Promotions and Appointments

Heather Nelson has been appointed assistant professor of environmental epidemiology in the Department of Environmental Health. Nelson formerly was a research associate in the Department of Cancer Cell Biology.

Xin Xu has been appointed assistant professor of genetic epidemiology in the Department of Environmental Health. Xu formerly was a research associate in the department.

Donna Spiegelman has been promoted to professor of epidemiologic methods in the Department of Epidemiology. Spiegelman formerly was an associate professor in the Departments of Epidemiology and Biostatistics.

Rimm Announces Grants for Study and for Fellowship

Eric Rimm, an associate professor in the Departments of Epidemiology and Nutrition, has received a four-year, $300,000 grant from the American Heart Association to investigate gene and diet interactions as they relate to the risk of cardiovascular heart disease. Rimm will use data from HSPH’s Health Professionals Follow-up Study to conduct the research.

Rimm is also part of a team with Walter Willett, professor, and Gokhan Hotamisligil, an associate professor, both of the Department of Nutrition, to receive a joint grant from the Iacocca Foundation to create a "Mary K. Iacocca Fellowship in Molecular Genetics and Nutritional Epidemiology." The fellowship will be used to recruit a scientist interested in studying obesity and diabetes. The research will be multidisciplinary, with the fellow conducting basic research and then applying the results to population sciences. Rimm said they are in the early stages of recruitment. For more information, e-mail Rimm at eric.rimm@channing.harvard.edu.

Reminder: Health Screening and Chair Massage

HSPH members can receive a health screening, raffles, prizes, consultation with an exercise physiologist and chair massage on Thursday, June 27 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Kresge 110, offered by the HSPH/Fitcorp Wellness Program.

The health screening is free. The chair massage costs $5, which will be collected at the door. To reserve a chair massage, call 617-375-5600 ext 210.