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Health
New steps forward in cell reprogramming
Harvard Stem Cell Institute (HSCI) researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) have substantially improved the odds of successfully reprogramming differentiated cells into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS) by blocking the activity of the gene that instructs the cells to stop dividing. Konrad Hochedlinger and colleagues at the MGH Center for Regenerative Medicine also found that…
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Campus & Community
Former homeless man takes part in Harvard Business School seminar
Ron Brummitt, who has a degree in psychology and is an ordained minister, was at Harvard in July to take part in Strategic Perspectives in Nonprofit Management, a weeklong, HBS seminar that aids senior executives from the nonprofit sector in developing leadership strategies.
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Health
Economy shaping health care reform effort
Political and philosophical differences aside, it’s the economic crisis that’s driving the current national health care reform debate. “Every day the president gets an envelope [that] says, ‘Whoa! Bigger [deficit] this day than yesterday,’” noted Robert J. Blendon, professor of health policy and management, speaking at the Harvard School of Public Health on Tuesday. Couple…
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Nation & World
‘Inventing Equal Opportunity’
New research from Harvard University traces the history of how human resource managers, not legislatures or courts, have defined equal opportunity and anti-discrimination policies in the workplace.
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Campus & Community
Baseball-themed picnic a ‘hit’ with Cambridge seniors
Sponsored by the Office of the Mayor for Cambridge and the Office of the President of Harvard University, the annual Harvard Yard Picnic draws hundreds of senior members from the local community to Harvard Yard to enjoy food, friends, and music.
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Health
Freshwater fish at top of food chain evolve more slowly
Since evolving to eat other fish, freshwater fish at the top of the food chain have remained relatively unchanged compared with their insect- and snail-eating cousins, according to new research. Scientists report in the journal Evolution that once these fish, known as centrarchids, became top predators in aquatic ecosystems, natural selection put the brakes on…
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Campus & Community
Harvard Allston Farmers’ Market hosts health and nutrition fair Friday
In addition to the market’s fresh, seasonal produce from local farmers, this family event will feature a variety of health related displays for people of every age. The Joseph Smith Health Center will be conducting free glucose, cholesterol, and blood pressure screenings. The Fair will offer information on walking and biking in Boston…
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Health
Scientists create energy-burning brown fat in mice
Harvard researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have shown that they can engineer mouse and human cells to produce brown fat, a natural energy-burning type of fat that counteracts obesity. If such a strategy can be developed for use in people, the scientists say, it might open a novel approach to treating obesity and diabetes. A…
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Campus & Community
Faust shares research techniques with Crimson Summer Academy students
Budding young scholars met with one of the University’s top scholars to learn about the finer points of academic research, the field of history, and what it’s like to be the president of Harvard.
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Science & Tech
Scientists expect wildfires to increase as climate warms in the coming decades
As the climate warms in the coming decades, atmospheric scientists at Harvard’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) and their colleagues expect that the frequency of wildfires will increase in many regions. The spike in the number of fires could also adversely affect air quality due to the greater presence of smoke. The study,…
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Health
Maternal, paternal genes’ tug-of-war may last well into childhood
An analysis of rare genetic disorders in which children lack some genes from one parent suggests that maternal and paternal genes engage in a subtle tug-of-war well into childhood, and possibly as late as the onset of puberty. This striking new variety of intra-family conflict, described by Harvard researchers in today’s edition of the Proceedings…
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Health
Lifestyle culprit in increase in cardiovascular disease
Despite the perception that cardiovascular disease is a problem of industrialized countries, it is the leading cause of death everywhere except Africa, where it is eclipsed by the raging AIDS epidemic, experts gathered at Harvard Medical School (HMS) said Wednesday. Authorities on cardiovascular disease from around the world attended a daylong conference sponsored by the…
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Health
Earlier AIDS drug treatment would save 76,000 lives over 5 years
EMBARGO DATE CORRECTION — JULY not August — Study suggests earlier HIV antiviral treatment saves lives and is cost effective, even in areas of limited resources Early initiation of lifesaving antiretroviral therapies should be the standard of care for all HIV-infected patients, even those in countries with limited medical and financial resources, according to a…
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Health
MGH researchers develop potentially safer general anesthetic
News release — Mass. General team develops potentially safer general anesthetic A team of Harvard Medical School (HMS) researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) has developed a new general anesthetic that may be safer for critically ill patients. In the August issue of Anesthesiology, they describe preclinical studies of the drug called MOC-etomidate – a…
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Arts & Culture
Nine Graduate Students Receive Loeb Fellowships
Harvard Divinity School (HDS) has announced nine recipients of John L. Loeb Fellowships for summer and term-time research in 2009.
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Arts & Culture
Harvard-Yenching Institute selects 10 for 2009-10 scholarships
The Harvard-Yenching Institute has selected 10 students from major universities in Asia as fellowship recipients in its Doctoral Scholarship Program, Harvard-Yenching Institute and Regional Studies-East Asia Program, and training program in comparative literature at Harvard.
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Nation & World
Carr Center awards Traub-Dicker Fellowships for summer 2009
The Carr Center for Human Rights Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) has awarded Traub-Dicker-HKS Fellowships for the summer of 2009 to Benjamin Hall and Baylee DeCastro. Hall and DeCastro will spend the summer researching in the domain of policies affecting the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) communities.
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Campus & Community
James D. Watson and Edward O. Wilson in conversation
Harvard Museum of Natural History (HMNH) will present “Looking Back, Looking Forward: A Conversation with James D. Watson and Edward O. Wilson” on Sept. 9. The event will be held at 5:30 p.m. in Sanders Theatre.
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Campus & Community
Sevcenko named professor of Romance languages and literatures
Nicolau Sevcenko, widely regarded as one of the world’s leading authorities on the cultural history of Brazil, was appointed professor of Romance languages and literatures in Harvard University’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) Jan. 1, 2009.
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Campus & Community
Damrosch named professor of comparative literature
David Damrosch, a scholar of world literature, has been appointed professor of comparative literature in Harvard University’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS), effective July 1, 2009.
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Campus & Community
Harvard Swim School lessons offered in the fall
The Harvard Swim School, a program for all levels of swimming and diving ability, is taught by members of the Harvard men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams under the supervision of the varsity coaching staff.
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Health
Interfaculty Initiative in Health Policy awards Cordeiro Health Policy Summer Research Grants
Thee Interfaculty Initiative in Health Policy at Harvard has announced the 2009 recipients of the Cordeiro Health Policy Summer Research Grants.
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Health
An unusual collection: A brain tumor tissue bank
Five years ago, as she was walking into Caritas Holy Family Hospital and Medical Center in Methuen, Mass., Patricia Fay saw a priest she knew and cornered him. “I’m like ‘Oh, Father Peter! And I sort of grabbed him by his arm,” she recounts.“I said, ‘What are you doing here? Father Peter! I could use…
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Health
Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation awards fellowships to Harvard scientists
The Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation, a nonprofit organization focused on supporting exceptional early career researchers and innovative cancer research, has selected four Harvard affiliates to receive Damon Runyon fellowships at its May 2009 Fellowship Award Committee review.
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Campus & Community
HAA announces Elected Director results
Teresita Alvarez-Bjelland ’76, president of the Harvard Alumni Association (HAA), recently announced the results of the annual election of new members of the Harvard Alumni Association. The results were released at the annual meeting of the association following the University’s 358th Commencement on June 4.
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Campus & Community
New Office of Student Life established, Suzy Nelson named dean of OSL
Harvard College Dean Evelynn M. Hammonds announced July 9 the appointment of Associate Dean Suzy Nelson as dean of the newly established Office of Student Life (OSL), which will be created by the merger of the current Office of Residential Life (ORL) and Office of Student Life and Activities (OSLA). In her new role, Nelson…
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Campus & Community
New report highlights depth of Harvard’s community engagement
In a single year, approximately 7,000 Harvard University students collectively performed more than 900,000 hours of community service work in and around metropolitan Boston, according to a new report released Thursday (July 23). This commitment by Harvard students in 2005-06 was the equivalent of having 450 people working full time, year-round, providing community services in…
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Campus & Community
Kirschner and King named University Professors
Gary King and Marc W. Kirschner have been named University Professors, Harvard’s highest professorial distinction.
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Campus & Community
Harvard Business School Professor Jesse W. Markham dies at 93
Former Harvard Business School (HBS) Professor Jesse W. Markham, an economist whose work focused on price theory and industrial organization, died in his sleep on June 21 in Nashua, N.H., at an assisted-living home. He was 93.