Jessica Firger
Reporter
Jessica Firger is a staff writer at Newsweek, where she covers all things health. She previously worked as a health editor at CBSnews.com and Everyday Health. Before taking on the medical beat, she was a stringer for the Wall Street Journal's metro section and was the lead on-the-ground reporter for the paper's coverage of Occupy Wall Street. Jessica has also written for the New York Times, Al Jazeera America, Salon, Elle and Marie Claire, among others. She's a native New Yorker.
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Progress on Black Infant Mortality Rates Stalls in U.S.
A second look at CDC data shows that racial disparity in health starts in the earliest days of life. -
Fentanyl Found in Georgia Resists Life-Saving Naloxone
Law enforcement officials identified two illicit synthetic opioids that are so strong they can be absorbed through the skin. -
FIFA Concussion Guidelines Often Ignored at World Cup
A new study of plays during the 2014 World Cup games finds protocols for head injury assessment weren’t followed at least 60 percent of the time. -
Night Shift Work May Increase Cancer Risk
They don’t call it the graveyard shift for nothing. -
KFC’s Chicken Sandwich to Near-Space Mission is Delayed
A small step for mankind, but a giant leap for fast food corporations. -
Why Are Teens Today Having Less Sex?
A new CDC report finds a decline in the number of high schoolers in the U.S. who have sexual intercourse before age 18. -
Does It Pay to Pay HIV Patients to Take Their Meds?
A new study explores incentivizing HIV care through small monetary awards. -
How 3D Printing Can Help Mend a Broken Heart
No, this isn't another silly love song; new technology may help transform cardiology. -
Teen Use of E-Cigarettes Declines
Fewer high school students and middle-schoolers are smoking, but 3.9 million still used at least one tobacco product in 2016. -
One Day There Could Be a Blood Test for Autism
Tests for the risk of a child being born with the condition are elusive and controversial. -
Autism Risk: Are Girls More Protected From Diagnosis?
The Autism Sisters Project seeks to understand why boys are four times more likely to develop autism than girls. -
Alzheimer’s Disease Deaths Spike 55 Percent in 15 Years
CDC study also shows that more patients suffering from this type of dementia are dying at home rather than in a care facility. -
Summer Means Sunscreen: Here’s How to Choose Wisely
The sun is out, which means it’s time to slather on the SPF. -
Ebola Virus: CDC Not Ready to Issue Travel Advisory
Experts know from the 2014 epidemic that when the deadly virus crosses borders it sticks around for awhile. -
Ebola Virus: New Approach to Management
In the wake of DR Congo’s outbreak, an international team of researchers reviewed 37 models to develop gold-standard recommendations that minimize the spread of the disease. -
Free Porn Ruins Men’s Sex Lives, But Not Women’s
New research suggests some men now prefer pornography over sex IRL. -
Mind-Body Connection During Meditation Can be Tracked
A new study demonstrates the close correlation between heart and brain that results from mindfulness, and provides a novel way to study it. -
Beloved Poop Emoji Now Has its Own Posse
A pharmaceutical company created a troop of new poop emojis to encourage straight talk about bathroom business and promote its new drug for chronic constipation. -
There’s a Dangerous Racial Bias in the Body Mass Index
An increasing amount of research shows that BMI and weight are not necessarily the main indicators of a person’s health. -
Trumpcare May Worsen the Opioid Crisis
'Every day that someone can’t get treatment is a day they may no longer be able to see the end of.' -
Soft Drinks Now Cheaper Than Water in Many Countries
Cheaper soda is likely to lead to higher rates of obesity, diabetes and cancer worldwide, according to a new report from the CDC and American Cancer Society. -
3-D Printing Saves Conjoined Twins
Surgeons used CT scans and life-like modeling to plan a complicated surgical separation of two infants fused at the chests. -
Instagram Food Photos Keep Dieters on Track
Trying to eat healthier? Keep taking photos of your kale salad. -
Could a Facelift Really Improve Your Life?
A new study finds people who undergo facial cosmetic surgery are perceived by others as healthy and successful. -
How a Robot Worm Could Make Colonoscopies Fun (Really)
A professor at Ben-Gurion University in Israel is developing a tiny robot that will be able to crawl through the intestinal tract. -
Raise a Sign if You Love Science
Throngs of New Yorkers took to the streets on Earth Day for Saturday's worldwide March for Science. Viva la evolution! -
This March for Science is Going to be YUGE
For most people, evidence-based research definitely trumps alternative facts. That’s why millions of people are taking to the streets on Earth Day. -
Developing 'Smart' Skin That Can Feel, Stretch and Heal
A professor is testing artificial skin that can mimic human properties and potentially be utilized by amputees and skin graft patients to improve their quality of life. -
Zika Vaccine Headed to Phase 2 Trial
Just in time for mosquito season, the National Institutes of Health is launching a multi-site study of a vaccine that may protect against the mosquito-borne virus. -
Report: Climate Change May Lead to Poor Mental Health
The report came a day after Donald Trump issued new measures to roll back the Obama administration’s anti–climate change policies. -
Breast Cancer Survivors Trade Scars for Body Art
Mastectomy patients are increasingly opting for colorful ink to reclaim their bodies. -
Scott Pruitt is a CO2 Truther
The EPA chief says carbon dioxide is not a primary contributor to global warming.