Florida Surgeon General Hits the Road
Ana Viamonte Ros, a 2005 HSPH graduate and Florida's top public health advocate, plans to visit each of the 67 county offices of the state's public health system this year. One of her goals is to bring together business and civic leaders and local health departments to share ideas and pool resources.

 

HSPH Faculty Address Health Disparities
Premature death is more than three times more likely to occur in those at the bottom income levels of American society. Even middle-income Americans are more than twice as likely to die earlier than top earners. Seven faculty suggest ways the next U.S. President can level the playing field for all Americans. Watch video and read text.

 

New Protective Mechanism Discovered in Body-Fat Cells
HSPH researchers Chih-Hao Lee and Kihwa Kang have shown for the first time that fat-storing cells, or adipocytes, contain a protective anti-inflammatory immune mechanism that prevents the cells from over-reacting to inflammation-causing stimuli, such as fatty acids in the diet.

 

Low Vitamin D Levels May Increase Heart
Attack Risk
That's the main finding of a study led by Prof. Edward Giovannucci. See his interview on CBS Evening News and read the Reuters story.

 

 

Health Care: The Massachusetts Experiment
In April 2006 the Commonwealth of Massachusetts passed a landmark health care law to reduce the state's uninsured. HSPH's Nancy Turnbull (left) worked on the new plan.
Related links: Perspectives on an Unprecedented Law; Key Elements of the Law;Who Are the Uninsured? (They could be you)
 

 

Cigarette Sales Down, But Other Tobacco Sales Up
According to research by Prof. Greg Connolly and Hilel Alpert, 30% of the recent decline in cigarette sales may be offset by the robust sale of small cigars, snuff and roll-your-own products. Listen to Alpert's interview on Voice of America.

   

 

HSPH Tackles AIDS in Botswana
The Botswana-Harvard Partnership, a collaboration between the HSPH AIDS Initiative and the Botswana Ministry of Health, does HIV research from a modern laboratory in Gaborone. Prof. Max Essex (above) heads the Partnership. Also, see this story on Harvard students studying in Botswana.

 

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.

Around the School

Commencement 2008
Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) celebrated its 85th Commencement ceremony on Thursday, June 5, 2008. View slideshow; view webcast; view photo gallery. Read about the ceremony.

 

Name Changes, But Not Purpose
Reflecting a broadening of the challenges in public health in the 21st century, the Department of Population and International Health is changing its name to the Department of Global Health and Population (GHP). David Bloom chairs the department.

 

Retrospective: HSPH in the Last Decade
Under the leadership of Dean Barry R. Bloom, the School has envisioned and created entire new departments and programs in order to address ever-evolving health threats. Related article: Milestones at HSPH, 1999-2008.

 

Student Profile: Julian Atim
Atim, a graduating student with an MPH in International Health, has worked on human rights and HIV/AIDS issues in her native Uganda. 

 

 

Student Profile: Bethany Hedt
Hedt, who graduates with a PHD in biostatistics, used her experience in Malawi to underpin her HSPH thesis work, in which she developed methods to make disease program monitoring and surveillance more streamlined and effective in settings with limited resources.
 

 

Genes and Environment Initiative Launched
The Initiative brings together environmental health research, population science, quantitative methods, and basic science to contribute to understanding the combined effects of genetic and environmental factors on human health.  

 

Students Tackle the Obesity Epidemic
Three up-and-coming young researchers were named the first Pritzker Scholars at HSPH. Meg Gregor (left), Jacob Sattelmair and  Ida Hatoum are studying ways to combat obesity. 

 

 

 

HSPH In the Media

Beware of Colon Cleansing Claims -- coverage from The Los Angeles Times, June 30, 2008, featuring HSPH's Rose Goldman 

Bee by Bee -- coverage from the The New York Times, June 30, 2008, featuring HSPH's Marc Lipsitch 

W.H.O. Issues a Checklist to Make Operations Safer -- coverage from The New York Times, June 24, 2008, featuring HSPH's Atul Gawande

Wireless Chips: A Threat to Hospital Patients? -- coverage from ABC News, June 24, 2008, featuring HSPH's Donald Berwick 

Diseases Plaguing Poorer Nations Are Common in U.S. -- coverage from Bloomberg, June 23, 2008, featuring HSPH's Mary Wilson

Healthy Diet Lowers Death Risk for Women -- coverage from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, June 23, 2008, featuring former HSPH researcher Christine Heidemann

These Days, Nitpickers Make House Calls -- coverage from The New York Times, June 22, 2008, featuring HSPH's Richard Pollack 

AIDS Failure at Merck Elevates Burton Vaccine for 2 Million -- coverage from Bloomberg, June 20, 2008, featuring HSPH's Daniel Halperin

Should You Drink With Your Kids? -- coverage from Time, July 19, 2008, featuring HSPH's Henry Wechsler

Study Shows Coffee Lowers Heart Risk But Not Cancer Deaths -- coverage from USA Today, June 14, 2008, featuring work done at HSPH by Ester Lopez-Garcia, Frank Hu and Rob van Dam

Do Outbreaks Shake Your Faith in Food? -- coverage from WebMD, June 13, 2008, featuring HSPH's Robert Blendon

Scientists Discover Protein Involved in Fat Production -- coverage from U.S. News & World Report, June 12, 2008, featuring HSPH's Ann Hwee Lee 

Vitamins Improve Tuberculosis Treatment -- coverage from Reuters UK, June 12, 2008, featuring HSPH's Eduardo Villamor

Neighborhood Environments May Impact Residents' Weights -- coverage from Reuters UK, June 11, 2008, featuring HSPH's Mahasin Mujahid

Snuff, Cigars Find Favor as Cigarette Prices Soar -- coverage from Bloomberg, June 10, 2008, featuring HSPH's Greg Connolly

Vitamin D May Protect Against Heart Attacks -- coverage from Reuters, June 10, 2008, featuring HSPH's Ed Giovannucci

Researchers ID Inflammation-Fighting Pathway in Fat Cells -- coverage from U.S. News & World Report, June 4, 2008, featuring HSPH's Chih-Hao Lee and Kihwa Kang

[more In the Media...]