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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Moderna says its low-dose pediatric vaccine appears to be safe and provide protection for kids ages 6 months to 6 years, and it is asking the Food and Drug Administration for emergency authorization.
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The rise of the more infectious BA.2 variant in the U.S. — plus signals in the sewage — also point to a possible uptick in cases, and have health officials on alert. -
Pfizer says it will soon submit data on a fourth COVID shot to the Food and Drug Administration. What is the case for another booster, and is there a downside to the approach?
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Not everyone feels safe shedding COVID precautions. But it can be awkward being the only masked person in a room. Here's how to cope with the uncertainty of risk right now — and the peer pressure. -
With masks coming off in schools, day care centers and other places, many parents of young children are getting especially anxious and want to get their kids vaccinated. Pediatric trials continue.
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While many people have stopped wearing masks and resumed pre-pandemic activities, anxiety persists about dropping COVID precautions, even among people who aren't at high risk for serious illness.
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New research out of New York found the protection of the vaccine against infection in kids ages 5 to 11 dropped from 68% to 12%. -
The omicron BA.2 variant spreads about 30% more easily and has caused surges in other countries. Its steady increase in the U.S. raises questions about the wisdom of rolling back COVID restrictions. -
It's another discombobulating moment in the pandemic, with conflicting signs of where the virus is heading and what people should do about it on a daily basis. Here's how to cope. -
The Food and Drug Administration is has postponed releasing details about whether two low doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine can protect kids ages 6 months to 5 years old.
