Insights

Research and writing

Articles on public health, education, and AI. Some report news from our own engagements, such as our partnership with the California Department of Public Health.

Healthcare & Health Equity
First mRNA Flu Vaccine: What It Means This Season
The FDA has approved the first mRNA-based influenza vaccine for adults 50 and older, promising faster strain updates and potentially better-matched protection. Here's what the technology changes — and what it doesn't.
Sep 18, 2026
Healthcare & Health Equity
Shingles Vaccine: Updated Guidance and Who Needs It
New long-term data on the recombinant shingles vaccine is reinforcing its recommendation for older and immunocompromised adults — but uptake still lags well behind other adult vaccines, especially in underserved communities.
Aug 21, 2026
Healthcare & Health Equity
What Your Pharmacist Can Actually Help You With
Pharmacists are among the most accessible licensed health professionals in the country, and their scope of practice has expanded well beyond filling prescriptions — most patients just don't know it yet.
Jul 24, 2026
Healthcare & Health Equity
Hantavirus in 2026: What It Means for Public Health
A deadly hantavirus outbreak linked to an international cruise ship, alongside scattered domestic cases, is renewing attention to a rare but lethal disease — and surfacing familiar gaps in surveillance, clinician awareness, and risk communication.
May 12, 2026
Education & Learning Systems
UC Application Data: Equity, Access, and Admissions
The latest University of California admissions cycle reveals a system still recalibrating — record applications, shifting demographic trends, and a persistent gap between the campuses students want and the campuses that can take them.
Apr 28, 2026
Healthcare & Health Equity
Oral GLP-1s vs. Unregulated Peptides: A Safer Path
As compounded and gray-market peptides spread through wellness clinics and online pharmacies, FDA-approved oral GLP-1s — Rybelsus for type 2 diabetes, and now the Wegovy pill and Foundayo for weight management — give patients a safer, evidence-backed path to the same therapeutic class.
Apr 15, 2026
Education & Learning Systems
The AI Literacy Gap: Why Equity Must Lead
As AI tools proliferate in schools, the divide between students with access and preparation and those without is becoming the defining equity challenge in education.
Mar 10, 2026
Technology & AI-First Development
AI Agents and the Future of Organizational Strategy
Agentic AI systems like Claude Code are changing how organizations build, analyze, and communicate — and the implications extend far beyond the tech sector.
Feb 25, 2026
Education & Learning Systems
How AI Is Reshaping Public Education
From personalized learning platforms to administrative automation, AI is transforming schools — but policy, training, and equity must keep pace with the technology.
Jan 14, 2026
Healthcare & Health Equity
Respiratory Season 2025: What Agencies Need to Know
As COVID-19 and influenza continue to co-circulate, public health agencies face the challenge of communicating evolving guidance to fatigued communities.
Nov 4, 2025
Healthcare & Health Equity
Championing Heart Health: AR+D Joins Live to the Beat
Our team's partnership with Live to the Beat, the CDC Foundation and Million Hearts® campaign to prevent heart disease and stroke, in communities across California.
Sep 11, 2025
Healthcare & Health Equity
Back-to-School Health: What Families Need to Know
Research-informed guidance on childhood vaccination schedules and family wellness strategies for the academic year.
Jul 29, 2025
Healthcare & Health Equity
Oral GLP-1s: What Rybelsus Means for Health Equity
How oral semaglutide could reshape access to diabetes care — and why health equity must be part of the conversation.
Mar 18, 2025
Healthcare & Health Equity
AR+D Expands Health Equity Partnership with CDPH
Deepening our multi-year collaboration with the California Department of Public Health on statewide prevention initiatives.
Dec 17, 2024
Government & Public Policy
Partnering with California Government Agencies
How AR+D's interdisciplinary approach to policy research delivers results for state and municipal partners.
Jan 5, 2023

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