Laura Ungar
Laura Ungar covers medicine and science on the Associated Press global health and science team, bringing more than two decades of health reporting to stories that connect policy, funding and scientific evidence with real-world consequences for patients and communities.
Public health systems and the fallout from funding decisions
Ungar’s reporting often makes the largely unseen machinery of public health visible, especially when budgets and political decisions put that infrastructure at risk. In a deeply reported project on federal funding cuts to local health departments, she and a colleague spoke with dozens of local and state agencies around the country, documenting layoffs and cutbacks in services like vaccination clinics, restaurant inspections and outbreak response, and showing how those reductions undermine basic protections. Her earlier beat reporting on health-care access has examined what happens when programs that provide free medicines to low-income patients in places like Appalachia face massive cuts, leaving chronically ill people “in health-care limbo” without affordable treatment.
Across these stories, she traces a clear line from high-level budget decisions to the clinics, workers and vulnerable residents who depend on them, using detailed interviews and data to show how fragile the public health system can be when funding dries up. Her work for a national health news organization similarly focused on health issues and disparities, reinforcing a long-running interest in how systems succeed or fail the people who most rely on them.
Pediatrics, vaccines and family health
Ungar devotes significant attention to pediatrics and early-life care, with coverage that explains medical guidance while exploring why some families resist it. In a feature on newborn preventive care, she reported on parents refusing vitamin K injections for their babies and showed that those who decline the shot are much more likely to reject hepatitis B vaccination and antibiotic eye ointment, drawing on research as well as pediatric experts to spell out the risks. Her autism reporting centers on children with profound needs and the debate among clinicians and advocates over whether to formally distinguish “profound autism” within diagnostic and policy frameworks, cutting through confusion and misinformation to keep the focus on families needing intensive support.
She also covers maternal health, discussing pieces on pregnancy and childbirth that examine gaps in care and outcomes for mothers. These pediatric and maternal stories combine clinical detail, family experiences and policy context, giving her coverage particular depth on how medical decisions in pregnancy, infancy and childhood are shaped by trust, access and clear communication.
Science, policy and the fight over evidence
Ungar’s beat sits squarely at the intersection of science and policy, and she frequently reports on how organized movements challenge or distort medical evidence. In one investigation, she detailed how powerful anti-vaccine advocates and sellers of potentially harmful products such as raw milk are helping drive a wave of anti-science bills across the United States, tracing a web of well-funded national groups and leaders who have profited from sowing distrust of medicine and science. Her autism coverage likewise addresses confusion and misinformation, showing how debates over labels and treatment can be shaped by competing interpretations of research.
She applies the same lens to questions of risk and guidelines, including work on government-commissioned research into alcohol-related harms and the way U.S. dietary guidance has incorporated—or ignored—those findings. By outlining what studies actually show and comparing that evidence with the policies and recommendations people receive, she clarifies where science and regulation align and where they diverge. Her long tenure as a health journalist at regional newspapers and specialized health outlets gives her a deep grounding in health policy reporting, from smoking bans and opioid addiction to new treatments and regulatory changes.
Everyday health behaviors and practical guidance
Alongside investigations and policy stories, Ungar writes explanatory pieces that translate medical advice into practical terms for everyday readers. In an article on walking, she laid out why walking is such a powerful tool for health, described how it fits into broader exercise recommendations, and used experts to explain its effects on heart disease, blood pressure, dementia, depression, blood sugar, bone strength, weight and sleep. She walked readers through national activity guidelines, suggested realistic ways to build walking into daily routines, and highlighted how to adjust intensity and environment to keep the habit sustainable.
This service-oriented work complements her more investigative reporting by giving people concrete guidance rooted in evidence, whether the subject is physical activity, newborn preventive care or vaccine schedules. The combination of accessible explainers and system-level investigations reflects a consistent approach: she takes complex medicine and science and turns it into clear, actionable information without losing sight of the structural forces that shape health.
Reporting depth, formats and career focus
Ungar has been a health journalist for more than two decades, with nearly three decades in reporting overall. She has worked as a health reporter, editor and investigative journalist, leading and contributing to projects that dig into health-care access, environmental health hazards, addiction and other long-running public health challenges. Her work has been recognized within her organizations for comprehensive, deeply reported coverage that connects national decisions to local impacts.
At the Associated Press, she operates within the global health and science team, producing a mix of long-form investigations, narrative features and clear explanatory pieces. Her reporting also extends into audio and digital formats, including appearances on public health podcasts to discuss maternal health stories and explain complex health policy trends, as well as news videos breaking down the surge of health-related bills in state legislatures. Across outlets and formats, she maintains a consistent focus on public health systems, pediatrics, vaccines and the broader struggle over how science is understood and used in American life.
4 more health journalists.
Aislinn Antrim
Aislinn Antrim is an associate editorial director at Pharmacy Times and a journalist who connects clinical advances, regulation, and the changing role of pharmacists. She writes pharmacy-centered health coverage on chronic disease therapeutics, specialty and oncology care, workforce pressures, and advocacy. Her reporting explains FDA actions, policy shifts, drug pipelines, and the real-world effects of new evidence on patient care and pharmacy practice. She often uses interviews and expert conversations to show how pharmacists improve adherence, manage side effects, navigate access and benefits, and coordinate care with prescribers. She also covers burnout, staffing strain, and the future of pharmacy practice, with an eye on how policy and economics shape work at the dispenser.
Alex Cabrero
Alex Cabrero is an Emmy award-winning KSL TV reporter who covers where health, safety and community life meet, always focused on how decisions and events affect everyday people. He has been with KSL since 2004, bringing long experience in breaking news, public service coverage and human-centered features. His beat includes public health, emergency response, technology, local infrastructure, environment and science, framed through community well-being and resilience. He reports on issues like mental health initiatives, law enforcement staffing, environmental hazards, rescues, wildfire detection tools, land-use fights and scientific discoveries, making technical and policy details clear for a general audience. He also produces many positive, everyday-life features on families, veterans, farmers, sports and local traditions. His style is direct and conversational, often built around a central person or family whose experience carries the story across TV, digital and social platforms.
Allison Palmer
Allison Palmer stands out for turning complex microbiome and brain-health research into clear, service stories tied to everyday habits. She covers health, wellness and lifestyle topics for The Sacramento Bee, focusing on emerging trends that help readers build positive, sustainable routines. Her reporting on the gut microbiome and healthy aging uses vivid case studies, including a rare supercentenarian, to connect diet, bacterial communities and longevity to daily eating choices. Another strand of her work examines oral bacteria and brain health, linking gum infections to changes in brain tissue and to simple oral-care practices. Since 2024, her wellness coverage has appeared across the McClatchy network, alongside pieces on technology, travel, lifestyle and commerce. She favors reported explainers with direct takeaways, keeps scientific detail intact, and strips away jargon to help readers build realistic long-term habits.
Alyssa Kelly
Alyssa Kelly reports on health and emotional local stories that show how everyday experiences shape people’s sense of safety and wellbeing. They work in the digital newsroom at TV6 & FOX UP, contributing text and video pieces on community life and public interest topics. Their beat centers on health and safety in ordinary settings, especially outdoors, and on animal and family stories tied to wellbeing and memory. They cover issues like tick exposure during routine park visits and long-term pet disappearances and reunions, using specific details, clear timelines, and direct quotes to make the stakes feel immediate and personal. Kelly’s headlines often foreground quoted phrases from families and pet owners, giving their reporting a conversational, human-centered tone. They also collaborate with other reporters on health and safety stories that connect individual cases to wider public concerns.