How work and home environments shape health
Cassandra Okechukwu, associate professor of social and behavioral sciences, studies how different environments—such as our homes and our workplaces—shape our health.
Many electronic recycling companies put workers, environment at risk
Companies need to better protect workers and the environment from exposure to heavy metals and toxic chemicals generated during the recycling of electronics such as computers, printers, TVs, cameras, and batteries, according to Harvard T.H. Chan School of…
$10 million anonymous gift to Harvard’s Public Health School supports scholarships, doctoral-level public health leadership training
Boston, MA – A $10 million gift to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health from an anonymous donor was announced today to support financial aid for students in the School’s Nutrition and Occupational Health Sciences programs,…
Can ‘green’ offices sharpen productivity?
People who work in “green” offices that are well-ventilated and have low levels of indoor pollutants and carbon dioxide may have significantly better cognitive function than people working in more traditional office environments, according to a recent study…
Helping businesses do good for people and the planet
June 30, 2016—Companies working to reduce their negative impact on the environment often measure their progress by the size of their footprint. Researchers with the Harvard T.H Chan School of Public Health initiative SHINE (Sustainability and Health Initiative…
Okechukwu honored for work-family research
Cassandra Okechukwu, ScD ’08, assistant professor in the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, has received several awards for her research on work-family issues. The American Public Health Association’s Aging…
Building safer construction sites
[Fall 2015] Emily Sparer may be the first Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health student to have construction workers cheering her on at her dissertation defense. Sparer, who graduated in May with an SD in occupational safety…
High formaldehyde exposure linked with ALS
Men exposed to high levels of formaldehyde on the job—mostly funeral directors—may have triple the death risk from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, as men with lower levels of exposure, according to a…
VA extends benefits to Air Force reservists exposed to Agent Orange
July 6, 2015 -- Up to 2,100 Air Force reservists who may have been exposed to harmful levels of Agent Orange on contaminated cargo planes are now eligible for disability benefits from the Veterans Administration (VA). The VA…
Improved safeguards needed at biosafety labs
More needs to be done to improve safety and public accountability at the nation’s high-containment biosafety laboratories that work with deadly viruses and bacteria, according to Marc Lipsitch, professor of epidemiology and director of the Center for Communicable…