Nancy Brown has been CEO of the American Heart Association since 2008. She was instrumental in starting the group’s Go Red for Women Venture Fund in 2024, which aims to invest $75 million in companies focused on health solutions specifically for women—since they often have different heart-disease symptoms than men. Only 2% of health care venture funding in 2023 went to women’s health, Brown says. Now, the American Heart Association is funding researchers who are studying ways to better spot high-risk women. Under Brown’s leadership, the fund will make its first investments in two start-up companies that help diagnose and treat neurological conditions and high blood pressure in women. “I predict that care will change in the not distant future because of the funding that we've been able to provide and the real dedication of these scientists.”

As director general of the World Health Organization (WHO), navigating uncertainty is part of Tedros Ghebreyesus’ job. Health threats don’t give warnings, and the viruses and pathogens responsible for them aren’t always predictable. But even he was surprised by President Donald Trump’s executive order on Jan. 20, Trump’s first day in office, announcing the U.S. was immediately withdrawing from the WHO and would cease communication with the organization. Most importantly, it would send no further funds, including what it owed for the 2024-2025 period. Ghebreysus was in Tanzania at the time, helping officials there manage an outbreak of Marburg virus (kin to Ebola) that killed the handful who were infected. While Trump had also attempted to withdraw from the WHO during his first term, there was no indication that he would continue those efforts—especially so soon. “There was no heads up,” Ghebreyesus says of the decision. He learned about it while watching the evening news. The next day, at a planned meeting with international health agencies to discuss the Marburg situation, the U.S. ambassador was absent. “They started to enforce the order immediately,” Ghebreysus says. He still has not heard from Trump.

Already controversial because of his skepticism about vaccines, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has proven a lightning rod since he was sworn in as secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on Feb. 13. Pledging to “Make America Healthy Again,” he is overseeing a massive reorganization of HHS that includes downsizing its head count from 82,000 to 62,000 and slashing billions in grants that fund medical research. As the CDC worked to contain a measles outbreak which has infected more than 700 and killed two young children and one adult—the first such deaths from the disease in the U.S. in years—Kennedy has both endorsed the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine and also claimed that it was “not safety tested,” despite decades of scientific consensus that the vaccine is safe and effective. Kennedy’s statements about vaccines while in office have alarmed many in public health. And after a new CDC study showed a rising incidence of autism among children, Kennedy called the increase an “epidemic,” infuriating many scientists who say that the rise is driven by increased awareness and screening; he vowed new studies on environmental toxins, which he says have sent autism rates soaring, dismissing scientific evidence on other factors that can contribute to the disorder, like genetics. Kennedy is also moving quickly on some of his other top causes, pushing food manufacturers to phase out petroleum-based food dyes and trying to close a loophole that has allowed new ingredients to get into food uninspected—winning new allies, and critics, along the way.

One of the particular characteristics of the Gates Foundation is its focus. It doesn’t try to solve all the world’s problems, but it attempts to be very comprehensive about the issues it addresses. After Melinda French Gates left the foundation she took that focus to her now 10-year old enterprise Pivotal Ventures, which looks for ways to improve women’s welfare. In October, she announced she would distribute $250 million to organizations that have innovative ideas about improving the mental and physical health of women and families, part of a bigger $1 billion thrust to advance women’s rights and wellbeing on several fronts. One of the biggest challenges in women’s health is a lack of data—not just about health issues that only strike women, like family planning, maternal mortality and menopause, but also about issues that show up differently in women than in men, such as auto-immune disease and digestive disorders. Gates wants to fund research and solutions to address these gaps, and hosted an open call for enterprises to pitch for some of that $250 million. But it’s not just about medicine. As caregivers, women sometimes have challenges getting access to the health services they need even if they’re readily available. Gates is also, for the first time, spending money on reproductive rights in the U.S., partly because she now has grandchildren. Recipients include the Guttmacher Institute and the Center for Reproductive Rights. “My granddaughter will have fewer rights than I do,” she told TIME in 2024. “That doesn’t make any sense.”

As Google’s first chief health officer, Dr. Karen DeSalvo says she invented the job as she went. There was a lot to create. Since arriving at Google in 2019, she has capitalized on health applications of technology like generative AI, and in 2024 Google Health launched the latest version of AlphaFold, an revolutionary modeling tool that helps biomedical researchers predict the shape of proteins as they develop new drugs and treatments for human diseases. Under DeSalvo’s leadership (she recently announced she will retire this summer), Google Health also modernized how doctors and scientists, as well as patients, understand health care data. In May 2024, the company released Med-Gemini, an AI-based tool to help doctors and researchers make sense of the increasing volumes of medical data, from health records and images to journal articles. And to help patients navigate the confusing U.S. health care system, Google is developing digital agents that can research symptoms, make appointments with health care providers, and evaluate which treatment options are right for them. DeSalvo’s team also oversaw the development of the 2024 Pixel watch, which has a new feature that detects when someone no longer has a pulse and immediately calls emergency services.

When David Ricks became CEO of Eli Lilly, he faced the usual pressures of making the right, albeit risky, bets on the next big pharmaceutical breakthrough. But he also faced a unique challenge—the Midwest-based company’s culture of “Lilly nice” that led to very little dissent and conflict among leadership. To Ricks, those habits inhibited productive discussion, and risked losing Lilly’s edge as an innovator known for developing new drug classes, as it had with human insulin and the antidepressant Prozac. So he’s pushed to increase not just speed but also communication with researchers and scientists outside of the company to ensure that Lilly stays on top of the next big thing. It’s paid off, both for the company’s stockholders and for patients—its market capitalization is valued close to $900 billion and its treatments outperform rivals. Lilly developed the most effective Alzheimer’s treatment yet, which studies show is more effective than its competitor in reducing the cognitive decline associated with the disease, and was approved by the FDA in July 2024. And its diabetes and obesity treatments (marketed as Mounjaro and Zepbound), which patients inject once a week, also reduce blood sugar and weight, respectively, more effectively than the competition. The company just announced encouraging data in April on its first oral version of these drugs, which so far appears to reduce blood sugar and weight by similar amounts as the injectable version. “If it’s going to be a great drug, let’s make sure it says Lilly on it,” Ricks says of his drug development philosophy. A pill would be cheaper to make and therefore less expensive for patients as well—another issue Ricks has confronted head on. He led the company into unprecedented territory when he slashed the price of insulin to $35 a month, which prompted others in the industry to do the same. He’s applied the same strategy to reduce costs to patients for its weight loss and diabetes drugs, turning the pharmaceutical giant into a pharmacy for the first time with Lilly Direct, which allows patients to order the drug directly from Lilly, and also access doctors who can prescribe the medication at a reduced cost for those paying out of pocket. “Why didn’t these things happen earlier?” he says. “I don’t know, but I think people feel constrained by norms, and we just pushed beyond them. Do what you do well, where you can, and push the boundary when that’s not enough.”

Dr. Sumbul Desai’s job is to think creatively about the different ways that technology can improve health. As Vice President of Health at Apple, she starts with strong data from studies the company conducts with academic institutes, the American Heart Association, and the World Health Organization to understand which metrics give the best window into overall health. Apple received approval in 2024 to turn the iPhone into a professional-grade hearing test, and AirPods Pro 2 got the go-ahead to function as hearing aids with just a few in-app adjustments.

In March 2025, it was announced that the U.S. would no longer support international public health programs that vaccinated millions of children worldwide. This is a hit to children worldwide on top of the Trump administration cuts to U.S. AID programs that provided basic nutrition for hundreds of thousands of children worldwide. One may interpret these directives as a reflection that the current U.S. political leadership no longer believes that the U.S. has an obligation to non-American children. But one only needs to look at what is happening in the U.S. now to see that the lack of care for children at home, as the administration signals to cut the Vaccines for Children program, which supports disease-preventative efforts in the U.S. Advertisement Examining what has evolved from the culture wars of the past several years, one sees a slew of policies detrimental to children in many ways. Rather than reflecting mainstream pediatric and educational philosophy, these policies mirror the political creep of fringe groups and politicians to impose their viewpoints on other people's children. These policies impact infection control, education, nutrition, healthcare, and the environment. Front-page news is now dotted with reports of a resurgence in vaccine-preventable infections, including measles. But contrary to some, vaccinations have never been a matter of personal choice in this country, but rather a 100-year-old societal obligation to keep America safe. In fact, the majority of Americans support childhood vaccination (about 70%), according to a January 2025 report by the Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC). Yet, the measles outbreaks happening across the U.S. are predictable consequences of a well-funded anti-vaccine movement that has pushed for laws encouraging vaccine exemptions and the weakening of school vaccine requirements.

The millions of people who suffer from seasonal allergies each year are too familiar with symptoms like sneezing, wheezing, and sniffling. But many don't realize there are lots of other, more unusual ways allergies can show up. “People have a preconceived notion of what allergies are, but there's so much outside just itchy eyes or sneezing,” says Dr. Purvi Parikh, an allergist and immunologist at NYU Langone Health. “It can mimic a lot of infections—people think they’re getting sick with something, but it’s actually allergies.” Advertisement We asked allergists to share some of the lesser-known symptoms they see in their offices, from black eyes to nasal creases. A sore throat Perhaps you suspect you’re coming down with strep throat. It could actually be seasonal allergies. Blame it on post-nasal drip, that lovely sensation of mucus sliding down the back of your throat. “When your nose is all blocked up or inflamed, inflammation has nowhere to go, so it starts draining down your throat,” Parikh explains. “That’s what causes the sore throat, or having to clear your throat often.” Read More: Why You Suddenly Have Allergies There are a few ways to zero in on the likely culprit: If you have severe throat pain that begins suddenly and is paired with a fever and swollen tonsils, strep throat is certainly a contender. But if your symptoms are more gradual, and you’ve also noticed hoarseness or a chronic cough, consider making an appointment with an allergist.

On the hierarchy of healthy beverages, seltzer bubbles up to the top. Research has found that sparkling water (another name for seltzer) is just as hydrating as still water, and the human body absorbs it the same way. After all, seltzer is little more than plain water infused with carbon dioxide gas to make it fizzy. “Seltzer or carbonated water is generally beneficial because we are all underhydrated, and most people do not hydrate sufficiently during the day,” says Dr. David Poppers, a professor of medicine and director of GI quality and strategy initiatives at NYU Langone Health. “It’s hydrating, and it doesn’t have the calories that are associated with other drinks.” Advertisement So for those who prefer seltzer over still, it’s fine for most people to drink it regularly. But there are some caveats. Here’s what you need to know before you start subsisting off of seltzer. It may irritate your bladder For most people, it won’t have this effect. But if you have interstitial cystitis (a chronic condition that causes pain and pressure in the bladder area), or an overactive or sensitive bladder, “the carbonation in seltzer can potentially irritate the bladder lining and exacerbate symptoms like urgency or discomfort,” says Dr. Dana Cohen, a physician specializing in integrative medicine in New York City and co-author of the book Quench: Beat Fatigue, Drop Weight, and Heal Your Body Through the New Science of Optimum Hydration. The best way to tell if this is happening to you is to pay attention to your urinary symptoms after drinking seltzer.