Richard Knox
Since he joined NPR in 2000, Knox has covered a broad range of issues and events in public health, medicine, and science. His reports can be heard on NPR's Morning Edition, All Things Considered, Weekend Edition, Talk of the Nation, and newscasts.
Among other things, Knox's NPR reports have examined the impact of HIV/AIDS in Africa, North America, and the Caribbean; anthrax terrorism; smallpox and other bioterrorism preparedness issues; the rising cost of medical care; early detection of lung cancer; community caregiving; music and the brain; and the SARS epidemic.
Before joining NPR, Knox covered medicine and health for The Boston Globe. His award-winning 1995 articles on medical errors are considered landmarks in the national movement to prevent medical mistakes. Knox is a graduate of the University of Illinois and Columbia University. He has held yearlong fellowships at Stanford and Harvard Universities, and is the author of a 1993 book on Germany's health care system.
He and his wife Jean, an editor, live in Boston. They have two daughters.
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The closure of a major flu vaccine manufacturer will cause major shortages during the upcoming flu season, say health officials. Before its license was suspended, the Chiron Corp. intended to ship 48 million doses of flu vaccine to the United States. NPR's Richard Knox reports.
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The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine this year goes to two Americans who have puzzled out the sense of smell. Richard Axel and Linda Buck will split $1.4 million for discovering how chemicals in the air trigger thousands of recognizably different odors. Hear NPR's Steve Inskeep and NPR's Richard Knox.
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Pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co. is pulling its arthritis drug Vioxx from the market after a government study confirmed long-standing concerns that it raises the risk of heart attack and stroke. NPR's Richard Knox reports.
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Former President Clinton is "recovering normally" after a successful quadruple coronary bypass surgery Monday, said the surgeon who led the operation at New York Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia. Doctors expect Clinton to make a full recovery, despite the extensive heart disease they repaired. Hear NPR's Richard Knox.
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Former President Bill Clinton undergoes surgery Monday morning to bypass blockages in his coronary arteries. The 58-year-old Clinton is otherwise in good health. Hear NPR's Renee Montagne and NPR's Richard Knox.
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Former President Bill Clinton awaits a heart bypass operation at a hospital in Manhattan. At 58, he's in good health and a good candidate for surgery. But the operation remains a major undertaking. Hear NPR'S Scott Simon and NPR's Richard Knox.
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Recent studies have shown that treating heart attack patients with high doses of cholesterol-lowering drugs significantly lowered their risk another heart attack. But a new study of the drug Zocor failed to find the same benefits, raising questions about whether all statin drugs are equally effective. NPR's Richard Knox reports.
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The 15th International AIDS Conference comes to a close in Thailand. A U.S. plan to spend $15 billion on emergency measures is criticized over details, and divisions are evident at the gathering despite calls for unity. NPR's Richard Knox reports.
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U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan says new rises in AIDS infection rates prove that the world has not done enough to combat the disease. Annan, speaking at the 15th International AIDS conference, challenged leaders to stop the spread of AIDS. Hear NPR's Richard Knox.
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Most American men over 50 get an annual blood test, called a PSA, that is thought to indicate whether they may have prostate cancer. But a new study questions the accuracy of the widely used test and raises questions about how best to screen for the cancer. NPR's Richard Knox reports.