A Tax on Soda?
Walter Willett, chair of the Department of Nutrition, talked about why a soda tax might be a good public health idea on MSNBC's Dr. Nancy show. Also, watch an HSPH video in which Prof. Willett discusses the need for healthier beverages. 

The Cost Conundrum
In his latest article for The New Yorker, Atul Gawande writes about what a Texas town can teach Americans about health care. Listen to his interview on NPR's "On Point" and read The New York Times story on how Gawande's article is fueling discussion about health care spending disparities. 

What Works in Market-Oriented Health Policy?
Meredith Rosenthal looks at ways to design market-oriented reforms to improve the U.S. medical system in an article in the May 21, 2009 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

New York City Takes On Fat
Michelle Mello discusses her recent article in the May 7, 2009 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine that examines the legal issues and policy lessons arising from New York City's war on fat. Listen to the podcast.

Society Is His Patient
In a Q & A with the Harvard Public Health Review, HSPH Dean Julio Frenk talked about his career, his vision for the School and the future of public and global health.

Working in a Brutal Conflict Zone
2008 HSPH graduate Jocelyn Kelly, the gender-based violence research coordinator for the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative (HHI), is trying to paint a statistical picture of violence in the Congo.

Interested in learning more about a healthy diet? Check out The Nutrition Source website, developed by the HSPH Department of Nutrition, where you can find the latest science about healthy eating for adults.

Subscribe to Harvard's new Twitter page, HarvardResearch, where you can keep up on the latest research happenings around the University.

Recent Press Releases

Based on New Study, Tobacco Control Researchers Call on FDA to Require Complete Disclosure from Tobacco Companies of Changes Made to Cigarettes
June 19, 2009

D. Mark Hegsted, National Force in Science of Human Nutrition, Dies
June 19, 2009

BPA, Chemical Used to Make Plastics, Found to Leach from Polycarbonate Bottles Into Humans
May 21, 2009

Around the School

Commencement 2009
Public health is at the threshold of a new era, said Dean Julio Frenk at the HSPH Commencement Ceremony on June 4, 2009. Check out complete coverage of commencement activities.

Rudd Receives Health Safety Award
Studies have found that only half of all U.S. adults have sufficient literacy to understand health materials and navigate the health care system. HSPH Senior Lecturer Rima Rudd, a founder of the field of health literacy, is working to change that.

A Planetary Perspective on Public Health
Graduating HSPH student Aaron Bernstein, MPH ’09, says the key to ensuring humanity’s health is literally all around us.

Healing With Music
Mohan Sundararaj, MPH '09, plans on returning to India upon graduation to start a nonprofit that fosters music therapy. Watch Sundararaj and other Harvard grads talk about their educational pursuits. (photo: Kris Snibbe/Harvard News Office)

Unlocking How Growing Cells Move Together
For the first time, researchers at HSPH have directly measured the physical forces at play when growing cells move together. The findings open up new avenues for exploring how the mechanical properties of cells sculpt new organs, close a bleeding wound and form tumors.

Text Message Emergency Alerts
The HSPH community is urged to sign up to receive alerts from Harvard's MessageMe service in case of emergency. Sign up or renew your account.

HSPH In the Media

Obama Urges Public to Demand Healthcare Reform -- coverage from The Los Angeles Times, July 2, 2009, featuring HSPH's Robert Blendon 

In Search of the Science Behind the Healing Powers of Art -- coverage from The Wall Street Journal, June 30, 2009, featuring HSPH's Jeremy Nobel 

Is Coffee Bad for You? Actually, Drinking Coffee May be Good for You -- coverage from U.S. News & World Report, June 25, 2009, featuring HSPH's Rob van Dam 

Season Nears for Mosquito-Related Diseases -- coverage from The Boston Globe, June 25, 2009, featuring HSPH's Richard Pollack

Natural Sugar Vs. High-Fructose Corn Syrup -- coverage from The Chicago Tribune, June 25, 2009, featuring HSPH's Walter Willett

Take It or Leave It? The Truth About 8 Mediterranean Diet Staples -- coverage from ABC News, June 24, 2009, featuring HSPH's Dimitrios Trichopoulos 

Experts See Bad, But Not Disastrous, Flu Season -- coverage from the Wall Street Journal, June 19, 2009, featuring HSPH's Paul Biddinger 

Global-Health Stars Converge on Seattle Under Cloak of Secrecy -- coverage from The Seattle Times, June 17, 2009, featuring HSPH's William Hsiao and Michael Reich

Health Care Rationing Rhetoric Overlooks Reality -- coverage from The New York Times, June 17, 2009, featuring HSPH's Katherine Baicker

Analysis: Doctors' Boos Show Obama's Tough Road -- coverage from the Associated Press, June 16, 2009, featuring HSPH's Robert Blendon

Alcohol's Good for You? Some Scientists Doubt It -- coverage from The New York Times, June 16, 2009, featuring HSPH's Eric Rimm

How to Treat Head Lice -- coverage from USA Today, June 16, 2009, featuring HSPH's Richard Pollack

Flu Onset Exposed Supply Problems -- coverage from The Boston Globe, June 15, 2009, featuring HSPH's Paul Biddinger

Soda Tax Mulled as Senators Seek Health Overhaul Money -- coverage from USA Today, June 15, 2009, featuring HSPH's Walter Willett

Fortified Foods: How Healthy Are They? -- coverage from The Wall Street Journal, June 15, 2009, featuring HSPH's Lilian Cheung

Smoke Signals: Why a Tobacco Giant Backs a Tough New Antismoking Bill -- coverage from Time, June 12, 2009, featuring HSPH's Gregory Connolly

Health Plans May Fall Short, Mass. Says -- coverage from The Boston Globe, June 12, 2009, featuring HSPH's Nancy Turnbull