Brown University School of Public Health

If you're over 50 and you need another good reason to go get your shingles vaccine, Brown University researchers have found that being vaccinated against could lower your dementia risk. In the new study, 18.8% of vaccinated people developed dementia within four years compared with 24.6% of the unvaccinated group. “That translates to about one in 17 cases of dementia potentially being prevented,” Professor Kaley Hayes says.

Shingles vaccine may lower dementia risk, new study finds - The Boston Globe A new study found that elderly nursing home residents who received at least one dose of Shingrix were 24 percent less likely to develop dementia over a four-year period compared to those who were not vaccinated

Professor Craig Spencer shared his Ebola story with The Providence Journal's
Mark Patinkin. “I had been taking care of 30 to 40 patients at any one point in Guinea,” he said, “and now there were 30 to 40 people to take care of me.”

As Africa faces Ebola, a RI doctor recalls surviving the disease Dr Craig Spencer, a Miriam Hospital ER doc and Brown School of Public Health professor, remains one of the last two who had Ebola in the U.S.

Congratulations to Loma, winner of the 2026 James Beard Award for Best New Bar!✨ Loma, which has earned a reputation for its thoughtful approach to low- and zero-proof cocktails, is the first Rhode Island establishment to ever win a national James Beard Award. Learn more about Loma and the growing wave of intentionality that's reshaping our happy hours and weekend rituals—without the hangover—in the current issue of Continuum.

The new sobriety A growing wave of intentionality is reshaping our happy hours and weekend rituals—without the hangover. For Brown researchers, this shift reflects a growing body of evidence that drinking alcohol, even in moderation, comes with serious health risks.

NEW STUDY Researchers have linked vaccination to lower dementia risk. “Our cognition is so tied to our overall health and what happens to us physically,” Professor Kaley Hayes says. “It’s really amazing to see that something that’s supposed to prevent a physical ailment can also help keep our brain healthy.”💉🧠

Study suggests shingles vaccine may lower dementia risk A study led by Brown University researchers found that older adults who received the shingles vaccine currently used in the U.S. were less likely to be diagnosed with dementia within four years.

New Mexico has announced its first human case of plague in 2026, which has killed a woman and raised concerns of ongoing risk to the public, especially in the midst of the World Cup. Professor Will Goedel, who built a tracker to map the tournament's teams and fans, says plague is not a World Cup concern. “Considering the high density of people from all over the world, we are more focused on COVID-19, measles and norovirus.”

Plague death joins list of US health concerns–but what’s the public risk? A New Mexico plague death is raising questions—but experts say rare diseases pose little risk to World Cup crowds compared to highly contagious infections like measles.

We invite the Brown University community and our friends around the world to join together in observing a moment of silence to mark six months since the shooting that occurred on our campus on December 13, 2025.

We acknowledge the void left by the two members of the Brown family we lost, and the pain that our entire community has carried since that day. We recognize our community’s grief and its resilience, and the continued healing that is part of our shared experience.

We are ever true.
https://evertrue.brown.edu/

"It's completely stunning that we would not allow Americans to return to the United States," Professor Jennifer Nuzzo tells NPR. "We have specialized, taxpayer-built units that exist solely for this purpose: to provide life-saving care to people who may be exposed to deadly diseases while they are doing important public health work."

White House response to hantavirus and Ebola contrasts with COVID criticisms The administration imposed mandatory quarantine orders on two passengers from the cruise ship hit by hantavirus and is blocking Americans who catch Ebola from returning home for treatment.

Measles? Norovirus? Ebola? West Nile virus? The World Cup has public health officials on high alert.⚽

Health sleuths are watching for disease threats during the World Cup Health officials will be on high alert for germs as millions of soccer fans gather for World Cup matches. A heat wave may be the most obvious health threat.

Speaking before the Subcommittee on Health of the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce yesterday, Professor Christopher Whaley called upon Congress to improve healthcare price and organizational . “Transparency is foundational,” Whaley said. “Whether it’s employers negotiating on behalf of their workers, researchers studying healthcare market dynamics, such as myself, states designing price reforms [or] federal regulators overseeing the Medicare program.”

Healthcare price transparency is necessary to improve affordability, Brown scholar tells Congress Speaking before a House Committee on Energy and Commerce subcommittee, public health researcher Christopher Whaley called upon Congress to improve healthcare price and organizational transparency.

"People on the street in Kenya are angry because for many of them, this looks like colonial decision making all over again," Professor Craig Spencer says. "That we can come into a country, decide what we want to bring in, do whatever the hell we want has led to an incredible amount of anti-American backlash."

Why there's a debate over the new quarantine center for Americans at risk of Ebola Opinions are divided about the new facility in Kenya. The U.S. defends it. Kenyans are protesting it. Doctors who were on the ground in the 2014 Ebola outbreak voice criticism as well.