populations.
• Analyzing the geographic distribution of Lyme disease in relation to climate change.
• The role of international travel in the spread of emerging infectious diseases.
• Investigating the demographic predictors of chronic kidney disease in population-based studies.
• The epidemiological impact of air pollution on asthma and other respiratory conditions.
• Evaluating the long-term health effects of exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals.
• Analyzing the incidence and risk factors of post-traumatic stress disorder in first responders.
• The role of socioeconomic status in the prevalence and management of diabetes.

Recent Studies: Public Health & Epidemiology

While the ideas we’ve presented above are a decent starting point for finding a research topic, they are fairly generic and non-specific. So, it helps to look at actual studies in the public health and epidemiology space to see how this all comes together in practice.

Below, we’ve included a selection of recent studies to help refine your thinking. These are actual studies,  so they can provide some useful insight as to what a research topic looks like in practice.

• Tutorials in population neuroimaging: Using epidemiology in neuroimaging research (Godina et al., 2022)
• Application of Big Data in Digital Epidemiology (Naaz & Siddiqui, 2022)
• Response to comment on: Incidence of ocular and systemic disease affecting visual function among state bus drivers (Kohli et al., 2022)
• Why epidemiology is incomplete without qualitative and mixed methods (Lane-Fall, 2023)
• Teaching epidemiology: An overview of strategies and considerations (Hossain, 2022)
• Social Epidemiology: Past, Present, and Future (Roux, 2022)
• Population health assessment project: An innovative strategy for teaching principles of epidemiology (Keen et al., 2022)
• The functions of veterinary epidemiology in public health (Shaffi, 2023)
• Readying the Applied Epidemiology Workforce for Emerging Areas of
• Public Health Practice (Daly et al., 2022)
• Some Social Epidemiologic Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic (Schnake-Mahl & Bilal, 2023)
• The Filth Disease: Typhoid Fever and the Practices of Epidemiology in Victorian England by Jacob Steere-Williams (review) (Steere-Williams et al., 2022)
• Epidemiology of Adult Obesity, Measurements, Global Prevalence and Risk Factors (Orukwowu, 2022).
• Which disciplines form digital public health, and how do they relate to each other? (Pan, 2022)
• Information Flow and Data Gaps in COVID-19 Recording and Reporting at National and Provincial Levels in Indonesia (Barsasella et al., 2022). Epidemiology Blog of Neal D. Goldstein, PhD, MBI (Goldstein, 2023)
• Sensitivity analysis of SEIR epidemic model of Covid 19 spread in Indonesia (Rangkuti et al., 2022)

As you can see, these research topics are a lot more focused than the generic topic ideas we presented earlier. So, for you to develop a high-quality research topic, you’ll need to get specific and laser-focused on a specific context with specific variables of interest.  In the video below, we explore some other important things you’ll need to consider when crafting your research topic.

Get 1-On-1 Help

If you’re still unsure about how to find a quality research topic, check out our Research Topic Kickstarter service, which is the perfect starting point for developing a unique, well-justified research topic.

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Nih research matters.

December 22, 2021

2021 Research Highlights — Promising Medical Findings

Results with potential for enhancing human health.

With NIH support, scientists across the United States and around the world conduct wide-ranging research to discover ways to enhance health, lengthen life, and reduce illness and disability. Groundbreaking NIH-funded research often receives top scientific honors. In 2021, these honors included Nobel Prizes to five NIH-supported scientists . Here’s just a small sample of the NIH-supported research accomplishments in 2021.

Printer-friendly version of full 2021 NIH Research Highlights

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Advancing COVID-19 treatment and prevention

Amid the sustained pandemic, researchers continued to develop new drugs and vaccines for COVID-19. They found oral drugs that could  inhibit virus replication in hamsters and shut down a key enzyme that the virus needs to replicate. Both drugs are currently in clinical trials. Another drug effectively treated both SARS-CoV-2 and RSV, another serious respiratory virus, in animals. Other researchers used an airway-on-a-chip to screen approved drugs for use against COVID-19. These studies identified oral drugs that could be administered outside of clinical settings. Such drugs could become powerful tools for fighting the ongoing pandemic. Also in development are an intranasal vaccine , which could help prevent virus transmission, and vaccines that can protect against a range of coronaviruses .

202211214-alz.jpg

Developments in Alzheimer’s disease research

One of the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s is an abnormal buildup of amyloid-beta protein. A study in mice suggests that antibody therapies targeting amyloid-beta protein could be more effective after enhancing the brain’s waste drainage system . In another study, irisin, an exercise-induced hormone, was found to improve cognitive performance in mice . New approaches also found two approved drugs (described below) with promise for treating AD. These findings point to potential strategies for treating Alzheimer’s. Meanwhile, researchers found that people who slept six hours or less per night in their 50s and 60s were more likely to develop dementia later in life, suggesting that inadequate sleep duration could increase dementia risk.

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New uses for old drugs

Developing new drugs can be costly, and the odds of success can be slim. So, some researchers have turned to repurposing drugs that are already approved for other conditions. Scientists found that two FDA-approved drugs were associated with lower rates of Alzheimer’s disease. One is used for high blood pressure and swelling. The other is FDA-approved to treat erectile dysfunction and pulmonary hypertension. Meanwhile, the antidepressant fluoxetine was associated with reduced risk of age-related macular degeneration. Clinical trials will be needed to confirm these drugs’ effects.

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Making a wireless, biodegradable pacemaker

Pacemakers are a vital part of medical care for many people with heart rhythm disorders. Temporary pacemakers currently use wires connected to a power source outside the body. Researchers developed a temporary pacemaker that is powered wirelessly. It also breaks down harmlessly in the body after use. Studies showed that the device can generate enough power to pace a human heart without causing damage or inflammation.

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Fungi may impair wound healing in Crohn’s disease

Inflammatory bowel disease develops when immune cells in the gut overreact to a perceived threat to the body. It’s thought that the microbiome plays a role in this process. Researchers found that a fungus called  Debaryomyces hansenii  impaired gut wound healing in mice and was also found in damaged gut tissue in people with Crohn’s disease, a type of inflammatory bowel disease. Blocking this microbe might encourage tissue repair in Crohn’s disease.

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Nanoparticle-based flu vaccine

Influenza, or flu, kills an estimated 290,000-650,000 people each year worldwide. The flu virus changes, or mutates, quickly. A single vaccine that conferred protection against a wide variety of strains would provide a major boost to global health. Researchers developed a nanoparticle-based vaccine that protected against a broad range of flu virus strains in animals. The vaccine may prevent flu more effectively than current seasonal vaccines. Researchers are planning a Phase 1 clinical trial to test the vaccine in people.

20211002-lyme.jpg

A targeted antibiotic for treating Lyme disease

Lyme disease cases are becoming more frequent and widespread. Current treatment entails the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics. But these drugs can damage the patient’s gut microbiome and select for resistance in non-target bacteria. Researchers found that a neglected antibiotic called hygromycin A selectively kills the bacteria that cause Lyme disease. The antibiotic was able to treat Lyme disease in mice without disrupting the microbiome and could make an attractive therapeutic candidate.

20211102-back.jpg

Retraining the brain to treat chronic pain

More than 25 million people in the U.S. live with chronic pain. After a treatment called pain reprocessing therapy, two-thirds of people with mild or moderate chronic back pain for which no physical cause could be found were mostly or completely pain-free. The findings suggest that people can learn to reduce the brain activity causing some types of chronic pain that occur in the absence of injury or persist after healing.

2021 Research Highlights — Basic Research Insights >>

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