After finding that he would not be able to get a test for the Zika virus in a timely manner at his well-resourced Boston hospital, Michael VanRooyen doubts that the U.S. health care system is ready to contain an outbreak of the disease. Van Rooyen—who is not ill, but wanted to test how easy it…

Pathbreaking theoretical computer scientist Cynthia Dwork, who has made seminal contributions in the fields of privacy, cryptography, and distributed computing, will join the faculty of Harvard University. She is currently a distinguished scientist at Microsoft Research in Silicon Valley. Dwork will join Harvard in January 2017 as the Gordon McKay Professor of Computer Science at…

Most Americans oppose altering genes of unborn babies to prevent serious inherited diseases and, especially, to enhance the baby’s appearance or intelligence, according to a new poll conducted by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health researchers and STAT. Despite the opposition to altering genes before birth, many of those polled looked favorably on gene therapy…

On Feb. 11, Harvard School of Dental Medicine Dean Bruce Donoff, along with the deans of Boston University and Tufts schools of dental medicine, gathered at the State House for an announcement by Gov. Charlie Baker about new dental education core competencies for the prevention and management of prescription drug misuse. “Educating our dental providers on…

The disability and mortality that results from mental illness around the world is underestimated by more than a third, according to researchers from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and King’s College London. In an article in the February 2016 issue of The Lancet Psychiatry, the authors estimate that, worldwide, mental illness accounts for…

Lucy Liu, acclaimed American actress, producer, director, and philanthropist, has been named the 2016 Harvard University Artist of the Year. The popular actress will be awarded the Harvard Foundation’s prestigious arts medal at the annual Harvard Foundation Award ceremony, Sat., Feb. 20, during the Cultural Rhythms Festival in Sanders Theatre. “The students and faculty of the…

Thirty-five of the most academically brilliant and socially committed young people in the United States have been selected for one of the top international scholarships in the world — the Gates Cambridge Scholarship at the University of Cambridge. Three Harvard undergraduates are among the cohort: Caitlin Andrews, who will pursue a Ph.D. in zoology; Paul Meosky, who will…

Babies may not be able to fully understand what’s going on when they’re video chatting, according to an expert from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Babies “are able to recognize voices, recognize patterns,” said Michael Rich, associate professor in Harvard Chan School’s Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences and founder and director of…

International vaccine funding provided to low- and middle-income countries grew from $822 million in 2000 to $3.6 billion in 2014, according to a new study. First author Annie Haakenstad, a doctoral student at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and co-authors used estimates compiled by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. The funding…

A new study adds to the growing body of evidence that surgical safety checklists improve patient outcomes and quality of care across countries. But they only work if people use them, and implementation can be difficult in some complex health care systems, writes William Berry, principal research scientist in the Department of Health Policy and…

The Faculty of Arts and Sciences’ 2014 renovation of the Cohen Laboratories recently received LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. A new instrument facility, a tissue culture room, biology, chemistry, and optics labs, and student writing spaces were included in the complete renovation of the laboratories located in the Edward Mallinckrodt Chemical…

The Tozzer Anthropology Building has received one of the highest design honors from the Boston Society of Architects. The Hobson award celebrates the bold, transformative construction that fits in seamlessly with the University’s traditional sensibility. The LEED Gold-certified building is a modern sanctuary for one of the most comprehensive anthropology collections in the world. Designed…

HILT awarded six Spark Grants of $5-15K this spring. Awardees will: Build a DIY flipping kit. Mae Klinger, Maria Flanagan, and Carolyn Wood (HKS) will create a “do it yourself” flipping kit to help faculty across the University develop blended learning materials using Canvas. Create real-time connections in online courses. Adrienne Phelps-Coco and Karina Lin…

A new study suggests that the current recommendation to treat severely malnourished children with routine antibiotics does not increase the likelihood of nutritional recovery in uncomplicated cases. Given this finding, the study’s authors say that routinely using antibiotics may not be necessary or beneficial for severely malnourished children being treated at home when there is…

Regularly eating soy may protect women undergoing infertility treatments from poor success rates linked with bisphenol A (BPA), according to a new study from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. It is the first study to show a possible interaction between soy and BPA in humans. The study was published January 27, 2016 in…

In the wake of the devastating Ebola epidemic of 2014-15 in West Africa, which killed more than 11,000 people and cost about $2.2 billion, an international commission has outlined an ambitious agenda—at an annual cost of $4.5 billion—aimed at readying the world for the next global health crisis, whether it’s a resurgence of Ebola, SARS,…

Women who eat more high-fiber foods during adolescence and young adulthood—especially lots of fruits and vegetables—may have significantly lower breast cancer risk than those who eat less dietary fiber when young, according to a new large-scale study led by researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The study was published online February 1, 2016…

Six finalists for the Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting have been announced by the Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government: The Associated Press, The Guardian US, InsideClimate News, The New York Times, Tampa Bay Times, and The Washington Post. The winner of the Goldsmith Prize for Investigative…

The Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University is pleased to release Amber, a free software tool for WordPress and Drupal that preserves content and prevents broken links. When installed on a blog or website, Amber can take a snapshot of the content of every linked page, ensuring that even if those pages are…

Sixteen students from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the University of Antioquia School of Medicine participated in a cross-cultural course, “Health of Urban Displaced Populations in Post-Conflict Colombia,” January 5-23, 2016 to study public health issues faced by displaced and vulnerable people in Colombia. The course – designed to foster dialogue and…

Consumers with high-deductible health plans do not appear to be more motivated to shop around for less expensive, higher quality medical care than those with lower-deductible plans, according to a study by Anna Sinaiko, research scientist in the Department of Health Policy and Management at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and colleagues. The…

The mosquito-borne Zika virus has been linked to a surge in cases of birth defects in Brazil, and is spreading in other countries in the southern hemisphere. Flaminia Catteruccia, associate professor of immunology and infectious diseases at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, says the virus may have adapted to the human environment and…

Richard Levins, John Rock Professor of Population Sciences at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, died January 19, 2016 at 85. He was known throughout his lengthy career for his ability to make connections between seemingly disparate topics such as biology and political theory. An ex-tropical farmer turned ecologist, biomathematician, and philosopher of science,…

Harvard Chan School’s Philippe Grandjean, an expert in how environmental pollution impairs brain development, says that Flint, Michigan’s water crisis could have been prevented, given the United States’ long experience with lead contamination—and how to prevent it. Flint, Michigan, temporarily switched its water supply from Lake Huron to the Flint River in April 2014 to…

“Range anxiety” – a problem experienced by electric car owners who fear they will be unable to find charging stations – may be a major deterrent to the growth of electric automobile sales. Now a Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health researcher and student have teamed up to publish a paper with a series…

The Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation named 19 new Damon Runyon Fellows at its November 2015 Fellowship Award Committee meeting, including Harvard’s Philip B. Abitua, a postdoctoral fellow in molecular and cellular biology; Brian J. Beliveau, a research fellow at the Wyss Institute; and Yi Yin, a postdoctoral fellow in chemistry and chemical biology. It…

Harvard University announced today that Robert and Renée Belfer, along with their son Laurence, are investing an additional $15 million to advance the work of the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard Kennedy School in addressing the world’s most critical security issues. Reflecting their philanthropic mission to build a more secure, peaceful…

Men who consume just three or four weekly portions of foods and drinks containing flavonoids—which include berries, citrus fruits, and red wine—may reduce their risk of erectile dysfunction, according to a new study from researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the University of East Anglia. They also found that men who…

The Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard has selected eight journalists and media executives as Knight Visiting Nieman Fellows for the 2016 calendar year. Each will spend time at Harvard to work on an innovative project designed to advance journalism. The visiting fellowship program was established in 2012 to invite individuals with promising journalism research…

Sitting glued to the TV for hours at a time – or “binge-watching” – appears to encourage overeating and obesity, according to Lilian Cheung, lecturer and director of health promotion and communication for the Department of Nutrition at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and author of “Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life.” “There’s convincing…