photo of Patrick J. Skerrett

Patrick J. Skerrett

Former Executive Editor, Harvard Health Publishing

Pat Skerrett is the editor of STAT's First Opinion and host of the First Opinion podcast. He is the former editor of the Harvard Health Blog and former Executive Editor of Harvard Health Publishing. Before that, he was editor of the Harvard Heart Letter for 10 years. He is the coauthor of Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy: The Harvard Guide to Healthy Eating; The Fertility Diet; and several other books on health and science. His work has appeared in Newsweek, Popular Science magazine, Science magazine, The Boston Globe, and elsewhere. He earned a BA in biology from Northwestern University and an MA in biology from Washington University in St. Louis.

Posts by Patrick J. Skerrett

Honor a veteran; understand PTSD featured image

Patrick J. Skerrett

Honor a veteran; understand PTSD

Pediatricians should ask teens about drug, alcohol use at every visit featured image

Child & Teen Health

Pediatricians should ask teens about drug, alcohol use at every visit

A conversation with Dr. Jerry Avorn about drugs and the drug industry featured image

Patrick J. Skerrett

A conversation with Dr. Jerry Avorn about drugs and the drug industry

CDC panel says boys should get HPV vaccine, too featured image

Patrick J. Skerrett

CDC panel says boys should get HPV vaccine, too

Do chronic diseases have their origins in the womb? featured image

Child & Teen Health

Do chronic diseases have their origins in the womb?

A new view of the teenage brain: adaptation is job 1 featured image

Child & Teen Health

A new view of the teenage brain: adaptation is job 1

Cancer can be tough on the heart in more ways than one featured image

Cancer

Cancer can be tough on the heart in more ways than one

Change: One man’s steady struggle to become healthier featured image

Exercise & Fitness

Change: One man’s steady struggle to become healthier

Gaining weight? Beware potatoes—baked, fried, or in chips featured image

Men's Health

Gaining weight? Beware potatoes—baked, fried, or in chips

FDA hopes to apply new sunscreen rules featured image

Cancer

FDA hopes to apply new sunscreen rules

Taking part in a clinical trial advances knowledge, medical care featured image

Patrick J. Skerrett

Taking part in a clinical trial advances knowledge, medical care

Crumbling, confusing Food Pyramid replaced by a Plate featured image

Patrick J. Skerrett

Crumbling, confusing Food Pyramid replaced by a Plate

Cell phones and brain cancer—tips for reducing even the possibility of risk featured image

Cancer

Cell phones and brain cancer—tips for reducing even the possibility of risk

Cell phones and brain cancer—the evidence doesn’t ring any bells featured image

Cancer

Cell phones and brain cancer—the evidence doesn’t ring any bells

Study renews caution on painkiller use after heart attack featured image

Heart Health

Study renews caution on painkiller use after heart attack

Gaining awareness about arthritis and its prevention featured image

Patrick J. Skerrett

Gaining awareness about arthritis and its prevention

Does eating less salt lead to heart disease? New JAMA study is more wishful thinking than a diet changer featured image

Heart Health

Does eating less salt lead to heart disease? New JAMA study is more wishful thinking than a diet changer

Get rid of your old drugs this Saturday featured image

Patrick J. Skerrett

Get rid of your old drugs this Saturday

From the wrist to the heart: new angioplasty method is safe, effective featured image

Heart Health

From the wrist to the heart: new angioplasty method is safe, effective

Visual and audio guides to radiation risk featured image

Cancer

Visual and audio guides to radiation risk

At Harvard Forum, experts debate how much vitamin D is enough featured image

Heart Health

At Harvard Forum, experts debate how much vitamin D is enough

Understanding heart failure featured image

Heart Health

Understanding heart failure

Oh please, not the “sex causes heart attack” story again featured image

Heart Health

Oh please, not the “sex causes heart attack” story again

Sudden death in young athletes—can it be prevented? featured image

Child & Teen Health

Sudden death in young athletes—can it be prevented?

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