National Geographic January 2019

Every Body is Unique

Built on stunning advances in gene research and data mining, precision medicine devises treatments tailored to a patient’s specific biochemical makeup. This new approach has the potential to upend decades of medical practice.

The Immortal Corpse

An elderly woman donated her body to researcher’s ambitious project. He froze it, sliced it 27,000 times, and took pictures. The result: a virtual cadaver that can be examined by medical students and help them understand how, in life, she was put together.

The Secrets of Chinese Medicine

Modern science examines ancient remedies.

The Truth About Maternal Mortality

Rates are relatively high for American women.

Home Pharma

Hidden away in the world’s bathrooms, closets, and cabinets, pills, syrups, tonics, ointments, and other medicines pile up.

Doctor Photographer

Choosing between two consuming vocations.

Watch What – and When – You Eat

Timing is everything.

Health Care Spending

High costs don’t always yield better outcomes.

The Future of Medicine

Ever present and hyperconnected, the high-tech medical treatments of the future will focus on well-being and prevention.