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As a professor of physiology, I study how scientific evidence gets translated, sometimes clumsily, from the lab to real life. Whether it’s scaling dietary supplements to humans or using biomimicry to mitigate sports concussion, my work often centers on the fine line between meaningful evidence and misleading extrapolation. That’s why I was immediately skeptical when the Food and Drug Administration announced its decision to ban synthetic food dyes like the controversial red dye No. 3. (James Smoliga, 5/1)

Congressional Republicans are trying to figure out what to do with Medicaid. Nearly 80 million Americans get health coverage through the entitlement. In California, one in three residents has Medi-Cal, the Golden State’s version of Medicaid. (Sally C. Pipes, 4/29)

The Walter E. Fernald State School in Waltham, which operated from 1848 to 2014, is remembered as an emblem of America’s shameful warehousing and abuse of the disabled. In the mid-20th century, resources at the school were few, buildings were crumbling, and abuse and neglect were rampant. In 1993, this newspaper discovered that, from 1946 to 1953, as part of a study led by Harvard and MIT and with the participation of Quaker Oats, 74 boys ages 10 to 17 at the Fernald were fed radioactive isotopes in their oatmeal. (Oliver Egger, 4/29)

The recent news that the NIH will require universities to certify their diversity programs comply with federal civil rights law created understandable anxiety in the academic community. The confusion is partly due to coverage that suggested NIH is terminating support for any universities that operate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs. But reading the actual NIH notice carefully provides clarity — and perhaps some reassurance. (Michael A. Yassa, 5/1)

The Trump administration's health initiative is centered on Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy's "Make America Healthy Again" message. That focus on wholesome foods, drug safety, and eliminating corruption in pharmaceuticals and the food industry has justifiably captured public enthusiasm. But now is also a singular moment for the most disruptive leader in political history, President Donald J. Trump, to use his business acumen and common sense to fix America's health care system. Instilling market incentives in health care through strategic deregulation would be this president's greatest opportunity to help low-income Americans. (Scott W. Atlas, 4/30)