Cultivating Well-being and Nutrition

The right balance is possible

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 the path forward has never seemed clearer.

We’re leading the way in determining how genetics, lifestyles and societies interact to influence everything from metabolism to mental health. We’re designing sustainable strategies to feed an exploding population. We’re leading cutting edge research to understand how diet impacts health at molecular and population levels—and how where we live, learn, work, and play influences our health. But it doesn’t stop at the science: we’re also shaping sustainable food policies, finding new ways to measure well-being, and providing insights to empower individuals and drive real-world progress.

We’re advancing health and happiness for all.

Recent Stories

Silica dust could harm health of Mass. commuter rail workers

Sand used on train tracks to improve traction could pose a health threat for Massachusetts commuter rail employees working in train cabs, according to a recent news report. A February 6, 2020 WCVB Channel 5 article described how corrosion in the sand…

Climate change can harm both health and health systems

The warming planet could worsen health for patients with chronic conditions, lead to new health harms, and wreak havoc with health systems, according to an expert from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Renee Salas—an emergency room doctor, a Yerby Fellow at the…

Experts welcome new federal funding for gun research

In December, Congress voted to approve $25 million for gun violence research. Experts hope the new funding will shed light on questions about gun ownership and the effectiveness of firearm policies and violence prevention efforts. The new funding ends what had effectively…

Addressing the opioid crisis: lessons learned from New York City

See Transcript [MUSIC PLAYING] DAVID LEVIN: You're listening to Harvard Chan-- This Week in Health. I'm David Levin. MARY BASSETT: Well, we've seen a real transition from handcuffs to help, and the idea that people who have problem drug use are people…

Launching a revolution

As California’s first surgeon general, Nadine Burke Harris, MPH ’02, is finding the roots of disease in childhood adversity and treating the long-term consequences.