Using a computer model to quantify and predict the spread of SARS, HSPH researchers determined that the virus had a real potential to spread widely but could be effectively controlled–even without a vaccine or drug treatment–through public health measures.

In an NEJM study, researchers from HSPH and the University of Athens Medical School found that study participants who strongly adhered to a Mediterranean diet had improved longevity compared to participants who did not follow that diet as closely.

In the first analysis that took into account the variety in progression of hepatitis C infection, researchers at the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis–looking at the clinical benefit and cost effectiveness of the latest treatment for the disease–concluded that early treatment may not be the right choice for many thousands of people with asymptomatic hepatitis C infection.

The Botswana-Harvard AIDS Institute Partnership helped launch the first prophylactic HIV vaccine trial conducted in southern Africa.

In the first study to investigate the potential benefit in humans of the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) in reducing the risk of Parkinson’s Disease, HSPH researchers found that regular users of these drugs had a lower risk for the disease than non-users.

Leaders from HSPH, the food industry, and the government–including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration commissioner–launched a two-day meeting to discuss potential ways to collaborate to improve the American diet.

Life expectancy could be significantly increased in the poorest areas of the world if well-known, major risk factors are highlighted and preventive measures put in place to help eliminate them–according to a study by researchers from HSPH, the World Health Organization, and a collaborating network of international scientists.

"The Harvard Forums on Health," a series on critical health care issues sponsored by the Harvard University Interfaculty Program on Health Systems Improvement, was launched at HSPH with a discussion on obesity.

"The Future of Public Health," a series of symposia held at HSPH, was made available on a CD-ROM.

Researchers from HSPH and the University of Queensland, Australia, found that smoking caused nearly five million premature deaths worldwide in 2000, with the number of deaths in developing and industrialized countries nearly equal.

HSPH and the Kennedy School of Government were awarded a grant by the CDC to establish the National Preparedness Leadership Academy. The University-wide training initiative is geared toward senior government officials with responsibilities for preparedness and public health.

Scientists, policymakers, dietitians, and food service directors convened at HSPH to discuss how the USDA Food Guide Pyramid could be improved.

This year’s flu season saw the emergence of a strain of the virus historically associated with more severe cases. Despite that fact, a national poll conducted in December by the HSPH Project on the Public and Biological Security found that a significant number of Americans at high risk of serious complications from the flu had not gotten a flu vaccine.

January 2004 marked the third annual National Mentoring Month, featuring the nation’s first "Thank Your Mentor Day." The project was led by the HSPH Center for Health Communication.

In the first prospective study to assess the relationship between vitamin D intake in women and the risk of developing multiple sclerosis, HSPH researchers found that women with the highest intake of vitamin D through supplement use had a 40 percent lower risk of developing MS as compared to women who did not use supplements.

The federal government awarded HSPH a $20.5 million biodefense grant to study immune system responses to pathogens.

Florida A&M University, in partnership with HSPH, received a $6 million grant from the NIH to help eliminate health disparities in rural and urban communities.

The Massachusetts Coalition on Obesity Prevention, organized by the Harvard Prevention Research Center on Nutrition and Physical Activity at HSPH, hosted a legislative breakfast at the State House on childhood obesity.

In a direct application of chemical genetics, HSPH researchers published a paper in Chemistry & Biology describing the discovery of the first small molecule inhibitors, aside from chelating compounds, that interfere with iron uptake–and the inhibitors do so in a pathway-specific manner.

Researchers from HSPH and institutions in Japan, Denmark, and the Faroe Islands undertook an assessment of possible brain function impairment in adolescent children due to prenatal exposure to mercury when the mothers’ diet was high in seafood. The authors found that high levels of mercury that had been passed from mother to child in utero produced irreversible impairment to specific brain functions in the children.

The Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies co-organized a seminar on road traffic injuries in the developing world. Globally, road accidents rank second among the leading causes of death in young adults, according to the World Health Organization.

The Division of Public Health Practice hosted the first-ever legislative oversight hearing in Massachusetts on health care disparities among Asian Americans.

A study from Educational Testing Service and HSPH identified, for the first time, the health-related literacy skills of U.S. adults and found marked differences among adults based on their education, age, wealth, and country of birth.

It was announced that Harvard Law School alumnus Mortimer Zuckerman, the owner of U.S. News & World Report, is giving $10 million to establish the Zuckerman Fellows Program–aimed to increase the ranks of future leaders committed to addressing significant issues in the public sector. The program is open to candidates who have earned or are pursuing a business, law, or medical degree at Harvard or elsewhere and will commit to earning an additional degree at one of three Harvard Graduate Schools dedicated to public service: HSPH, HGSE, or JFK School of Government.