Double lung transplant performed on patient with vaping illness
Amidst a spate of vaping-related illnesses and deaths in the U.S., doctors at a Detroit hospital performed a double lung transplant on a 17-year-old boy whose lungs were severely damaged from vaping. Doctors at Henry Ford Hospital said…
Vaping-related illness taking a toll in Massachusetts
As of October 16, 2019, there were 29 reported cases of vaping-related illness in Massachusetts and one reported death. But public health officials haven’t been able to pinpoint the cause of the illnesses. Across the U.S., at least…
Why is vaping sickening and killing people? Experts don’t know yet.
Scientists are scrambling to figure out more about the vaping illness that has sickened roughly 1,300 and killed at least 29 in the U.S. Some experts are looking to see whether oily chemicals added to vaping liquids are…
Epidemic of vaping injuries sparks public health concerns
September 9, 2019 – Health officials in the U.S. are investigating an outbreak of lung injuries and deaths related to the use of e-cigarettes and other vaping products. David Christiani, Elkan Blout Professor of Environmental Genetics at Harvard…

Opinion: Vaping-related ‘epidemic’ demands urgent response
There’s been a recent rise in acute lung illnesses the U.S. linked to vaping, as well as a handful of vaping-related deaths. “There is clearly an epidemic that begs for an urgent response,” wrote David Christiani, Elkan Blout Professor…
Microbial contaminants found in popular e-cigarettes
For immediate release: April 24, 2019 Boston, MA – Popular electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) products sold in the U.S. were contaminated with bacterial and fungal toxins, according to new research from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The study,…

Reliance on coal linked with lung cancer incidence
The more a country relies on coal-fired power plants to generate energy, the greater the lung cancer risk is among its citizens, according to a new study from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The study was…
School continues decades-long legacy of protecting workers' health
Harvard Chan School’s Education and Research Center for Occupational Health and Safety carries on legacy of pioneer Alice Hamilton January 9, 2019—When Alice Hamilton joined Harvard’s faculty in 1919, workplace hazards were plentiful. American manufacturing was on the…

When platelets go awry
May 26, 2017 — David Christiani, Elkan Blout Professor of Environmental Genetics, is senior author of a study published May 8, 2017 in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine that found that changes in platelet…

E-cigarette emissions appear to contain pollutants
Although the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) now regulates electronic cigarettes, it has not yet developed standards for testing them or for acceptable levels of chemicals emitted when users exhale. A study led by Harvard T.H. Chan School…