René F. Najera, MPH, DrPH – Medium

René F. Najera, MPH, DrPH

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Microbial Instincts

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René F. Najera, MPH, DrPH

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Jul 6

The Sleeping Sickness Epidemic That Medicine Still Can’t Explain

How encephalitis lethargica disabled a million people in the 1920s, and what it warns us about Long COVID today

A close-up photo of an anatomical model of the human brain, shown in a side cross-section view. Most of the brain is a soft pink color, with two small sections near the top highlighted in bright magenta and purple. Cream-colored areas reveal inner structures like the corpus callosum, brainstem, and the tree-like folds of the cerebellum, with a thin red line tracing part of the interior. The model sits on a black stand against a softly blurred, warm-toned background.

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The Quantastic Journal

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René F. Najera, MPH, DrPH

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4d ago

Sleep Apnea and CPAP: What the Science Says

An honest look at how CPAP works, what the evidence shows, and why the machine is worth it.

Watercolor illustration of a person sleeping on their side in a dark bedroom while wearing a CPAP mask. A tube connects the mask to a CPAP machine on a wooden nightstand beside the bed. A warm lamp glows nearby, with pillows, blue bedding, curtains, a window showing the night sky, and a framed picture in the background.

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Microbial Instincts

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René F. Najera, MPH, DrPH

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Jun 21

Vaccines Have Protected the U.S. Military for 250 Years. We Keep Learning That the Hard Way.

From smallpox in George Washington’s army to flu outbreaks in today’s training camps, U.S. military history has proved that vaccine…

A small group of people in camouflage military uniforms and caps hike down a wooded trail, wearing large backpacks and gear, with relaxed, focused expressions in soft natural light.

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The Quantastic Journal

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René F. Najera, MPH, DrPH

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Jul 3

If Correlation Is Not Causation, Then What Is?

There are rules for what makes a “causal association,” but not everyone knows them or follows them.

If Correlation Is Not Causation, Then What Is? There are rules for what makes a “causal association,” but not everyone knows them or follows them.

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The Quantastic Journal

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René F. Najera, MPH, DrPH

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Jun 28

Why “Too New to Trust” Misunderstands How Vaccines Actually Work

The COVID-19 vaccine as a product was developed in a year, but the mRNA platform it’s built on took decades to build. And knowing that…

A close-up of a person’s hand wearing a white latex glove, gently holding a small glass vial between thumb and forefinger against a soft, light blue-gray background. The vial has a blue-and-silver cap and a white label reading “SARS-CoV-2 mRNA Vaccine COVID-19,” with “EXP 2021–06–03” printed vertically along the side.

René F. Najera, MPH, DrPH

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Jun 24

COVID-19 Vaccine Myocarditis, VAERS, and Causation: What the Data Really Show

Why a single VAERS-based study can’t prove mRNA vaccines ‘cause’ myocarditis, and what better evidence says instead.

A colorful anatomical heart model rests on an open medical textbook, showing bright orange and yellow coronary vessels against blue and red chambers, with ECG tracings and heart diagrams printed on the pages underneath.

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The Quantastic Journal

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René F. Najera, MPH, DrPH

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Jun 16

Think Like an Epidemiologist: 5 Skills for a Misinformation Age

The mental habits disease detectives use, and how they apply to headlines, arguments, and daily life.

A flat-lay on a worn, sepia-toned topographic map of a national park area. A blank open notebook sits in the center with a yellow pencil resting on its right page. In the top-left corner is a black Canon camera, in the top-right a metal magnifying glass, and in the bottom-right a cup of black coffee. The warm, vintage lighting gives the scene a cozy, planning-and-exploration feel.

René F. Najera, MPH, DrPH

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Jun 14

Five Parasites That Quietly Shaped Human History

From malaria and schistosomiasis to the parasite living inside one-third of humanity, how these organisms have decided wars, reshaped where…

Five Parasites That Quietly Shaped Human History

René F. Najera, MPH, DrPH

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Jun 4

From Gambling Tables to Bell Curves: The History of Statistical Distributions

How gamblers, astronomers, a brewer, and a few brilliant mathematicians built the tools that power modern data analysis.

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The Quantastic Journal

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René F. Najera, MPH, DrPH

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May 31

The Science of Pet Ownership: What Research Says About Dogs and Your Health

From cardiac outcomes to childhood allergies, here’s what the science actually says, and what it doesn’t.

The Science of Pet Ownership: What Research Says About Dogs and Your Health From cardiac outcomes to childhood allergies, here’s what the science actually says, and what it doesn’t.

René F. Najera, MPH, DrPH

René F. Najera, MPH, DrPH

he/him

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I write about Love, Life, and Epidemics. Not necessarily in that order. In any case, I’ll inform you. And you’ll like it. Or not.

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