September 13, 2024 

Happy Friday everyone! This was a significant week for the upcoming presidential election, and next week will be monumental as early voting begins in a few states. I urge you to check your voter registration, ensure you’re registered, make a voting plan, and request an absentee ballot if needed. I have found that vote.org and Harvard Votes Challenge are great resources when it comes to making sure you have everything you need so that your vote will be cast on November 5th! 

 

🖋️ Hispanic Heritage Month 

This week, in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, I am happy to spotlight Mark Magaña, the founding president and CEO of GreenLatinos, a network organization of Latino/a/x environmental advocates seeking environmental justice. Mark was the first Latino to serve as senior staff in the White House and in Congressional leadership. His career spans many influential experiences, including serving as Congressional Liaison at the Department of Health and Human Services and Legislative Assistant to Congressman Jim McDermott. His expertise has been significant in shaping policies that address environmental issues and social justice within Latino communities. As the creator of GreenLatinos, Mark has built a force of Latino/a/x leaders who use their cultural connections and the power of community to address the environmental challenges that disproportionately affect them. Mark’s work centers around uplifting marginalized voices, and he continues to be a wonderful figure in the fight for environmental equity and justice.  

Mark Magaña 

 

🌟 In the Spotlight      

 

Dr. Rick Woychik’s Talk; On Monday, September 9th, Dr. Rick Woychik, Director of the NIEHS presented on Planning Future Directions for Environmental Health Sciences for our department. Dr. Woychik provided valuable insights on six different areas of scientific focus, including the growing field of exposomics. He also emphasized that climate change impacts every person differently, meaning that climate solutions will be derived by large scale scientific collaboration. Dr. Woychik concluded his talk with a call to read the NIEHS FY 2025-2029 Strategic Plan and to submit a one sentence bold prediction regarding how the NIEHS plan will change global human health in the next 5-10 years to NIEHSDirector@nih.gov.  

 Dr. Rick Woychik

EMGS Annual Meeting; Congratulations to Allie Berroyer, a Postdoc Research Fellow in Dr. Zac Nagel’s lab, for winning 1st prize for “Best Early Career Investigator Poster” at the EMGS annual meeting in Palm Springs! Her poster, titled “Chemotherapeutic G-Quadruplex DNA-stabilizer CX-5461 is a Nucleotide Excision Repair Inhibitor,” was outstanding. Zac attended along with Sophie Erlich and Ana Cheong. Sophie, a PHS student, presented a poster on hyperlocal particulate matter exposure, while Ana, a Senior Research Associate, co-chaired a symposium and gave a seminar on DNA repair and the immune system. Despite the 114-degree heat, I heard from Zac that it was a great experience!  

Allie Berroyer displaying her prize. From left, Ana, Allie, and Sophie at the EMGS Annual Meeting. From left, Allie, Zac, Sophie, and Ana. 

Post Doc Appreciation Day; Next week, Monday, September 16 to Friday, September 20, is Post Doc Appreciation Week! To celebrate the wonderful Post Docs in our department, EH is hosting Post Doc Appreciation Day on Tuesday, September 17 from 2:00-3:00PM in Building 1, 1302. This year’s theme is empowerment, specifically focusing on empowering your careers. Please stop by to chat with me and some EH faculty members, and to receive your thank-you card and gift! If you plan to come, please RSVP here. I am very excited to discuss this theme and celebrate with you all on Tuesday! 

 

📚 Department Updates 

Open House; As part of the upcoming Alumni Weekend, AW24: Climate Resilience in Action: Public Health Solutions for a Changing World, the Department of Environmental Health and Harvard Chan C-CHANGE will be hosting an open house on Friday, September 27 from 3-4pm on the 13th floor. There will be refreshments, and a department meet & greet in room 1302. This will be a chance for alumni to learn what the department and Harvard Chan C-CHANGE are up to, from faculty, researchers, and current students. I encourage all students, RA’s, postdocs, faculty, researchers, and staff to attend and connect with our Alumni!  

Intranet Launch; I am happy to announce that the EH Intranet site was launched this week! The intranet is entirely internal facing and will now house all the information that previously lived on the “Internal Resource Website”. The new EH Department Intranet site will be accessed using your HarvardKey, and will feature important news, events, and resources for faculty, researchers, current students, and staff. Please read more about the intranet here! And if you have suggestions for more resources that you’d like to see on the intranet, please email Carly Stearnbourne, the Department’s Communications Project Manager. 

 

📰 In the News 

• Cooling Classrooms; In a recent Associated Press article Dr. Joe Allen was quoted on how to cool down schools amid warming temperatures. Research shows that classrooms in low-income neighborhoods can be as much as 7 degrees hotter than those in more affluent areas. Joe stated that solutions are readily available, and that current conditions are unacceptable. 

• Personal Care Products and Kids; Dr. Shruthi Mahalingaiah was featured in a new NPR article, commenting on a study that found that skin and hair products expose children to hormone disrupting chemicals. Shruthi recommended that parents and caregivers check out the YUKA app or the Skin Deep database to check if their products may be harmful.  

• Climate Creators; Harvard Chan’s C-CHANGE was recently mentioned in a LA Times article for their Climate Creator to Watch initiative. The article addresses how scientists can educate wide audiences on the field using social media.  

 

💼 New Opportunities 

• The NIH Cardiovascular Epidemiology Branch is seeking a Health Scientist Administrator to join their team. This role focuses on advancing research in cardiovascular health across the lifespan, including pediatric and adult heart conditions. NHLBI is particularly interested in candidates with expertise in multi-omics and the effects of environmental factors on heart, lung, blood, and sleep disorders at the population level.  

• To apply, visit USAJobs between September 16th and 25th, 2024. For more information, contact Yuling Hong, MD, PhD, Chief, Epidemiology Branch. 

• For more opportunities, please check out the Current Opportunities Intranet page.  

 

🎓 Students Corner   

New Students Feature; Throughout the semester, I’d love to feature all of our new EH students in Chair Chatter! If you joined us this fall, please take a moment to fill out this survey so that I can include you. I look forward to getting to know you all better! 

 

🍵 Staff Corner   

Welcome to our staff corner! Here’s a quick reminder about the Human Resources personnel available on our Harvard Longwood campus.  

 

🔔 Reminders 

• Remember to save the date for our upcoming EH Department retreat! Everyone in the department is welcome to join us on Wednesday, October 9, 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM at Simmons College. Fill out this form to RSVP by September 25th. Check your Harvard email for more details! 

• Also save the date for the EH field trip to the Arnold Arboretum on October 22, from 3:00-5:00PM! This is a great chance for our entire department to explore the arboretum’s beauty, guided by Ned Friedman, the Director of the Arboretum himself. For those without transportation, we will coordinate carpooling efforts and arrange for rides to ensure everyone can join.  

• Submit photographs of nature, EH department work related images, or pictures of your teams so we can decorate our office! Please send all photos to our Communications Co-op, Caroline Bayer. 

• The Africa Climate and Health Responders Course is now open for registration. Twice a week from September 17-October 22, this course aims to educate attendees on how climate change is impacting African countries, despite being the region that contributes the least to the climate crisis.  

• Registration is free, and classes will be recorded for asynchronous viewing. 

• Check out the Current Opportunities page on the EH intranet (HarvardKey required) for both internal and external job postings. 

• The American Lung Association Research Institute have recently made applications for two new indoor air and lung health research funding opportunities available. The Indoor Air Award will provide independent researchers with $100,000 a year and mentored researchers with $50,000 a year. For those interested, the 1-page letter of intent must be submitted by September 18, 2024. More funding opportunities are also listed on the ALA website. 

• The National Academy of Medicine is now accepting nominations for its Emerging Leaders in Health and Medicine Program (ELHM). Each year ELHM selects up to 10 professionals who will become ELHM scholars for three years and will be mentored by National Academy of Medicine members.  

• Do you have something to share with the Chair’s Chatter or on our socials? Please submit any news, events, publications, or anything else you’d like to share to our new Communications Survey or write to EH-Chatter@hsph.harvard.edu. Remember, your contributions and enthusiasm keep our community thriving! 

 

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend! 

 

Best, 

Kari 

 

🗓️ Upcoming Events 

   
Disclaimer: Harvard Chan School seeks to bring in speakers with a wide range of experiences and perspectives. They’re here to share their own insights; they do not speak for the School or the University. 
 
Chair Open Office Hours   
Building 1, Room 1301, Mondays, 8:00 – 9:00AM on Zoom.  
*Please check with Jen Razo for Zoom details. 
 
Tea Time  
Building 1, 13th Floor Kitchen Area, Tuesdays 1:30 – 2:30PM 
Landmark 4 West, Thursdays 2:00 – 3:00PM 
September Tea of the Month: BIGELOW Vanilla Chai Black Tea 
 
*For any calendar event as it pertains to faith-based holidays, please click here. 
 
 
To view a listing of all upcoming events in the Department, please check out the Events Calendar on the EH intranet here (HarvardKey required). 
 
Friday, September 13, 2024, 9:00AM – 1:30PM 
Event: Virtual Symposium 
Title: Extraction in the era of Global Change 
Description: PEGASUS Institute, a registered charity in Canada, is convening a virtual symposium on Friday, September 13, on resource extraction that will address issues of impacts on health, the environment, Indigenous communities, and the challenges of a just and sustainable transition to net- zero. As nations worldwide aim to curb their emissions through green energy technologies, understanding the impacts of extraction is of the utmost  
importance to ensuring that the voices of at-risk communities are heard. 
Location: Virtual 
Register: Use this registration link. 
 
Friday, September 13, 2024, 1:10 – 1:50PM 
Event: Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Seminars 
Title: I. What Can We Learn from a Near-Miss Survey of Fishermen? II. ERC Outreach Activities 
Learning Objectives: Participants will be able to 1) explain the pros and cons of a near-miss survey; 2) discuss the situations responsible for near-misses in the Maine fishing industry; 3) explain three actions the Maine Commercial Fishing Safety Council have taken to enable fishermen to respond to potentially hazardous situations; and to 4) list three ERC Outreach activities that are available for HSPH students. 
Location: Kresge 502 and ZOOM 
Questions: Contact Ann Backus  
Learn more and register: Use this link. 
 
Monday, September 16, 2024, 12:00 – 1:00PM  
Event:  Dr. Vanessa Kerry Visit and Lecture  
Title: Academic Service: the virtuous cycle of evidence, implementation and policy for climate and health 
Speaker: Vanessa Kerry, MD, MSc, Director of Program in Global Public Policy and Social Change 
Location: HSPH, Building 1, Room 1302 
 
Tuesday, September 17, 2024, 9:30 – 10:30AM 
Event: MELD T32 Seminar 
Title: Translational Molecular Epidemiology Research in Lung Cancer 
Speaker: David Christiani, MD, MPH, MS, Elkan Blout Professor of Environmental Genetics 
Location: HSPH, Building 1, Room 1302 
 
Tuesday, September 17, 12:00 – 1:00PM  
Event: FASI Seminar Series 
Title: Project SAFE Introduction  
Description: Join Ruslan Medzhitov, Ph.D., FASI’s Scientific Founder, Sterling Professor of Immunobiology at Yale University School of Medicine, and Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator, and Megan Fisklements, Ph.D., FASI’s Food Science Advisor for an exciting discussion on the introduction to FASI’s Project SAFE – the Science of Adjuvants in Food and the Environment.   
Location: Online 
Register: Use this link to register.  
 
Tuesday, September 17, 2:00 – 3:00PM  
Event: Post Doc Appreciation Day! 
Description: Next week, Monday, September 16-Friday, September 20, is Post Doc Appreciation Week! To celebrate the wonderful Post Docs in our department, EH is hosting Post Doc Appreciation Day! This year’s Post Doc Appreciation Week theme is empowerment and to help to empower careers.  
Location: HSPH, Building 1, 1302  
Register: RSVP here.  
 
Friday, September 20, 2024, 1:10 – 1:50PM 
Event: Occupational and Environmental Medicine Grand Rounds 
Title: Environmental Exposure to Ciguatoxin: Clinical Features, Diagnosis and Management 
Learning Objectives: Participants will be able to 1) describe the 
pathophysiology of ciguatera poisoning; 2) identify common environmental sources of exposure; and to 3) discuss the management of ciguatera poisoning including treatment options and preventive measures. 
Location: Kresge 502 and ZOOM 
Questions: Contact Ann Backus 
Learn more and register: Use this link. 
 
Monday, September 23, 2024, 1:00 – 2:00PM  
Event: A Conversation with the Survivors of the Bhopal, India Tragedy  
Description: 40 years ago, 27 tons of Methyl Isocyanate leaked from a pesticide plant on to 16 square miles of the city of Bhopal, India. Thousands died because of the chemical exposure from the leak. 40 years later, over half a million people have been impacted by this event. Please come see survivors of this event speak at HSPH on September 23rd, 2024. Light refreshments will be provided after the talk on the 13th floor, RSVP here.  
Location: Kresge, Room G2 
 
Wednesday, September 25, 2024, 9:30 – 11:30AM  
Event: Writing Workshop Series  
Description: This workshop is intended to provide our EH students and trainees with personalized writing support on current projects by faculty members and research scientists. Bring a current writing project to get personalized writing support! 
Location: HSPH, Building 1, Floor 13, Student Lounge 
Register: RSVP by emailing Francine Laden. 
More Information: Please contact Francine Laden. 
 
 
Wednesday, September 25, 2024, 4:00 – 5:00PM 
Event: Climate Health and Research Network  
Description: The Climate and Health Research Network is a group of over one hundred faculty, students, researchers, doctoral and post-doctoral students from across the Harvard health science schools and affiliated hospitals. The goal of the network is to better coordinate, support, and amplify research on climate and health, to build a community of scholars, and to catalyze new research collaborations. The group meets monthly to share and discuss ongoing research done by our network members and other upcoming funding opportunities and events.       
Location: Virtual    
Register: If you are interested in joining, please reach out to Skye Flanigan. 
 
Friday, September 27, 2024, 3:00 – 4:00PM  
Event: EH Alumni Open House 
Description: As part of the upcoming Alumni Weekend, AW24: Climate Resilience in Action: Public Health Solutions for a Changing World, the Department of Environmental Health and Harvard Chan C-CHANGE will be hosting an open house . There will be refreshments, and a meet & greet. This will be a chance for alumni to learn what the department and Harvard Chan C- CHANGE are up to, from faculty, researchers, and current students.   
Location: HSPH, Building 1, 1302 
 
Monday, September 30, 2024 
Event: Harvard Chan Community Day of Service  
Description: Join us for our second annual Day of Service! Pick a service opportunity to participate in, then join us for a community lunch in the Kresge Cafeteria. All students, staff, faculty, trainees, and academic appointees are welcome. A complete list of service opportunities will be available in the first week in September. 
Location: Kresge Building  
More Information: HSPH Website  
 
Friday, October 11, 2024, 1:00 – 5:00PM 
Event: 27th Annual John B. Little Symposium 
Description: The theme of this year’s Symposium is “Innovations in Radiation Sciences” and will include exciting talks from world-renowned specialists in the fields of radiation immuno-oncology, AI-enabled medicine and cancer survivorship. 
Location: Snyder Auditorium (Kresge G1) 
Register: Click here to join as an attendee or a poster presenter. Attendance and poster presentation slots are limited so please register as soon as possible. 
More Information: JBL Symposium 
 
October 14, 2024, from 1:00 – 2:00 PM  
Event: Journal Club Meeting 
Description: Join the Environmental Health Journal Club (EHJC)! EHJC is a student-led group that dives into environmental health research and methods through biweekly discussions. Whether you’re a new or returning student, we can’t wait to kick off the year with you at our first meeting! Light refreshments are provided. 
Contact: Carolina Mendonca 
Location: Building 1, Room 1306B 
 
 
Tuesday, October 22, 2024, 3:00-5:00PM 
Event: Arnold Arboretum Field Trip  
Description: This is a great chance for our entire department to explore the arboretum’s beauty, guided by Ned Friedman, the Director of the arboretum himself. For those without transportation, we will coordinate carpooling efforts and arrange for rides to ensure everyone can join. More details to come soon!   
Location: Arnold Arboretum  
Learn More and Register: Please contact Jennifer Razo if you plan to attend! 

Chair Chatter Archive
2024: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August
2023: December, November, October, September, August, July, June, May, April, March, February, January
2022: December, November, October, September, August, July, June, May, April, March, February, January
2021: December, November, October, September, August
Continued: 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006