Podcast appearances and mentions of Kristen V Brown

Genetic tests can help predict future health risks or just be a fun way to learn about your ancestry – but is that information just for you? Kristen V. Brown, staff writer at The Atlantic, joins host Krys Boyd to discuss giant loopholes in anti-discrimination laws that might allow disability and long-term care providers to exploit genetic testing results — even if a person never gets sick — and what that means for those told by a physician they should get tested. Her article is “Genetic Discrimination Is Coming for Us All.”

BRCA mutations are inextricably linked with breast cancer in women, but they can also lead to cancer in the pancreas, prostate and more in men. Kristen V. Brown, staff writer at The Atlantic covering health and science, explains the link and why more men should get tested for the BRCA gene.

On today’s episode: Unpacking Trump’s bizarre town hall with the Washington Post’s Maeve Reston. The Wall Street Journal’s Michelle Hackman walks us through Vice President Harris’s track record on immigration. The Atlantic’s Kristen V. Brown explains what 23andMe’s uncertain future means for the DNA of its millions of customers. Georgia’s first-day early-voting turnout smashes record. The Georgia Recorder has the story. The U.S. warns Israel to boost aid for Gaza or risk a cut to military support. The BBC reports. And the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show is back. Refinery29 recounts the rise and fall of America’s once-beloved lingerie company. Today’s episode was hosted by Shumita Basu.

Kristen V. Brown, a staff writer at The Atlantic, joins host Lisa Dent to discuss the concerns and issues with 23andMe on the verge of bankruptcy and collapse. What does that mean for their customers and the DNA given to them? Not bound by HIPPA rules and regulations, Brown says customer data is an asset […]

Reality TV stars are freezing their eggs on camera. Lawmakers in DC are debating federal protection for IVF. Hundreds of millions of dollars are being invested in slick startups that market fertility treatments for all. But this rapid growth has revealed cracks in the system. Misconception, a new series from Bloomberg's Prognosis, follows reporter Kristen V. Brown on her own intimate journey as she uncovers the business of fertility. Along the way, she finds a fractured industry — a profit-driven field of medicine that thrives on dueling messages of hope and fear as people gamble everything for a chance at a baby.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

According to 2022 data published by the CDC, birth rates declined for women 24 and under and rose for women ages 25 to 29 and even older from 35 to 49. For many women, having children later in life is made possible through fertility treatment.That phrase encompasses a lengthy journey of testing and treatments. One that has many steps and many a dollar attached to it.Kristen V. Brown is a health reporter. She went through the IVF journey in the U.S. and documented it in the new podcast "Misconception." We discuss her reporting. Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Connect with us. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Reality TV stars are freezing their eggs on camera. Lawmakers in DC are debating federal protection for IVF. Hundreds of millions of dollars are being invested in slick startups that market fertility treatments for all. But this rapid growth has revealed cracks in the system. Misconception, a new series from Bloomberg's Prognosis, follows reporter Kristen V. Brown on her own intimate journey as she uncovers the business of fertility. Along the way, she finds a fractured industry — a profit-driven field of medicine that thrives on dueling messages of hope and fear as people gamble everything for a chance at a baby.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Reality TV stars are freezing their eggs on camera. Lawmakers in DC are debating federal protection for IVF. Hundreds of millions of dollars are being invested in slick startups that market fertility treatments for all. But this rapid growth has revealed cracks in the system. Misconception, a new series from Bloomberg's Prognosis, follows reporter Kristen V. Brown on her own intimate journey as she uncovers the business of fertility. Along the way, she finds a fractured industry — a profit-driven field of medicine that thrives on dueling messages of hope and fear as people gamble everything for a chance at a baby.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Reality TV stars are freezing their eggs on camera. Lawmakers in DC are debating federal protection for IVF. Hundreds of millions of dollars are being invested in slick startups that market fertility treatments for all. But this rapid growth has revealed cracks in the system. Misconception, a new series from Bloomberg's Prognosis, follows reporter Kristen V. Brown on her own intimate journey as she uncovers the business of fertility. Along the way, she finds a fractured industry — a profit-driven field of medicine that thrives on dueling messages of hope and fear as people gamble everything for a chance at a baby.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Reality TV stars are freezing their eggs on camera. Lawmakers in DC are debating federal protection for IVF. Hundreds of millions of dollars are being invested in slick startups that market fertility treatments for all. But this rapid growth has revealed cracks in the system. Misconception, a new series from Bloomberg's Prognosis, follows reporter Kristen V. Brown on her own intimate journey as she uncovers the business of fertility. Along the way, she finds a fractured industry — a profit-driven field of medicine that thrives on dueling messages of hope and fear as people gamble everything for a chance at a baby.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The FDA has cleared the new Covid booster shots that target the Omicron subvariants that are prominent right now.  The shots are likely to be offered very soon but complicating the efforts will be the vaccine fatigue that has set in and the fact that these shots have been cleared without results from clinical trials.  Vaccine experts say it is not needed since it's just an update to a proven shot and is similar to the process for flu shots.  Liz Whyte, reporter at the WSJ, joins us for what to know about the retooled boosters.   Next, get ready for the magic mushroom pill!  As the medical benefits of psychedelic drugs has moved into solid science and more mainstream startups are racing ahead to bring products to market.  Psilocybin and other psychedelics have shown promise in treating conditions like depression and PTSD and is especially effective when paired with therapy.  As a result, we are seeing an industry pop up that could see a global market for psychedelic pharmaceuticals reach $6.9 billion by 2027.  Kristen V Brown, health editor and reporter at Bloomberg News, joins us for more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Congress is making slow progress toward completing its ambitious social spending bill, although its Thanksgiving deadline looks optimistic. Meanwhile, a new survey finds the average cost of an employer-provided family plan has risen to more than $22,000. That's about the cost of a new Toyota Corolla.Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Anna Edney of Bloomberg News and Rebecca Adams of CQ Roll Call join KHN's Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Rebecca Love, a nurse academic and entrepreneur, about the impending crisis in nursing.And here are the panelists' favorite health policy stories of the week:Julie Rovner: Washington Monthly's “The Doctor Will Not See You Now,” by Merrill Goozner.Alice Miranda Ollstein: NPR's “Despite Calls to Improve, Air Travel Is Still a Nightmare for Many With Disabilities,” by Joseph Shapiro and Allison Mollenkamp.Rebecca Adams: KHN's “Patients Went Into the Hospital for Care. After Testing Positive There for Covid, Some Never Came Out,” by Christina Jewett.Anna Edney: Bloomberg News' “All Those 23andMe Spit Tests Were Part of a Bigger Plan,” by Kristen V Brown.Click here for a transcript of the episode. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In the series premiere of "Doubt," we meet Jon, a New York City paramedic struggling to decide whether he should get vaccinated. Bloomberg health reporter Kristen V. Brown shows how the pandemic has led many people like him to question vaccines for the first time — and how this distrust threatens to prolong the pandemic.

The U.S. is struggling to monitor Covid-19 variants, a key part of watching for the emergence of dangerous mutations that might spread quickly, evade vaccines or kill more infected people. The country ranks 32nd in the world for the number of tests it’s done to detect mutations per 1,000 Covid cases. Kristen V. Brown reports that other countries, like the U.K., have established robust, nationwide surveillance programs to identify new Covid genomes and track the spread of existing ones.

Restaurants across the country have been building and using outdoor dining spaces since the summer. But as winter approaches, many establishments are converting them into sheds or tents to help keep customers warm. As Kristen V. Brown reports, these new structures can sometimes feel more indoors than outdoors. We wondered how safe they really are for patrons.

The holidays will not be business as usual this year. Instead of just figuring out what to cook for Thanksgiving dinner, we have to consider things like who we can invite to dinner safely, or whether we should even be hosting a meal at all. Reporter Kristen V. Brown finds expert answers to your questions around social distancing etiquette and the Holiday season.

Dozens of companies are rushing to test and produce a Covid-19 vaccine as fast as possible. But a fringe group of DIY scientists made a bet that without regulatory hurdles, they could produce a vaccine themselves a whole lot faster. But as Kristen V. Brown reports, they learned that making a vaccine that works reliably--and can be proven safe--is incredibly difficult.

Six months into the coronavirus pandemic, the U.S. is still hamstrung by testing efforts. There are not enough Covid-19 tests. But even when there are tests available, they aren’t always reliable. Kristen V. Brown reports on the free-for-all that U.S. coronavirus testing has become.

In the rush to develop a vaccine or treatment for Covid-19, drug companies are fast-tracking clinical trials. But those trials have a major diversity problem. Participants in major drug trials range from 70 percent to 89 percent white. This is a big problem, considering it’s a disease that disproportionately affects people of color. Kristen V. Brown reports that failing to account for minority groups could potentially impact how well a drug eventually works for those that the virus has harmed the most.

While wearing a mask, or refusing to wear one, has become politicized, there’s one Covid safety measure we seem to be comparatively united about: Everyone knows they should stand six feet away from other people in public. But where did this guidance come from? Kristen V. Brown reports that one simple number is already changing our behavior, and will soon change the places where we live, work and play.

The NBA is giving players the option to wear a device that tracks their health data when basketball games begin this July. The device - called an Oura Ring - can measure things like the body’s temperature and heart rate. The hope is that it could provide the league with early warning signs that someone may have contracted an illness like COVID-19. Bloomberg reporter Kristen V. Brown reports that the move is part of a larger conversation about whether or not wearable technology like a Fitbit or an Apple Watch can help fight the pandemic.

It’s now relatively easy to get tested to see if you carry the antibodies for Covid-19. Urgent Care centers and many doctor’s offices are offering the tests widely. But the science is still out on whether or not people who have had Covid-19 become immune to it. Not to mention the possibility that the test you take may not be accurate. Reporter Kristen V. Brown tries to answer the question: is it worth taking the test at all?

When the country went into lockdown this spring, it forced kids to adapt to a new life at home. The adjustment for them--and their parents -- has been huge. Experts still aren’t sure what will happen in the upcoming school year, meaning kids could be living in quarantine for much longer. Kristen V. Brown reports on what we how children are coping with the virus so far.

There’s a growing public health argument about how people should calculate risk when it comes to social distancing. Many states are now lifting stay-at-home restrictions, summer is around the corner, and people in the third month of what many hoped would be a weeks-long disruption are desperate to visit friends and get outside. That means we will be socializing a lot more--in many cases, without clear guidelines as to what’s really risky. Kristen V. Brown reports that as we learn more about how the virus spreads, and what constitutes risky behavior, messaging from experts will have to become a little more nuanced than just “stay home, stay safe.”

After months of sheltering in place, some people have begun looking for ways to get around some of the more onerous social distancing guidelines. That’s especially true as the weather warms up in the U.S. Bloomberg reporter Kristen V. Brown collected listener questions around social distancing etiquette, and brought them to an expert to clear up the confusion. If you have any more quarantine questions, give us a call at 646 324 3490. We may even play your voicemail on a future show.

Last week, researchers at the Los Alamos National Laboratory released alarming news: At least one variant of the virus that causes Covid-19 had significantly mutated to become more contagious. If true, this would have major implications. A new variant could, for example, hamper efforts to develop a vaccine or mean that people who’ve already had Covid-19 might face a greater risk of getting it again. But critics said the data didn’t support such a big claim. Kristen V. Brown discusses what it really means that the virus is changing.

Antibody tests are suddenly everywhere. These tests are designed to determine whether someone contracted the virus in the past. They help policy makers understand how the virus spreads, and whether measures to contain the virus are working. Federal regulators relaxed guidelines to make it easier for companies to produce the tests, but this has allowed for a flood of unreliable--and sometimes fraudulent--tests to be offered to consumers. Now, Kristen V. Brown reports, the government is trying to control the mess.

As states grapple with the question of when it will be safe to reopen businesses and relax social distancing, there's increasing urgency to better understand who's immune to Covid-19. Does having the virus and recovering mean you can't get it again, or at least that you can’t be reinfected for some time? No one yet has good answers to these questions. Kristen V. Brown looked into what we do, and don't, know about the science of coronavirus immunity.

Iceland has become one of the best places in the world to study Covid-19. That’s because the country is an island nation with only one real port of entry and a small population. It also introduced widespread testing as soon as the virus arrived in March. Bloomberg reporter Kristen V. Brown traveled to Reykjavik, the capital, just as the global scale of the pandemic was starting to become clear. She reports that the rest of the world is learning from Iceland about how the virus moves through a population.

We're living in an age of unprecedented access to genomic data; all we have to do is send off a sample of saliva in the mail to a company like 23andMe or Ancestry to get a comprehensive report containing information about our ancestral lineage, diseases we might pass on to our children, and diseases we might develop during our lifetime. There's no question that understanding genomic data affords a great benefit to many people, but there's a tradeoff that's critical to acknowledge, and it's one of privacy. Where does our information go once in the hands of these companies? Can it really be deleted at the press of a button, as we are led to believe? If you have been under the impression that you have control over your genomic data, even after it's been tested by a company, you aren't alone. Most people don't realize that once a sample of DNA undergoes health-related genomic data analysis, federal law dictates that it must be saved. In other words, it would be illegal for a company like 23andMe or Ancestry to delete it. If this were more widely understood by the public, it might change the frequency and ease with which we hand over our DNA. This might be particularly true if we were more cognizant of the fact that our DNA doesn't just contain information about ourselves, but about those related to us. Kristen V. Brown, reporter with Bloomberg News, joins the podcast to discuss all of this and more, including: What level of control you DO have over your genetic information, and how to exercise it Why there is a federal law against the deletion of certain genomic information and genetic material Where your data is likely to go once you send it to a private company like 23andMe or Ancestry

This week on Decrypted, we're re-airing our story about CeCe Moore, who helps law enforcement track down killers by combing through databases of consumer DNA test results. At the end of the episode, host Aki Ito catches up with reporter Kristen V. Brown to see what's new in this emerging field. 

Northern White Rhinos are functionally extinct: The two remaining females have no males to breed with. But an ambitious plan is underway to save the species. This week on Decrypted, reporter Kristen V. Brown meets the scientists using cutting edge stem cell science to create a rhino embryo in a San Diego lab.

On our latest episode of Prognosis, reporter Kristen V. Brown sells her DNA data to the highest bidder. Health data has turned into big business, but Brown quickly realized she wasn’t about to get rich. In exchange for an Amazon gift card or a few shares of marginal value, companies promise to use your data in the quest for better healthcare. 

Darshan and Major talk about 23 & Me Data collected and it's potential ramifications to our privacy.  "Embedded in our genetic code is all kinds of sensitive data that could be compromising in the wrong hands without genetic privacy protections, the information stored in our genes might be used to discriminate against us or send us targeted ads. For these reasons, some have said we should skip out on consumer DNA tests if we value our privacy. Last week, after the FDA gave DNA testing company 23andMe the greenlight to offer consumers disease risk assessments, there was a new wave of warnings. “The product isn't really a kit...the product is you,” Popular Science wrote after the announcement. Others have speculated that the company's long-term goals include selling your data for advertising purposes. Let's be clear here. 23andMe definitely is selling your data to third party companies, research institutions and nonprofits. But it is not selling your genetic data to those entities in order for them to sell you things. It is selling de-identified, aggregate data for research, if you give them consent." From original article, by Kristen V. Brown:  https://gizmodo.com/23andme-is-selling-your-data-but-not-how-you-think-1794340474  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Darshan and Major talk about 23 & Me Data collected and it's potential ramifications to our privacy.  "Embedded in our genetic code is all kinds of sensitive data that could be compromising in the wrong hands without genetic privacy protections, the information stored in our genes might be used to discriminate against us or send us targeted ads. For these reasons, some have said we should skip out on consumer DNA tests if we value our privacy. Last week, after the FDA gave DNA testing company 23andMe the greenlight to offer consumers disease risk assessments, there was a new wave of warnings. “The product isn't really a kit...the product is you,” Popular Science wrote after the announcement. Others have speculated that the company's long-term goals include selling your data for advertising purposes. Let's be clear here. 23andMe definitely is selling your data to third party companies, research institutions and nonprofits. But it is not selling your genetic data to those entities in order for them to sell you things. It is selling de-identified, aggregate data for research, if you give them consent." From original article, by Kristen V. Brown:  https://gizmodo.com/23andme-is-selling-your-data-but-not-how-you-think-1794340474  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What can you really learn about your heritage from a home DNA testing kit? We hear from Bill and Ylva Wires, a couple in Berlin who used DNA testing kits to find out more about their ancestors. Manuela Saragosa speaks to Rafi Mendelsohn of MyHeritage.com - one major company in this field - and Kristen V Brown who covers genetics stories for Bloomberg.Producer: Laurence Knight(Photo: Old family photos, Credit: Getty Images)

Over the past few years, millions of Americans have signed up for consumer DNA testing. It's an easy process that many hope will help them identity where their ancestors came from. But as Bloomberg's Kristen V. Brown tells David Meyers, what many are also doing is legally, yet unknowingly, exposing their genetic data to law enforcement agencies--possibly opening a Pandora's Box of privacy. FOLLOW UP Kristen's latest report: No One Is Safeguarding Your DNA You can follow Kristen at: @kristenvbrown ---- TicToc is a daily news podcast hosted by David Meyers (@davidfmeyers), produced at Bloomberg Worldwide HQ in New York City. You can follow up with us and watch our reporting @tictoc. If you like it, be sure to rate us on iTunes, and tell your friends!

In episode three of Prognosis, Kristen V. Brown and Sarah McBride take a trip to Burning Man. They're there to follow Rick Doblin, who has become something of a folk hero for those who believe MDMA—Ecstasy—could be a viable clinical treatment for things like PTSD. But to help push an illegal drug into the mainstream, it takes lots of cash. And to find money for an unconventional treatment, what better place than Burning Man?

In 1987, a young couple was killed in Washington state. This case, and others like it, were unsolved for decades — until a new technology emerged. This week on Decrypted, Bloomberg's Kristen V. Brown visits CeCe Moore, who's at the forefront of using genetic genealogy to hunt killers. Her work is made possible by consumers who upload their DNA test results to the internet to learn about their family lineages and their own health. But did these consumers intend for that information to be used to track down criminals?

With the rise in consumer DNA tests and online genealogy, people might soon have a pretty good idea where their families came from for generations. But are we putting too much faith in DNA? Can our genetic ancestry really tell us anything about ourselves? And what happens when DNA databases become playgrounds for true crime sleuths? Guests: Carl Zimmer, science journalist and author of She Has Her Mother's Laugh: The Powers, Perversions and Potential of Heredity Kristen V. Brown, biotechnology reporter at Bloomberg Kim Tallbear, author of Native American DNA: Tribal Belonging and the False Promise of Genetic Science Clan_McCrimmon, moderator of the Lyle Stevik subreddit  Colleen Fitzpatrick and Margaret Press, cofounders of DNA Doe Kelly Hills, cofounder of Rogue Bioethics Further Reading: She Has Her Mother's Laugh: The Powers, Perversions and Potential of Heredity Native American DNA: Tribal Belonging and the False Promise of Genetic Science The Garden of Invention: Luther Burbank and the Business of Breeding Plants In an Age of Gene Editing and Surrogacy, What Does Heredity Mean? How DNA Testing Botched My Family's Heritage, and Probably Yours, Too DNA testing is like the 'Wild West'; should it be more tightly regulated? DNA test kits: Consider the privacy implications The ingenious and ‘dystopian’ DNA technique police used to hunt the ‘Golden State Killer’ suspect The Strange Case of the Man With No Name Web Sleuths: Lyle Stevik Reddit: Lyle Stevik GED Match Active DNA Doe Cases DNA Doe Lyle Stevik Press Release  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kristen Brown returns, now with Fusion, to discuss her recent work on online trolls. Brown writes about how technology is impacting the future of our bodies, our brains and our culture.  Before that, she covered tech for The San Francisco Chronicle also been a Hearst Fellow, a founding editor and writer at the politics and culture magazine The Caravan in India, a contributing writer for Adweek and a New York City breaking news reporter.Her favorite stories are: profiling the Internet's biggest troll, freaking out my boss with some tech-enabled cyberstalking, going to Internet addiction camp and this random story about a landfill in Upstate New York.