• Posted January 20, 2026

HHS Announces New Study of Cellphone Radiation and Health

U.S. health officials plan a new study investigating whether radiation from cellphones may affect human health.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said the research will examine electromagnetic radiation and possible gaps in current science. 

The initiative stems from numerous concerns raised by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has linked cellphone use to neurological damage and cancer.

“The [U.S. Food and Drug Administration] removed webpages with old conclusions about cell phone radiation while HHS undertakes a study on electromagnetic radiation and health research to identify gaps in knowledge, including on new technologies, to ensure safety and efficacy,” HHS spokesman Andrew Nixon said.

He added that the study was directed in a strategy report from the president’s Make America Healthy Again Commission.

Many states already have partial or complete bans on wireless communication devices, including cellphones and tablets, during the school day — a move aimed at improving kids’ mental and physical health.

At the same time, health officials say existing evidence has not changed. 

Some webpages from the FDA and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say current research does not show clear harm from cellphone radiation.

The National Cancer Institute, which is part of the National Institutes of Health, says that “evidence to date suggests that cellphone use does not cause brain or other kinds of cancer in humans.”

More information

The National Cancer Institute has more on cell phones and cancer risk.

SOURCE: NBC News, Jan. 16, 2026