Below are the convocation remarks I delivered at the 2023 Harvard Chan Convocation on May 24. Welcome. I am Michelle Williams, dean of faculty at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. This is a special day and it’s a privilege to celebrate it with you. Class of 2023, this is your moment, and … Continue reading “2023 Harvard Chan School Convocation Remarks”
By Michelle A. Williams and Asaf Bitton, Executive Director of Ariadne Labs We know how striking health disparities remain in the U.S. In 2021, for example, the average life expectancy at birth was 76.4 years for white Americans, compared to just over 70 years for Black Americans and only 65 years for American Indians and … Continue reading “Focusing on primary care and prevention can help us close health disparities”
Studies have shown that living a mindful life can yield health benefits—but research into this burgeoning field is still developing. We need more data to define the strength of this connection and better comprehend the impact of mindfulness on public health. That is why I am thrilled that the Harvard T.H. Chan School for Public … Continue reading “Celebrating the Launch of the Thich Nhat Hanh Center for Mindfulness in Public Health”
By Michelle A. Williams and Paul Hudson, CEO of Sanofi When public health authorities approved COVID-19 vaccines in the winter of 2020-21, most of us breathed a sigh of relief. The shots promised to blunt the impact of a deadly pandemic that had already killed millions and disrupted life as we knew it. Access to … Continue reading “Institutions have a lot of work to do to build back trust – but there’s good news, too”
The Katz Institute for Women’s Health has been challenging the status quo in medicine and improving the standard of care for women for more than a decade. At their recent Grand Rounds, I spoke about why elevating women’s health matters now more than ever. Here are excerpts from that speech: Elevating women’s health at a … Continue reading “The drive for women’s health equity”
Earlier this year, Tyre Nichols became the latest name invoked to describe when those meant to “protect and serve” instead inflict brutality on unarmed Black men. In this case, there were cameras on hand to refute the bogus story concocted by the law enforcement personnel – but while this footage ensured accountability, left unexplored was … Continue reading “The cost of bearing witness: watching and sharing videos of police brutality online”
In recent months, artificial intelligence chatbots have taken the world by storm, with more than 100 million monthly users for the recently released ChatGPT alone. This is an exciting time for technological development—but also a dangerously fraught one, because it has become increasingly clear that this technology is not yet ready for prime time. Since … Continue reading “ChatGPT made up research claiming guns aren’t harmful to kids. How far will we let AI go?”
Since the Institute for Healthcare Improvement was founded by Donald Berwick more than three decades ago, the organization has led the charge organization on critical conversations to determine how our health care system can do more to bolster our public health. Earlier this month, I was privileged to join this group of dedicated leaders to … Continue reading “New remedies for old ailments: Building a health care system for the crises we face”
As I’ve tracked election results over the past week, I’ve found many reasons for optimism. In blue states and in red states, voters made choices that reflected care and concern for their fellow citizens. Again and again, they voted to protect public health. In California, Kentucky and Michigan, they endorsed women’s right to choose. In … Continue reading “An unexpected winner in the midterms: public health”
A shorter version of this piece appeared in the Opinion section of the Financial Times. You can read it here: https://www.ft.com/content/f3cda3a6-f4ee-4bc4-b512-d1f9f12925ec World leaders gathering in Egypt for the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference must place food and water security in Africa at the top of their agenda — with a particular focus on supporting … Continue reading “COP27 must address food and water security in Africa — including nurturing innovation across the Global South”
