Can the World’s Economic Firefighter Adapt to the 21st Century?

As wars, trade spats, and AI reshape the global economy, the IMF has held its role as the world’s lender-of-last-resort steady. Much of its governance, including countries’ shares of voting rights, have remained the same over decades, often requiring lending countries to return to the same austerity playbook. Gita Gopinath, former first managing director of the IMF says that the stability is by design in times of greater geopolitical uncertainty while Boston University’s Kevin Gallagher says that some parts of the IMF are due for an upgrade.

A Candid Conversation About Climate Change

Gregory Wellenius is the Beverly A. Brown Professor for the Improvement of Urban Health at Boston University School of Public Health, where he serves as director of the Center for Climate and Health. As an environmental epidemiologist, Dr. Wellenius is dedicated to addressing the health impacts of climate change through research, teaching, and engagement. His research examines how climate hazards like extreme heat affect human health and generates actionable evidence to inform interventions that meaningfully reduce the burden of extreme weather events.

You Can Gentrify Anything Today. What Does that Say About Society?

Boston University ethnographer Japonica Brown-Saracino says gentrification means more than a fresh coat of paint and rising real estate prices in old neighborhoods. It’s about how the market can turn anything into a hot commodity—and take it out of the hands of the people who nurtured it.

Roundtable: Did COP30 do enough for health?

Climate change and human health are not separate issues. The consequences of humanity’s emissions will impact the health of millions of people, regardless of future emission cuts.

We should be telling the stories of African cities

When Elaine Nsoesie realised that no book had yet explored the complex intersections of cities, health, and inequality in Africa, she decided to help fill that gap. The result, Urban Health in Africa, co-edited with Blessing Mberu, brings together African voices to examine how social, historical, and environmental forces shape public health across the continent’s cities.

As Medicaid Cuts Loom, Here’s What’s at Stake for Families

The story of Medicaid and its role in the United States cannot be told without addressing its profound impact on the health and well-being of families. As the largest health insurer in the country, Medicaid provides coverage to over 77 million people, including two in every five children. Despite its foundational importance, Medicaid is often misunderstood and undervalued, and looming cuts threaten to unravel the safety net it provides. These cuts risk devastating ripple effects, not just on healthcare access, but on housing, hunger and the overall stability of families.