Theresa MacPhail, PhD (Dr. Theresa MacPhail)
Medical anthropologist and author; explores health systems, pharma culture, and public‑health policy.
Few Habitual Sharers Drive Most Online Misinformation
Every time I open a social media app and see the same people posting (and I'm including myself in this), I'm reminded of a small study that showed 15% of habitual sharers were responsible for 30-40% of misinformation. Guess who is talking about mis/dis/mal-information in my science communication class today?
College Isn’t the “Best Time”—Stop the Ageist Myth
PSA: Please stop telling college students it's the "best time of their lives." 1. That's not necessarily true. What is more true: It's a unique time. It's an important time. It can be life-changing. 2. It's ageist. It implies everything...
Prepare Now: Aging Care Will Soon Be Everyone's Reality
As someone researching aging during a time when everyone is trying to extend lifespan (and not necessarily healthspan), I beg you to read this entire🧵. Unless something changes, this is your future reality. You may already be dealing with this if...
Teaching Your Own Work Feels Like Self‑Scrutiny
I always feel weird assigning things I'm in. It feels like a weird flex, even when it's actually a good teaching resource. Today my global health class is talking about "the fevers", colonialism, and the beginnings of global health. So I...
Clean Air Essential for All Lungs, Despite Expert Opposition
For my book Allergic, I went to Cincinnati Children's Hospital and talked to asthma experts that vehemently argued otherwise...with decades of data behind them. Young (and old) lungs especially need the cleanest air we can manage. This is one of the...