A look back at the fifteen key stories of the year on Research Matters, showcasing the ingenuity and dedication of the Indian scientific community in 2025.

New study reveals a strong link between air pollution during pregnancy and higher risks of low birth weight and preterm birth across India, especially in the northern regions.

A new study suggests that widespread, regular chest X-rays, powered by AI, could significantly reduce tuberculosis cases and deaths in India.

Study has found that the lockdown widened the challenges of stroke care in the country.

In 2013, over 50 infants died in Attapadi —a protected area in the Palakkad district of Kerala. This incident, and more deaths in the subsequent years, put the spotlight on the health of the tribal population that lives here. Several underlying health issues, including malnutrition and infant mortality, were identified to be rampant. Both the central and state governments responded with a financial package to provide healthcare and related facilities to these communities free of cost. Seven years later, a new study has found that free healthcare hasn't solved the problem of poor access to healthcare and high levels of infant mortality. 

In a recent effort, researchers at IIT - Kanpur have worked on answering about the approaches to flatten the epidemic curve.

 The novel coronavirus — termed SARS-CoV-2 — belongs to a family of viruses that target and infect the upper respiratory tract of mammals. At least six types of coronaviruses are known to infect humans that cause common cold. Scientists have reported the existence of coronaviruses in bats and birds dating back to millions of years ago. They believe that the cross-species transmission is more of a recent event.

Infants require the highest level of nutrition for healthy growth and development. A four-month-old child, for example, uses 30% of its consumed food for growth. Adequate intake of minerals, like calcium and potassium, are known to be conducive to their wholesome diet. But, data from UNICEF shows that there is a high rate of undernutrition in children around the world.

Pune researchers take a molecular modelling approach to identify drug targets for the deadly Nipah virus.

Hypertension is the most prevalent chronic ailment in India. According to the National Health Profile (NHP) 2019 data, of all the patients who visited government clinics in 2018, 6.19% of the people were diagnosed with hypertension. It is higher than the people diagnosed with diabetes, the next prevalent chronic disease in India, which accounts for 4.75%. However, the numbers could be an underestimation, since the NHP does not assess people who visit the private clinics.