Opinion: Fix crumbling school infrastructure
School buildings are in desperate need of repair, particularly of their systems that manage indoor air quality, according to an opinion piece co-authored by Harvard Chan School's Joseph Allen.
Office air quality may affect employees’ cognition, productivity
The air quality within an office can have significant impacts on employees’ cognitive function, including response times and ability to focus, and it may also affect their productivity, according to new research led by Harvard Chan School.
Joe Allen’s focus on clean indoor air
A Science magazine profile of healthy buildings expert Joseph Allen described his research on how indoor air quality affects human health and cognition, his work advising companies on ventilation and air filtration, and his efforts during the pandemic…
Natural gas, biomass surpassing coal as biggest pollutants, study finds
Dirty emissions from coal-fired power plants have been declining in recent years. But other sources of air pollution—including soot from the burning of gas, biomass, and wood in buildings—now have more negative health effects than coal combustion, according…
Chemical-laden indoor dust may interfere with sexual development, reproduction
Indoor dust mimics sex hormones such as estrogen and testosterone in human cells, according to a new study from Harvard Chan School. The dust contains a stew of dozens of chemicals that migrate out of furnishings and that…
Calculating COVID-19 risk
A new COVID-19 risk calculator developed at Harvard Chan School can help people understand the ways that masking, ventilation, filtration, and other factors can mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in indoor environments.
How an open window can make a classroom safer from COVID-19
A New York Times simulation shows how proper ventilation and filtration in classrooms can make schools much safer from COVID-19 transmission. The visualization was created with input from healthy buildings expert Joseph Allen of Harvard Chan School.
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health launches public health program for business leaders
For immediate release: Wednesday, March 10, 2021 Boston, MA – Spurred by the global disarray caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health today announced the launch of a new certificate program providing…
Experts urge caution at Super Bowl gatherings during pandemic
Public health experts are recommending that people take precautions when watching this year’s Super Bowl in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Expert advises doubling or upgrading face masks
Some experts are recommending that people wear two face masks or a high-quality N95 mask, depending on the situation, to maximize protection against the spread of coronavirus, according to news reports. A January 22, 2021 Boston Globe article…
