Rob Stein
Rob Stein is a correspondent and senior editor on NPR's science desk.
An award-winning science journalist with more than 30 years of experience, Stein mostly covers health and medicine. He tends to focus on stories that illustrate the intersection of science, health, politics, social trends, ethics, and federal science policy. He tracks genetics, stem cells, cancer research, women's health issues, and other science, medical, and health policy news.
Before NPR, Stein worked at The Washington Post for 16 years, first as the newspaper's science editor and then as a national health reporter. Earlier in his career, Stein spent about four years as an editor at NPR's science desk. Before that, he was a science reporter for United Press International (UPI) in Boston and the science editor of the international wire service in Washington.
Stein's work has been honored by many organizations, including the National Academy of Sciences, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Association for Cancer Research, and the Association of Health Care Journalists. He was twice part of NPR teams that won Peabody Awards.
Stein frequently represents NPR, speaking at universities, international meetings and other venues, including the University of Cambridge in Britain, the World Conference of Science Journalists in South Korea, and the Aspen Institute in Washington, DC.
Stein is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. He completed a journalism fellowship at the Harvard School of Public Health, a program in science and religion at the University of Cambridge, and a summer science writer's workshop at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, Mass.
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A study that followed more than 3,000 babies into adulthood found those who were breast-fed had slightly higher IQ test scores, stayed in school longer and earned more money as adults.
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The technique aims to rejuvenate a woman's eggs using mitochondria from cells extracted from her ovaries. A Toronto clinic's first births are due soon, and some doctors are worried about side effects.
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The agency says the labels for testosterone drugs must state they aren't approved to fight aging and may increase the risk for heart attacks and strokes.
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Clostridium difficilesickens nearly half a million Americans annually, killing about 29,000, say federal health officials. They warn hospitals and nursing homes to tighten hygiene protocols.
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Babies who ate the equivalent of about 4 heaping teaspoons of peanut butter weekly were about 80 percent less likely to develop a peanut allergy by their fifth birthday. So finds a landmark new study.
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Is the FDA being sexist or appropriately cautious in requiring stringent evidence that the latest pill works and is safe? Women's advocacy groups aren't sure.
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Unexpectedly high levels of the cancer-causing chemical were found in an analysis of the vapor from e-cigarettes, researchers say.
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The vaccine is only about 23 percent effective against the dominant flu strain, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That's because the strain mutated slightly.
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An HPV test could replace the Pap smear for many women, two groups of physicians say. But other doctors, including the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, still urge dual testing.
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With two young men dead, the Food and Drug Administration is considering banning sales to consumers of a highly concentrated form of pure caffeine. It's too easy to overdose, officials warn.