Rebekah Kells

Rebekah is a science writer for the Health Section.

Role: Journalist, Health
Email: Please use the contact form to contact Rebekah Kells.

Antibiotic shows antiviral potential

Researchers at Yale have discovered that a type of antibiotic surprisingly displays antiviral properties in...

Sleep unlocks secret of youth for the elderly

As we age, our nights can become more eventful with regular toilet trips, spells of wakefulness and the many other...

Bacteria Needed to Save Coral Reef

We increasingly hear about how important bacteria are for our bodies and our health, but scientists are now becoming aware...

Worry as Zika Escalates

Title Ideas: DSC03415-MosquitoW2 Meet Zika, the new Ebola. Zika: the new terror of 2016 Worry as Zika escalates Just as...

C-sections may affect babies' cognition

Researchers have shown that babies' delivered via a caesarean section have altered concentration capabilities compared to...

Predicting drug failure in Rheumatoid Arthritis

New research has found that it may be possible to determine which rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients will not respond to...

Miscarriage still misunderstood

Most people wrongly believe that miscarriage is rare and its possible causes are shrouded in myth, a new study shows. The...

A Sweet Deal for Antibiotics

Scientists have shown that a concentrated extract of maple syrup has the capacity to make disease-causing bacteria more...

Could green tea supplements have adverse health effects?

A link between green-tea based dietary supplements and drug-induced liver damage has been found in a recent study. With an...

Obese children are caught in a sugar-trap

Scientists have shown obese children's brains respond differently when tasting sugar compared to healthy weight children. ...

Study finds smoking e-cigarettes could cause cancer

A recent study hints that e-cigarette smoke may contribute to lung and bladder cancer, as well as heart disease, in...

Why black and white stripes trigger seizures

Those prone to migraine headaches might want to give anything with black and white repetitive stripes, such as zebra...

New treatment might provide faster recovery from Tuberculosis

A study has revealed that that a new drug regimen for tuberculosis could reduce treatment time by up to 75% as well as...

Nanomachines win Nobel Prize

The 2016 Nobel Prize for Chemistry was awarded last month by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences to a trio of European...

Stuck with your Ex's DNA

To be told that you look like your father can be a comforting thing. To be told that you look like your mother's...

Meet Zika, 2016's Ebola

Just as we thought that we had turned a corner and had Ebola under control, a new monster rears it's ugly head in the form...

Why you won't lose weight with exercise alone

If magazines and health clubs are to be believed, the new year should coincide with a whole new you. Many gyms see up to a...

Friends or Foes: the GMO debate

Love them or loathe them, Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) are very much part of modern life. It has been normal...

New Imaging Tool lights up the Brain

Harvard scientists have developed a new tool that could lead the way in brain imaging at a level previously thought...

Changing views on vaccines

Increasing outbreaks of whooping cough and measles in the U.S. have triggered national conversations about the safety and...

Eyes wide open

Eye contact is the most basic interaction with another person. When people look into each other's eyes, they spontaneously...

Surgical anaesthesia linked to lower IQ in children

Scientists have shown that children under 4 years old, who received general anaesthesia for surgery, are likely to have...

It doesn't pay to be thrifty

It was a commonly held belief but now its evidence-based fact: some people lose weight more easily than others based on...

Brain Map for Language

A multi-site research project has given a new perspective on diagnosing different forms of aphasia, a condition that often...

Active body = Active mind

A recent study has revealed that physical activity in healthy older adults may act as a protection from brain damage and...

Goodbye Chemobrain

Researchers at the University of California have shown for the first time that stem cells can reverse the memory and...

Cancers: More random than bad luck

A scientific paper published over the New Year has caused considerable contention and divisions amongst scientists and...

Women crave cigarettes more than men

Women looking to quit smoking as a 'new year resolution' should consider timing it with their menstrual cycle. Female...

Obese children are caught in a sugar-trap

Scientists have shown obese children's brains respond differently when tasting sugar compared to healthy weight children. ...