Welcome to “In the Lab”
As we move forward into the warmer summer months, the Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases’ June edition of “In the Lab” reflected upon and celebrated the successes of IID’s recent graduates, explored new research advances, highlighted exciting faculty news, and fostered community through Pride Month celebrations both at the Harvard Chan School and in the greater Boston community.
“In the Lab” is a representation of the continued hard work, success, and scientific excellence that deserves to be shared with all members of the community.
Enjoy!
The IID Communications Team
NOTE: Throughout the summer we will be taking a pause on monthly newsletters, but we are excited to return in the fall!
Announcements
New Resources Available: Nature Masterclasses
Dear HMS/HSDM community,
We are pleased to let you know that Harvard University and the Office of the Vice Provost for Research have purchased a subscription to Nature Masterclasses. Nature Masterclasses is an online platform by Nature Research (Springer) that offers courses and modules relevant to research, publishing, and grant writing. Anyone with an active HarvardKey – faculty, staff, trainees, and students – may freely access this resource during our subscription period (now through February 27, 2024). Please click here to register.
Research Resource Highlight: Access to Non-Public Federal Microdata through the Boston Research Data Center
The Harvard Chan School recently purchased an institutional subscription to the Boston Research Data Center (BRDC), which greatly reduces the cost of accessing non-public federal microdata for School researchers. These microdata represent unit-level or otherwise highly-disaggregated data on individual persons or households and fine geographic units such as blocks or zip code.
The BRDC provides secure, on-premises access to perform statistical analyses on non-public microdata from 16 federal agencies including:
- Census Bureau, National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS)
- Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)
- Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA)
- CDC National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS)
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality
Additional information on the data available, the process to access the facility, and additional costs that may apply can be found on our School’s BRDC information webpage.
Graduation 2023
Congratulations to the four outstanding IID graduates: Dan Rubin, Sydney Stanley, Harry Won, and Madalyn Won!
Leading up to commencement we asked all four graduates what was the best part of their time in IID and what was something they learned that will stay with them long after graduation. Enjoy this short recap of their answers here!
Christian Happi: New Adjunct Faculty Member
IID’s newest adjunct faculty member, Christian Happi, sat down for a Q&A recently, where he discussed his research background, collaborations with current IID faculty members, goals as an adjunct professor, and personal hobbies. Click here for more in-depth answers to Happi’s Q&A session!
Events
IID Pride Celebration!
Wednesday, June 14, 2023, 4:30 – 6:00 PM
FXB Atrium
View the Pride Celebration recap photos below to see how IID celebrated!
Predicting Mosquito-Borne Disease Transmission in a Rapidly Changing World
Courtney Murdock, Associate Professor of Etomology, College of Agriculure and Life Sciences, Cornell University
Wednesday, June 21, 2023, 3 PM
Online Seminar
Disease ecologist Courtney Murdock will focus on understanding the climate variables that influence mosquito-borne disease transmission.
Deploying advanced models of climate-based disease spread, Murdock’s research seeks to predict transmission patterns in order to respond to the epidemiological effects of the climate crisis.
Click here to register!
BPH Pride Celebration
Thursday, June 29, 2023
Open to all members of BPH Labs (including IID)!
Media Spotlight
Addressing climate change with a public health-first approach
Harvard Chan News | Sarah Fortune | Climate Change and Infectious Disease
PEPFAR’s new goal: Ending HIV by 2030
Harvard Public Health Journal | Phyllis Kanki | HIV Research
Research Suggests Lower Transmissibility of Lung Infection
Mirage News | Eric Rubin | Mycobacterium Abscessus
Symposium highlights lesser-known members of the microbiome
Harvard Chan News | Wendy Garrett | Microbiome Research
The Good that Viruses Do
Harvard Medicine Magazine | Pardis Sabeti | Virus Research
Science in the A.L.P.S.
Harvard Chan News | Patty Grace | Austrian Leadership Programs
Research
Assessment of sewer connectivity in the United States and its implications for equity in wastewater-based epidemiology
PREPRINT / QinQin Yu, Scott W. Olesen, Claire Duvallet, Yonatan H. Grad / Wastewater-Based Epidemiology
Job Openings
| Research Assistant III Lab | Fortune Lab |
Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging
PRIDE MONTH 2023
Articles and Resources
Portraits of Pride Through Narratives
Wednesday, June 28 | 7:00 pm
The big list of 2023 Pride events in Boston and beyond
GSAS Engage – Celebrate Pride 2023!
JUNETEENTH
Articles and Resources
The Historical Legacy of Juneteenth
What to know about Juneteenth, the emancipation holiday
5 ways to celebrate Juneteenth 2023 in Boston
ETIMOLOGY OF AN INFECTIOUS DISEASES
In-flu-en-za [in-floo-en-zuh]
Per the CDC, the word “influenza” originated in 15th-century Italy during an epidemic described as, “influence of the stars.” Genetically, influenza is a single-stranded, helical RNA virus. The first worldwide pandemic of the influenza virus is believed to have been documented in the year 1580.
We are looking for submissions to include in future newsletters! Examples include: photos, new awards, publications, grants, and any other accomplishments you would like to share.
