Month: November 2014

  • Nation & World

    Precancerous state found in blood

    Harvard researchers have uncovered an easily detectable, “premalignant” state in the blood that significantly increases the likelihood that an individual will go on to develop blood cancers such as leukemia, lymphoma, or myelodysplastic syndrome.

    7 minutes
  • Nation & World

    Gene test aids cancer profile

    A new genetic test developed by Harvard Medical School physicians at the Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women’s Cancer Center checks cells of leukemia and other blood cancers for 95 genetic mutations, providing a quick genetic profile that physicians can use to make treatment decisions.

    3 minutes
  • Nation & World

    Parents Weekend through a freshman’s eyes

    Harvard freshman Matthew DeShaw is reminded of why he loves Harvard and his parents — especially when he can share the two over a weekend.

    4 minutes
  • Nation & World

    First model for Harvard in Mexico

    The long-running Harvard Chiapas Project, led by the popular Evon Vogt, represented Harvard’s first sustained bi-national academic link to the Republic of Mexico.

    17 minutes
  • Nation & World

    Fresh start at the VA

    Robert McDonald, new U.S. secretary of veterans affairs, detailed initial progress in reforming the department, which has been scarred by revelations of mismanagement and lengthy, perhaps life-threatening, waits for veterans needing care.

    4 minutes
  • Nation & World

    Moving forward

    The recipient of a bilateral arm transplant and his surgeons appeared at a news conference on Tuesday to thank the donor’s family and to discuss the procedure.

    4 minutes
  • Nation & World

    Harvard professor explores marine biology with teens

    Peter Girguis, professor of organismic and evolutionary biology, hosted nearly two dozen Cambridge Rindge & Latin School students on Harvard’s campus for a discussion about the various career paths available in marine science.

    4 minutes
  • Nation & World

    Ferguson: Through a global lens

    The events unfolding in Ferguson, Mo., are being watched around the world. The way the grand jury’s decision and its aftermath are being perceived abroad may be categorically different than how they are understood at home, according to Harvard Kennedy School historian and Associate Professor Moshik Temkin on this week’s episode of PolicyCast.

    1 minute
  • Nation & World

    From protests to power plays

    Radoslaw Sikorski, speaker of the Polish parliament and recent foreign minister, discusses the ongoing Russia-Ukraine crisis and what it means for Europe.

    10 minutes
  • Nation & World

    Oxford and beyond

    Rhodes Scholars Ruth Fong and Benjamin Sprung-Keyser both are driven by a desire to improve the world around them.

    4 minutes
  • Nation & World

    Slowly, shifts at the Vatican

    It’s been an interesting few months for the Catholic Church, as key changes in both personnel and tone signal Pope Francis’ continued push toward greater inclusiveness.

    13 minutes
  • Nation & World

    Creating pain-sensing neurons

    Harvard Stem Cell Institute researchers at Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard’s Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology have successfully converted mouse and human skin cells into pain-sensing neurons that respond to a number of stimuli that cause acute and inflammatory distress.

    4 minutes
  • Nation & World

    Two Harvard undergrads named Rhodes Scholars

    Two Harvard undergraduates, Ruth Fong and Benjamin Sprung-Keyser, are among the 32 American men and women chosen as Rhodes Scholars on Saturday. They will begin their studies at the University of Oxford next October.

    1 minute
  • Nation & World

    X marks the spot at Ed Portal

    The Harvard Allston Education Portal featured another free seminar, this one part of its “in-person dialogue sessions” exploring the popular HeroesX series, an online class that focuses on the modern relevance of the “Ancient Greek Hero.”

    3 minutes
  • Nation & World

    The Game kicks off with high spirits

    With just 0:55 remaining in today’s game, Harvard beat Yale, 31-24 at Harvard Stadium, securing an undefeated season for the Crimson and outright ownership of the Ivy League championship title for the eighth straight year. But for many, The Game is more than a test of field skills, it’s about tradition, food, family, and fun.

    10 minutes
  • Nation & World

    Improving the odds of beating opioids

    Harvard-affiliated researchers have found that a monthlong residential program could be better than standard-of-care outpatient programs in helping young adults stay drug-free.

    4 minutes
  • Nation & World

    Tracking the Sandman

    Investigators at the Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital have developed a system to accurately track the dynamic process of falling asleep, something that has not been possible with existing techniques.

    5 minutes
  • Nation & World

    Ready for The Game

    With ESPN and NBC broadcasting on campus, the Ivy League’s two best football teams will face off on Saturday at The Game.

    2 minutes
    A football player standing on a logo of the Harvard/Yale Game
  • Nation & World

    It’s moot, but it matters

    Third-year Harvard Law School students clashed in the high drama of the venerable Ames Moot Court Competition on Tuesday under the jurisdiction of visiting federal judges, including one of the nation’s foremost legal authorities, U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonin Scalia.

    4 minutes
  • Nation & World

    Smoke and fire

    Vaughan Rees of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health shares his thoughts on the intense debate in Westminster over a push to ban tobacco sales. The ban was defeated, but the battle is not yet over.

    7 minutes
  • Nation & World

    The cellular origin of fibrosis

    Harvard Stem Cell Institute scientists at Brigham and Women’s Hospital have found the cellular origin of the tissue scarring caused by organ damage associated with diabetes, lung disease, high blood pressure, kidney disease, and other conditions.

    3 minutes
  • Nation & World

    Faculty Council meeting held Nov. 19

    Minutes from the Faculty Council meeting held Nov. 19, 2014.

    1 minute
  • Nation & World

    Domínguez ends appointment to teach, do research

    After nine years and two terms as vice provost for international affairs, Jorge Domínguez will end his appointment term in June and return to the faculty. He will remain the Antonio Madero Professor for the Study of Mexico in the Government Department.

    2 minutes
  • Nation & World

    A price too high

    The Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg talks about how the Islamic State has fundamentally changed the nature of Middle East war coverage.

    6 minutes
  • Nation & World

    Here to there

    On Friday, leaders in the field of navigation converged on Radcliffe’s annual science symposium to discuss findings in everything from brain science to animal navigation to the psychology of how a lost person behaves — which can give rescuers important cues about where to look.

    4 minutes
  • Nation & World

    Incarceration in the U.S. is big business

    On Harvard Kennedy School’s PolicyCast podcast, alumnus Bryan Stevenson addresses issues of racial and financial inequality in the U.S. justice system.

    1 minute
  • Nation & World

    HSPH’s Marvin Zelen dies at 87

    Professor Marvin Zelen of the Department of Biostatistics at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (HSPH) died on Nov. 15 after a battle with cancer. He was 87. Zelen was known for developing the statistical methods and study designs that are used in clinical cancer trials.

    4 minutes
  • Nation & World

    How mosquitoes home in

    A team of researchers has identified a key genetic variation that helps mosquitoes “smell” humans. The study could open the door to new strategies to ward off the pests.

    5 minutes
  • Nation & World

    Angela Lansbury’s long run

    From the 7-year-old terrified by “King Kong” to the 89-year-old still bravely stepping out on stage, Angela Lansbury reflects on her 70 years in show business.

    6 minutes
  • Nation & World

    Shaping problem-solvers

    A Gen Ed course linked to the South Asia Institute takes an interdisciplinary approach to the region’s challenges.

    6 minutes