#NIH

A groundbreaking study from the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) has established a direct link between exposure to fine particulate air pollution (PM2.5) and an increase in genetic mutations found in lung cancers among individuals who have never smoked—a development with profound implications for global health and for air quality management in Thailand. The newly released research, which represents a significant advance in our understanding of the environmental roots of lung cancer, raises fresh concerns about urban pollution and the invisible risks it poses, particularly for non-smoking populations.

A growing chorus of scientists is questioning the United States National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) high-profile effort to develop a universal flu vaccine, after it was revealed that the $500 million project relies on older, 20th-century vaccine technology rather than cutting-edge approaches. The controversy, which centers around the scientific and strategic direction of one of the world’s most ambitious attempts to eliminate seasonal influenza, has raised broader concerns about how public health investments are prioritized and the pace of innovation in vaccine development. For Thailand, where seasonal influenza takes a persistent toll each year, the debate underscores the complexities of global vaccine progress and the quest for more effective protection against a virus that continues to mutate and evade immunity.

A major rift in U.S. health research has surfaced with the early retirement of Dr. Kevin Hall, a renowned scientist from the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), who has publicly cited censorship and recent political interference as the driving force behind his departure. Dr. Hall’s resignation has sent shockwaves through the global nutrition science community, reigniting concerns about the politicization of scientific research—a development with far-reaching implications for how countries like Thailand address the growing crises of obesity, Type 2 diabetes, and ultraprocessed food consumption.

A groundbreaking international study led by over 150 scientists has produced the most detailed map ever of how visual information moves through the brain, uncovering more than 500 million intricate connections within a speck of mouse brain tissue and bringing the world closer to understanding how we see. Published in the journal Nature on April 9, 2025, the research combines genetic engineering, high-powered electron microscopy, and deep learning to capture not only the physical wiring of over 200,000 brain cells but also their real-time electrical activity in response to visual stimuli. The project—hailed as one of the most complex neuroscience experiments ever attempted—has generated a dataset of unprecedented size and detail: 1.6 petabytes, about the equivalent of 22 years of continuous high-definition video, all representing a single grain-sized fragment of brain.

In a surprising and controversial move, the U.S. federal government has appointed David Geier, a well-known vaccine skeptic, to lead a study examining the disproven link between vaccines and autism. This decision, revealed by the Washington Post, has sparked outcry from the scientific community, given Geier’s history of promoting discredited research in this arena.

This development is part of a broader narrative where public health agendas in the U.S. appear to be influenced by prominent anti-vaccine figures. David Geier, in collaboration with his father, Mark Geier, has consistently advocated against vaccinations. Their research, often dismissed by the scientific community for its methodological shortcomings, focuses on purported dangers of vaccines, specifically mercury-based ingredients, which they claim are linked to autism—a claim that has been thoroughly debunked by numerous scientific studies over the years. Despite the widespread scientific consensus, their studies still hold sway among certain anti-vaccine circles, particularly those led by figures like Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who now oversees health initiatives.