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

New concussion guidelines say “When in doubt, sit it out” featured image

Exercise & Fitness

New concussion guidelines say “When in doubt, sit it out”

Distracted driving: We’re Number 1 featured image

Patrick J. Skerrett

Distracted driving: We’re Number 1

Take a nap to adjust to Daylight Saving Time featured image

Patrick J. Skerrett

Take a nap to adjust to Daylight Saving Time

Adult immunization schedule updated as vaccination rates lag featured image

Patrick J. Skerrett

Adult immunization schedule updated as vaccination rates lag

High-dose vitamin C linked to kidney stones in men featured image

Men's Health

High-dose vitamin C linked to kidney stones in men

The trick to recognizing a good whole grain: Use carb-to-fiber ratio of 10-to-1 featured image

Patrick J. Skerrett

The trick to recognizing a good whole grain: Use carb-to-fiber ratio of 10-to-1

Generic drugs: don’t ask, just tell featured image

Patrick J. Skerrett

Generic drugs: don’t ask, just tell

Many drivers asleep at the wheel featured image

Patrick J. Skerrett

Many drivers asleep at the wheel

12 tips for holiday eating featured image

Staying Healthy

12 tips for holiday eating

Simple blood test helps bring celiac disease out of the shadows featured image

Patrick J. Skerrett

Simple blood test helps bring celiac disease out of the shadows

Is retirement good for health or bad for it? featured image

Patrick J. Skerrett

Is retirement good for health or bad for it?

Recipe for health: cheap, nutritious beans featured image

Patrick J. Skerrett

Recipe for health: cheap, nutritious beans

Mini-relaxations to ease holiday stress featured image

Staying Healthy

Mini-relaxations to ease holiday stress

Turkey: a healthy base of holiday meals featured image

Patrick J. Skerrett

Turkey: a healthy base of holiday meals

Doctors aren’t immune to addiction featured image

Patrick J. Skerrett

Doctors aren’t immune to addiction

Treatment for head lice effective with one dose and no combing featured image

Patrick J. Skerrett

Treatment for head lice effective with one dose and no combing

World Stroke Day: Emphasize prevention, early detection featured image

Heart Health

World Stroke Day: Emphasize prevention, early detection

Peripheral artery disease: often silent, sometimes deadly, potentially preventable featured image

Heart Health

Peripheral artery disease: often silent, sometimes deadly, potentially preventable

Puberty starts earlier in many American boys featured image

Child & Teen Health

Puberty starts earlier in many American boys

Daily multivitamin-multimineral may help protect against cancer featured image

Cancer

Daily multivitamin-multimineral may help protect against cancer

Tattoos and infection: Think before you ink featured image

Staying Healthy

Tattoos and infection: Think before you ink

Suicide often not preceded by warnings featured image

Patrick J. Skerrett

Suicide often not preceded by warnings

Use glycemic index to help control blood sugar featured image

Staying Healthy

Use glycemic index to help control blood sugar

The Cheesecake Factory: a model for health care? featured image

Patrick J. Skerrett

The Cheesecake Factory: a model for health care?

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