Recent Blog Articles
Why play? Early games build bonds and brain
Moving from couch to 5K
How — and why — to fit more fiber and fermented food into your meals
Tick season is expanding: Protect yourself against Lyme disease
What? Another medical form to fill out?
How do trees and green spaces enhance our health?
A muscle-building obsession in boys: What to know and do
Harvard Health Ad Watch: New drug, old song, clever tagline
Concussion in children: What to know and do
What color is your tongue? What's healthy, what's not?
Robert H. Shmerling, MD
Senior Faculty Editor, Harvard Health Publishing; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing
Dr. Robert H. Shmerling is the former clinical chief of the division of rheumatology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), and is a current member of the corresponding faculty in medicine at Harvard Medical School. As a practicing rheumatologist for over 30 years, Dr. Shmerling engaged in a mix of patient care, teaching, and research. His research interests center on diagnostic studies in patients with musculoskeletal symptoms, and rheumatic and autoimmune diseases. He has published research regarding infectious arthritis, medical ethics, and diagnostic test performance in rheumatic disease. Having retired from patient care in 2019, Dr. Shmerling now works as a senior faculty editor for Harvard Health Publishing.
Twitter: @RobShmerling
Posts by Robert H. Shmerling, MD
Staying Healthy
Flowers, chocolates, organ donation — are you in?
Robert H. Shmerling, MD
COVID-19 vaccines: Safety, side effects — and coincidence
Robert H. Shmerling, MD
Harvard Health Ad Watch: Can an arthritis drug help you become a morning person?
Heart Health
Are early detection and treatment always best?
Robert H. Shmerling, MD
Need surgery? Should you avoid your surgeon’s birthday?
Men's Health
Can gout be prevented?
Robert H. Shmerling, MD
Good news: Deaths due to HIV are way down
Heart Health
Will eating more chilis help you live longer?
Robert H. Shmerling, MD
Treating neuropathy: Which medication is best?
Robert H. Shmerling, MD
Masks save lives: Here's what you need to know
Robert H. Shmerling, MD
Migraine headaches: Could nerve stimulation help?
Robert H. Shmerling, MD
Does lupus or arthritis affect your prognosis if you get COVID-19?
Robert H. Shmerling, MD
It’s still true: Not all the news about COVID-19 is bad
Robert H. Shmerling, MD
Stopping osteoarthritis: Could recent heart research provide a clue?
Exercise & Fitness
New guidelines for aches, pains, and strains
Robert H. Shmerling, MD
Harvard Health Ad Watch: A feel-good message about a diabetes drug
Robert H. Shmerling, MD
Does diet really matter when it comes to adult acne?
COVID-19
Which test is best for COVID-19?
Skin and Hair
Wondering about goosebumps? Of course you are
Staying Healthy
Metabolic syndrome is on the rise: What it is and why it matters
Robert H. Shmerling, MD
Daily decisions about risk: What to do when there's no right answer
Robert H. Shmerling, MD
The plight of nursing home residents in a pandemic
Infectious diseases
Driving across the country in a pandemic
Infectious diseases
Bracing for contact tracing
Recent Blog Articles
Why play? Early games build bonds and brain
Moving from couch to 5K
How — and why — to fit more fiber and fermented food into your meals
Tick season is expanding: Protect yourself against Lyme disease
What? Another medical form to fill out?
How do trees and green spaces enhance our health?
A muscle-building obsession in boys: What to know and do
Harvard Health Ad Watch: New drug, old song, clever tagline
Concussion in children: What to know and do
What color is your tongue? What's healthy, what's not?