Newsmakers

Brazelton’s work is recognized

Thomas Berry Brazelton, clinical professor of pediatrics emeritus at Harvard Medical School, was honored with a lifetime achievement award from the American Academy for Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine at the group’s annual conference in September. Brazelton was recognized for the beneficial effects of his work on the interaction of parents, medical providers, and other care practitioners in support of children’s health.

Brazelton developed the Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale, which is used worldwide to measure a newborn’s physical and neurological responses and psychological well-being. He also founded the Brazelton Touchpoints Center at Children’s Hospital Boston – a preventive outreach program that trains professionals nationwide to better serve families of young children.

Ladies’ Home Journal honors Willett, Speizer

Fredrick Stare Professor of Epidemiology and Nutrition Walter Willett, who also chairs the Harvard School of Public Health’s (HSPH) Department of Nutrition, and Frank Speizer, the Edward H. Kass Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, have received the first annual Health Breakthrough Award from Ladies’ Home Journal. The award recognizes leading medical professionals who are making life-saving and life-enhancing discoveries in research, diagnostics, and treatment, with results that have significantly helped women and families. Speizer also has an appointment at HSPH as professor of environmental science. The award was presented at a luncheon this past August in New York City.

Charbonneau awarded a Packard Fellowship Astronomer David Charbonneau of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics has been awarded a Packard Fellowship from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation. These fellowships support unusually creative research by young researchers. An assistant professor of astronomy at the center, Charbonneau plans to use the funds to mount a search for transits of rocky planets orbiting within the habitable zones of nearby M-dwarf stars.