According to a new analysis, pumas maintain relationships with nearly 500 living species and play an integral role in keeping ecosystems healthy and resilient throughout the Western hemisphere. The study, a collaboration between the conservation organizations Defenders of Wildlife and Panthera, not only demonstrates how pumas link numerous animals and plants but also how the human communities tied to these ecosystems benefit from the big cats.

Read more at my Animal Minds blog: This Cat Holds Ecosystems Together.

A bright spot during this COVID-19 pandemic has been the rapid development of effective vaccines that work by harnessing the power of messenger RNA, or mRNA. mRNA vaccines might seem like a relatively new idea, but researchers have been working on the technology behind them for decades. Now, the success of Moderna and Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccines are highlighting the immense potential for mRNA therapies—not just for infectious diseases, but also to treat cancer and genetic disorders.

Read my article at IEEE Pulse: The mRNA Revolution is Coming.

Decades of research have emphasized the importance of matriarchs in leading elephant herds. A herd, made up of related female elephants and their offspring, depends on the matriarch for guidance and leadership as they travel to find food and water, avoid danger, and bring up babies.

But much less research has investigated the relationships and connections that occur between unrelated male elephants in so-called “bull areas.” According to a new study, the presence of older male elephants within a bull area decreases the likelihood of aggression by other males. The finding could have implications for elephant conservation efforts and human-elephant conflicts.

Read more at my Animal Minds blog: In the Presence of Older Bulls, Male Elephants are Less Aggressive.

Suicide is more than just a mental health problem, it’s a social justice and public health issue, according to Meredith Chapman, MD, the medical director of the Center for Suicide Prevention and Research at Nationwide Children’s Hospital.

At a presentation at the recent annual meeting of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Dr. Chapman described the implementation and expansion of Zero Suicide at Nationwide Children’s. Zero Suicide is a comprehensive, system-wide approach for health care organizations — including a specific set of tools and strategies — to suicide prevention and intervention.

Read more about the program here: Zero Suicide: A Comprehensive Framework for Pediatric Hospitals.

Two new articles highlight research at Nationwide Children’s Hospital:

A new study is the first to explore the experiences of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, or Intersex, Plus (LGBTQI+) parents and identify the factors that influence their decisions on infant nutrition. The authors of the report say that recognizing these factors can help healthcare professionals improve their support of LGBTQI+ parents.

Challenges and Experiences of LGBTQI+ Parents Regarding Infant Nutrition

Researchers at Nationwide Children’s described physical activity patterns among high school-age adolescents with congenital heart disease (CHD) in the United States. The results, including analyses of the effects of gender and behavioral elements, were published in the Journal of Pediatric Psychology.

Are Adolescents with Congenital Heart Disease Getting Enough Physical Activity?