Alison Kanski

Journalist

United States

Journalist with experience covering health, science, medical research, pharma, business, advertising, and health policy.

Precision Medicine Online reporter, previously at MM&M, PRWeek, and Climate Central, CUNY Graduate School of Journalism alumna

Portfolio

Precision Medicine Online

MM&M

MM&M
10/07/2020
Groups work to diversify COVID-19 vaccine research

Vaccines need to work for everyone. It's not a controversial idea, but it has proven historically difficult to achieve because of a lack of diversity in clinical research. As clinical trials for COVID-19 vaccines and treatments enroll this fall, some organizations have upped their efforts to ensure all populations are represented in those trials.

MM&M
09/09/2020
COVID-19 kicks drug pricing down the road

The drug pricing conversation never stops, but that doesn't mean there will be action behind those words. Although pharmaceutical companies are more in the spotlight than ever due to COVID-19 and many policymakers are calling for affordable prices for coronavirus drugs and vaccines, the odds of seeing moves to regulate drug prices are slim.

MM&M
08/05/2020
Pandemic or no, pharma needs to push drug pricing dialogue

After a rare few months of positive press owing to their work on coronavirus treatments, pharma companies are nearing a fork in the road. On the left, there's the windfall and prestige that will come with a first-to-market vaccine. On the right, there's the furor that will ensue should these drugs be priced at a level perceived to be excessive.

MM&M
04/29/2020
Telehealth rules relaxed, but patients still face barriers

The coronavirus outbreak has sparked more virtual experiences, from video conference happy hours to online concerts. The move to online experiences has also been reflected in medicine, but the uptake is a bit more complex.

MM&M
04/06/2020
COVID-19 vaccine collides with drug price fervor

Pharma companies are rushing to be the first to develop a vaccine for COVID-19. No sooner did they begin than officials and the public began wondering, "how will we pay for these treatments?"

MM&M
08/23/2019
FDA, brands caught in the middle of CBD legalization

Until the Food and Drug Administration decides how to regulate the cannabis-derived compound, most CBD added to coffee or put into creams is not permitted. Meanwhile, the brands making the products are caught in the middle.

MM&M
02/06/2019
Texas ACA ruling could reverberate across healthcare

Health insurers and their customers have the biggest stake in the future of the Affordable Care Act, but the effects of the Supreme Court once again weighing in on the law could reverberate across the entire healthcare industry, including pharma.

PRWeek

PRWeek
AI revolutionizes journalism

Robots have infiltrated the news and are automating the journalistic process, but it's not quite time to start planning a human revolution just yet. In a time of shrinking editorial staffs and an increasing amount of things to cover, newsrooms have turned to artificial intelligence and robo-journalists to shoulder some of the burden.

PRWeek
12/29/2016
Fighting for their rights: PETA's robust internal comms strategy

A non-confrontational person by nature who works for one of the boldest, most aggressive advocacy organizations in the world, Tracy Reiman has dedicated her life to animal rights. "I don't like confrontation personally," Reiman says, "which is funny because I've made a career out of being confrontational.

Climate Central

Climate Central
Study: New York City at Higher Risk for Coastal Floods

A combination of climate-driven sea level rise and stronger tropical cyclones is putting New York City at risk for more and higher floods like those seen during Hurricane Sandy, a group of researchers has found.

Climate Central
Fossil Fuels May Bring Major Changes to Carbon Dating

Radiocarbon dating has been helping put the planet's history in the right order since it was first invented in the 1940s, giving scientists a key way to determine the age of artifacts like the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Shroud of Turin.

Climate Central
10/27/2015
Charleston's Floods Illustrate the World's Watery Future

The swollen rivers only dropped back to normal water levels last week, but flood-weary Charleston, S.C. is already seeing water in the streets again. This time it's not a 1,000-year deluge from the sky, it's high tide. The so-called "king tides" are a natural occurrence.

Climate Central
Sharks Face a Growing Threat in Warming and Acidic Seas

Shark Week, the annual television extravaganza featuring the most terrifying and toothiest fish in the sea, will wind down over the weekend. But even though sharks may disappear from the collective consciousness for another year, that doesn't mean they'll cease to exist. Like many species, sharks face a looming threat: a changing climate.

Climate Central
Scientists Foresee Losses as Cities Fight Beach Erosion

Beaches are facing off against a changing climate, and they're losing ground. Literally. Waves, currents, storms and people all move the sand that make beaches, well, beaches. But a combination of rising sea levels, stronger coastal storms and coastal development means that sandy shorelines are increasingly disappearing, leaving the millions who live there facing major challenges in a warming world.

Climate Central
Marine Conservationists Work to Curb Ocean Stress

The ocean may be seriously stressed out by climate change, but instead of throwing in the beach towel, some conservationists are taking action to protect it. Today, only 2 percent of the ocean is protected in reserves, parks, sanctuaries or no-fishing zones compared to 15 percent of the world's land mass.