- 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 frontierResearch compares trajectories of high-need patients across nations
A new set of papers takes an in-depth look at healthcare spending, use of hospitals and rehabs, and health outcomes across 11 countries for high-need, high-cost patients—those who are frail and have multiple chronic conditions.
We’re better off when we age with resilience
During the earliest days of the pandemic, younger people were told to protect the older adults in their lives from COVID-19 by isolating at home. Concerns about the virus and pandemic restrictions have taken a toll on everyone's…
Aging matters
Sneha Dutta, PhD ’21, wants to understand why individuals age differently and if there’s a way to counter old age’s harmful effects May 18, 2021–As a master’s student studying biology at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research in…
Ensuring safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines for vulnerable populations
Although COVID-19 vaccines have begun reaching people around the world, challenges remain to ensuring that the vaccines help those who are most vulnerable, according to an article co-authored by experts from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
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…
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…
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 frontierShould women runners carry guns for self-defense?
Carrying a concealed weapon may not be the best way for women runners to protect themselves against harassment or assault, according to some experts.
Soaring gun sales in Massachusetts worry health experts
People in Massachusetts are buying more guns—mostly handguns, which people tend to buy for self-protection.
Why there’s so much gun violence in the U.S.—and what to do about it
In the wake of a May 24 mass shooting at an Uvalde, Texas, elementary school that left 19 students and two teachers dead, Harvard Chan School’s David Hemenway has been speaking out about why there’s so much gun…
Better data needed around deaths in police custody
Two years after the killing of George Floyd by a police officer—and nearly 10 since the start of the Black Lives Matter movement—researchers are examining whether the ensuing protests and national conversation around racism and inequity have had…
Getting to know … Patience Saaka, MPH ’22
Patience Saaka is a physician from Ghana with a passion for promoting equity in health care and ending gender-based violence.
The costs of gun violence
Gun violence survivors and their families face increased risk of mental health disorders and substance abuse disorders, according to a new study.
Negotiating humanitarian access on the front lines in Ukraine
Claude Bruderlein, adjunct lecturer on global health at Harvard Chan School and senior researcher at the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, describes the challenges of humanitarian negotiations in regions affected by conflict.
Calling out a double standard in treatment of refugees from Ukraine
The war in Ukraine has unleashed “new, overt, and cruel manifestations of racism” in Europe, according to three experts from Harvard Chan School.
Ukraine’s humanitarian crisis
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has prompted a massive humanitarian crisis, with mounting military and civilian casualties and more than two million people on the move to escape the violence. In this Big 3 Q&A, Michael VanRooyen, director of…
Making the case for reparations
In the wake of atrocities, violence, and discrimination, reparations can play an important role in improving public health and emotional healing, according to scholars and human rights activists who spoke at a December 10, 2021 virtual event at…
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 frontierOpinion: Changing how buildings use energy can help combat climate change
Shifting buildings away from using dirty fossil fuels and toward using electricity for heating and cooling will be a crucial part of combatting climate change. But decarbonizing buildings would require a whopping increase in demand for renewable energy…
The case for climate optimism
Amid the gloom and doom that typically shape news and discussions about climate change, a growing number of thought leaders are focusing instead on the positive efforts that are underway in the fight against global warming.
Historic climate legislation an ‘extraordinary step forward’
Congress’ recently passed Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 includes about $400 billion to address climate and clean energy over the next decade, which is expected to help significantly reduce U.S. fossil fuel emissions and reduce health harms.
Extreme heat toolkit for providers, patients, clinics
A new extreme heat toolkit aims to provide information for healthcare providers, patients, and clinics on how to handle the serious health impacts of high temperatures.
Building healthier, more resilient societies to tackle global threats
The Reform for Resilience Commission has a lofty goal—to help ensure healthier and resilient growth everywhere amid dire global threats such as COVID-19 and climate change.
The dangers of extreme heat
Extreme heat—the kind that baked the U.S. and other parts of the world in mid-July—poses grave health risks, according to Aaron Bernstein of Harvard Chan School.
The Supreme Court curbed EPA’s power to regulate carbon emissions from power plants. What comes next?
Harvard Chan School experts discuss the implications of a Supreme Court ruling limiting the EPA's power to curb power plant emissions.
Poll: Facing extreme weather is changing Americans’ views about need for climate change action
Facing extreme weather events is impacting Americans’ views about the need for climate change action, according to a new NPR/Robert Wood Johnson Foundation/Harvard Chan School poll.
Opinion: How climate action can improve children’s health
Parents who take action to fight climate change can help improve the lives of their children both now and in the future, according to Harvard Chan School’s Aaron Bernstein.
Health consequences of using biomass for energy
Burning biomass has significant public health and environmental justice consequences, according to a recent opinion piece co-authored by Harvard Chan School’s Jonathan Buonocore.
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 frontierOpinion: Bold action needed on U.S. food policies to improve health
New food policies are urgently needed in the U.S., according to three nutrition experts from Harvard Chan School.
Cancer rising in people under 50
Incidence of early onset cancers—including breast, colon, esophagus, kidney, liver, and pancreas—has been dramatically increasing around the world since 1990.
Menstruation animation helps shed light on a touchy topic
A new educational animation that debuted at the Museum of Science in Boston over the summer aims to give parents and children the chance to learn about menstruation.
How our environment impacts reproductive health
Carmen Messerlian, assistant professor of environmental reproductive, perinatal, and pediatric epidemiology, studies how the world around us—everything from chemical exposures to trauma to climate change—can affect reproductive health and development.
More stringent COVID restrictions linked with better air quality
In cities that implemented stricter policies to contain COVID-19 during the early months of the pandemic, the air quality was more likely to improve, according to a new global analysis.
Soaring gun sales in Massachusetts worry health experts
People in Massachusetts are buying more guns—mostly handguns, which people tend to buy for self-protection.
Extreme heat toolkit for providers, patients, clinics
A new extreme heat toolkit aims to provide information for healthcare providers, patients, and clinics on how to handle the serious health impacts of high temperatures.
Exercising more than recommended could lengthen life, study suggests
Getting the federally recommended amount of physical activity can reduce the risk of early death—but boosting activity higher can further reduce the risk, a study found.
The dangers of extreme heat
Extreme heat—the kind that baked the U.S. and other parts of the world in mid-July—poses grave health risks, according to Aaron Bernstein of Harvard Chan School.
Assessing the FDA’s latest moves on nicotine and e-cigarettes
Experts from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health discuss the public health implications of the FDA's actions.
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 frontierThe latest on the coronavirus
Harvard Chan School experts offer comments and context about the coronavirus in a variety of media outlets.
Is new malaria vaccine ‘world-changing’? Maybe.
Harvard Chan School's Dyann Wirth offers some thoughts on a new malaria vaccine and its potential impact.
Expert cites miscommunication, missteps in monkeypox outbreak
The public health response to the monkeypox outbreak has been marked by miscommunication in warning vulnerable groups about the virus and missteps in providing vaccine doses, according to DrPH candidate Antón Castellanos Usigli.
Learning COVID-19’s lessons to prepare for the future
A new Lancet Commission report offers detailed policy recommendations aimed at reducing the dangers of COVID-19, forestalling the next pandemic, and enabling the world to proceed with goals of sustainable development, human rights, and peace.
Are planes dirtier these days? Yes, say experts.
Deep cleaning of airplanes is less prevalent now than it was during the beginning of the pandemic, but it won't affect passengers' health, according to experts.
More stringent COVID restrictions linked with better air quality
In cities that implemented stricter policies to contain COVID-19 during the early months of the pandemic, the air quality was more likely to improve, according to a new global analysis.
Building healthier, more resilient societies to tackle global threats
The Reform for Resilience Commission has a lofty goal—to help ensure healthier and resilient growth everywhere amid dire global threats such as COVID-19 and climate change.
Pandemic accelerated youth mental health crisis
The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically accelerated a decline in youth mental health in the U.S.
Assessing the FDA’s latest moves on nicotine and e-cigarettes
Experts from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health discuss the public health implications of the FDA's actions.
Tracking and responding to the global monkeypox outbreak
Bill Hanage discusses the current state of the monkeypox outbreak and efforts to control disease spread.
