- Reimagining Aging
- Overcoming Violence
- Confronting Climate Change
- Cultivating Well-being and Nutrition
- Conquering Epidemics
How should we respond to a demographic shift that will change how the world lives, learns, and works? Harvard Chan researchers are digging deep into cellular mechanisms, analyzing statistical patterns across decades of health data, exploring how connection with others is protective, and tracking down other clues to healthier and happier aging.
Learn more about this frontierBetter Off: A new podcast from Harvard Chan School
How can we make our families, communities, and our world a little bit better during the COVID-19 crisis, and beyond? That's the question we're asking on Better Off, a new podcast from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public…

Op-ed: Want to make the world a healthier place? Vote.
Voting is one of the most potent ways to effect large-scale change in public health, according to Michelle Williams, dean of Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. In an October 16, 2020 op-ed in The Philadelphia Inquirer,…
Perspective: COVID-19 highlights pressing need to better understand immunity, particularly in elderly
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the vulnerability of aging populations to emerging diseases and underscores the significant need to better understand immunity and vaccine response among the elderly, according to an April 17, 2020 New England Journal of…
Healthy habits in middle age may reduce women’s stroke risk
Adopting a healthy lifestyle in middle age may significantly reduce the risk of stroke in women, according to new research from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The study analyzed data from nearly 60,000 women who participated…
Study of lipid metabolism in neurons may offer therapeutic possibilities for neurodegenerative diseases
For immediate release: April 13, 2020 Boston, MA – Disrupting the production of a class of lipids known as sphingolipids in neurons improved symptoms of neurodegeneration and increased survival in a mouse model, according to new research led…

Gaining insight into women's health
Could an app help scientists better understand menstruation, fertility, and menopause? On the latest episode of This Week in Health, Shruthi Mahalingaiah and JP Onnela talk about the groundbreaking Apple Women’s Health Study. Shruthi Mahalingaiah, an assistant professor of environmental, reproductive, and…

Following healthy lifestyle habits at middle age may increase years lived free of chronic diseases
For immediate release: Wednesday, January 8, 2020 Boston, MA – Maintaining five healthy habits—eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, keeping a healthy body weight, not drinking too much alcohol, and not smoking—at middle-age may increase years lived free…

Program explores molecular underpinnings of chronic diseases
December 4, 2019—For many years, epidemiological data has shown a link between obesity and asthma. While researchers have long hypothesized that obesity increases the risk of asthma, why or how that risk is increased isn’t entirely clear. A…

Launch of new analytics platform provides access to cutting edge tech for Harvard Chan School scientists
November 27, 2019—Scientists across Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health got a major upgrade to their toolbox this week with the official launch of the Harvard Chan Advanced Multi-omics Platform, or ChAMP. Housed in the Department of…

Introducing the Department of Molecular Metabolism
October 21, 2019 – The Department of Genetics and Complex Diseases at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health has officially changed its name to the Department of Molecular Metabolism. “After consultation with the faculty and academic council,…

Violence and trauma take many forms. Harvard Chan researchers are using scientific rigor to understand how damage to the body and spirit can be prevented, and develop ways to repair the effects of violence and build resilience in the future.
Learn more about this frontierBetter Off: A new podcast from Harvard Chan School
How can we make our families, communities, and our world a little bit better during the COVID-19 crisis, and beyond? That's the question we're asking on Better Off, a new podcast from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public…

Soaring U.S. gun sales could lead to more deaths, says expert
Fears related to the coronavirus pandemic, social unrest, and the upcoming election are contributing to record gun sales in the U.S.—and more guns to lead to more deaths, says a Harvard Chan expert.

Op-ed: Want to make the world a healthier place? Vote.
Voting is one of the most potent ways to effect large-scale change in public health, according to Michelle Williams, dean of Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. In an October 16, 2020 op-ed in The Philadelphia Inquirer,…
2016 U.S. presidential election associated with uptick in heart attacks and stroke
For immediate release: October 12, 2020 Boston, MA – The hospitalization rate for acute cardiovascular disease (CVD) events in a large southern California health system was 1.62 times higher in the two days immediately after the 2016 presidential…

Frontlines Fall 2020
Quick updates about the latest public health news from across the School and beyond.

Family functioning during pregnancy may affect fetal brain development
How a family functions and manages conflict during pregnancy may influence the development of cortical white matter and subcortical volumes in the fetus and could be associated with brain characteristics that underlie behavioral problems later in life, according…
Why declaring racism a public health crisis matters
Since 2019, policymakers from more than 50 American municipalities and three states have formally highlighted racism as a public health crisis.

Reforming investigations of police killings in the U.S.
It’s important to examine the work of the medical examiners and coroners who investigate killings involving police, in order to uncover possible police misconduct, says a Harvard Chan School expert.
Black people more than three times as likely as white people to be killed during a police encounter
Black Americans are 3.23 times more likely than whites to be killed by police.

Engaging with gun rights advocates on suicide prevention
Morissa Sobelson Henn, DrPH ’19, works with gun rights advocates on suicide prevention in Utah.
Climate change is one of our greatest public health challenges—but also one of our best opportunities for global progress. Harvard Chan researchers are uncovering the human toll of our changing environment and crafting solutions.
Learn more about this frontierHarvard Chan School experts tapped for Biden administration posts
Two faculty members from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health—Sara Bleich and Benjamin Sommers—and one former faculty member, Gina McCarthy, have been chosen for roles in the new Biden-Harris administration.

Harvard Chan experts featured in year’s top stories in Harvard Magazine, Harvard Gazette
Experts from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health were featured in some of the top stories of 2020 in both Harvard Magazine and the Harvard Gazette.
Gina McCarthy tapped to coordinate U.S. climate agenda
Gina McCarthy, president and CEO of the Natural Resources Defense Council and chair of the board of advisers of Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health’s Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment, has been chosen by…
Better Off: A new podcast from Harvard Chan School
How can we make our families, communities, and our world a little bit better during the COVID-19 crisis, and beyond? That's the question we're asking on Better Off, a new podcast from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public…

Creating a ‘climate-ready’ health care workforce
With disasters related to climate change increasing, it’s crucial that the health care workforce be “climate-ready,” according to Aaron Bernstein.
Fracking associated with elevated radiation levels at nearby sites
The energy production process commonly known as fracking is associated with increased levels of airborne radioactive particles in areas downwind of fracking sites, according to new research led by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The study…
Study: Regional transportation pact could save more than 1,000 lives
A regional initiative among 12 Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states aimed at reducing carbon emissions from transportation could help avoid about 1,100 deaths and nearly 5,000 asthma cases each year, and could save more than $11 billion in health…
Commentary: Sharp differences between presidential candidates on environment will impact human health
The winner of the 2020 U.S. presidential election will shape environmental policy that could have a significant impact on human health around the world, according to a September 29, 2020 commentary in The Lancet. The piece, co-authored by…
During Climate Week 2020, a focus on how climate affects health
It’s imperative to get the message out that addressing climate change is critical to improving human health, according to Harvard Chan School’s Aaron Bernstein.

Heat waves bring health risks for vulnerable populations
With summer heat comes elevated health risks for vulnerable populations.
From fast food to no food, 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 and clouded. But thanks to the work of Harvard Chan researchers the path forward has never seemed clearer.
Learn more about this frontierWhy plant-based diets are good for human and planetary health
Diets that are largely plant-based and low in red meat may be the best way to feed a global population expected to reach 10 billion by 2050.
Green Mediterranean diet may reduce risk of fatty liver disease
A form of the Mediterranean diet including more green plant matter may reduce the risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease by half.
Harvard Chan School experts tapped for Biden administration posts
Two faculty members from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health—Sara Bleich and Benjamin Sommers—and one former faculty member, Gina McCarthy, have been chosen for roles in the new Biden-Harris administration.

Assessing the effectiveness of public health ads
Public health advertising that incites fear is often less effective than messaging that provides clear steps about staying healthy and saving lives, according to experts.

Assessing the latest U.S. dietary guidelines
Eric Rimm, professor in the Departments of Epidemiology and Nutrition at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, discussed the recently released 2020–2025 U.S. Dietary Guidelines.

We're better off when we swipe right on public health
When Antón Castellanos Usigli was asked to help bring younger LGBTQ people into a Brooklyn clinic for sexual health services, he thought it would be a piece of cake. But after his first attempts failed, Antón turned to…

No evidence for claims of coconut oil’s health benefits
Coconut oil has been touted as a healthy fat with an array of beneficial effects, but these claims lack evidence.
We're better off when kids are resilient
Are kids going to be okay when the pandemic is over? That’s the question on many parents’ minds as remote learning continues, and friends and family remain six feet apart. Better Off talks with psychologist and researcher Archana…
PFAS exposure linked with worse COVID-19 outcomes
People who had elevated blood levels of a toxic chemical called perfluorobutanoic acid had an increased risk of a more severe course of COVID-19 than those who did not have elevated levels, according to a new study led…
Harvard Chan experts featured in year’s top stories in Harvard Magazine, Harvard Gazette
Experts from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health were featured in some of the top stories of 2020 in both Harvard Magazine and the Harvard Gazette.
Humans and pathogens are locked in a bitter arms race—and the pathogens are winning. They are evolving to resist our best medicines, and humanity’s pipeline of effective antibiotic weapons is empty. The next pandemic is a matter of when, not if. Harvard Chan researchers are fighting on many fronts to make sure humanity is ready when the next outbreak inevitably arrives.
Learn more about this frontierAfter a long pandemic year, experts look to the future
Harvard Chan School experts offer advice on how the new Biden administration can best tackle the pandemic.

The latest on the coronavirus
Harvard Chan School experts offer comments and context about the coronavirus in a variety of media outlets.

How the pandemic has hurt public trust in science
A mix of factors, including rapidly evolving science, mixed messaging, and misinformation, has eroded public trust in science during the pandemic, say experts.
Coronavirus (COVID-19): Press Conference with Michael Mina, 01/22/21
You're listening to a press conference from the Harvard School of Public Health with Michael Mina, assistant professor of epidemiology. This call was recorded at 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Friday, January 22nd. Transcript MODERATOR: Dr. Mina, do…

Assessing the effectiveness of public health ads
Public health advertising that incites fear is often less effective than messaging that provides clear steps about staying healthy and saving lives, according to experts.

Coronavirus (COVID-19): Press Conference with William Hanage, 01/21/21
You're listening to a press conference from the Harvard School of Public Health with William Hanage, associate professor of epidemiology and a faculty member in the Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics. This call was recorded at 2 p.m.…

Coronavirus (COVID-19): Press Conference with Michael Mina, 01/15/21
You're listening to a press conference from the Harvard School of Public Health with Michael Mina, assistant professor of epidemiology. This call was recorded at 11 a.m. Eastern Time on Friday, January 15th. Transcript MODERATOR: All right. Dr.…

‘A very difficult set of decisions’
Figuring out who to prioritize for COVID-19 vaccination is an incredibly difficult task, given the vulnerability of a variety of groups, including elderly people, residents of nursing homes and other congregate settings, frontline workers, people with comorbidities, and…

Overcoming the initial challenges of the COVID-19 vaccine rollout
January 12, 2021 – Howard Koh, Harvey V. Fineberg Professor of the Practice of Public Health Leadership, discusses the initial challenges of COVID-19 vaccination efforts in the U.S. and the need for a “one government” approach. What’s your…

Opinion: Roll out vaccines using honor code
Distributing COVID-19 vaccines according to an honor code could minimize bureaucratic red tape and help hasten the rollout, according to experts from Ariadne Labs and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
