The Harvard Chan Frontiers

By 2020, the number of people worldwide age 60 years and older will outnumber children younger than 5. It’s a demographic shift that will re-shape how we live, learn, and work. We’re uncovering ways to ensure that aging people and societies can be stronger than ever.

Violence and trauma happen all around us — from brutal physical assault to blinding social prejudice. We’re using scientific rigor to understand how damage to the body and spirit can be prevented and to develop ways to repair the effects of violence and build resilience in the future.

Climate change touches every aspect of our lives, from the air we breathe and the food we eat to the rising risk of epidemic disease and natural disaster. We’re not only uncovering the human toll of our changing environment, we’re crafting global solutions.

From the obesity epidemic sweeping the globe to social isolation and unhappiness, we’re still plagued by barriers to human thriving. The links between our health and how we feel, interact, and live are complex. But we’re leading the way in understanding how genetics, lifestyles, and social forces interact to influence everything from metabolism to mental health.

The next major pandemic is a matter of when, not if. As pathogens evolve to resist our front-line medicines, and as the risks of infection multiply with urban crowding, global travel, and a warming planet, there is no time to lose. We’re fighting on many fronts to make sure humanity is ready when the next outbreak inevitably arrives.