It’s been shown that using a simple checklist can help people like pilots, astronauts, and surgeons minimize errors that can mean the difference between life and death. But convincing smart and skilled people to actually use checklists can be challenging. In an Oct. 30, 2017 interview on the NPR show “Hidden Brain,” Atul Gawande, surgeon,…

Nurturing diversity at Harvard is more than just the right thing to do, it is also a crucial component for strengthening the University’s intellectual robustness. That was a key message from Danielle Allen, James Bryant Conant University Professor and Director of the Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics at Harvard, who spoke Nov. 15 at…

  Major volcanic eruptions in Iceland have disrupted flights and affected communications throughout Europe and the Northern Atlantic in recent years, making headlines worldwide. Large volcanic eruptions are known to alter climate for extended periods of time by releasing massive clouds of ash and gases into the stratosphere which can lower surface temperature — by…

The world produces more food than ever before, yet an estimated 200 million people in Africa lack adequate nutrition, in part due to challenges ranging from drought and civil unrest to crop-destroying insects and sanitation problems. A coordinated, interdisciplinary approach among experts in agriculture, nutrition, environment, and public health is needed to help address these…

The Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation at Harvard Kennedy School has announced a major restructuring to its flagship award program, the Innovations in American Government Awards. For more than 30 years, the Innovations Award has sought to recognize public-sector programs that make American government more efficient, more creative, and more effective at addressing…

The MIT Security Studies Program at the Center for International Studies in the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences, and Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs have launched a collaborative program to mentor the next generation of foreign policy scholars. The Project on Grand Strategy, Security, and Statecraft is made…

Harvard Kennedy School’s (HKS) Women and Public Policy Program (WAPPP) is launching a new research program that will focus on gender and technology. The program is funded by Melinda Gates, through a $2 million grant made by her executive office, Pivotal Ventures. The research portfolio, named “What Works: Designing Gender Equality for and by the…

Eating several small servings of nuts each week may significantly lower your risk of heart attack or stroke, according to a new study from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. In one of the largest studies to date about the health benefits of nuts, researchers analyzed data from more than 210,000 health professionals over…

A team of researchers at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health has illuminated a critical player in cholesterol metabolism that acts as a molecular guardian in cells to help maintain cholesterol levels within a safe, narrow range. Known as Nrf1, it both senses and responds to excess cholesterol, and could represent a potential…

On Nov. 15 the members of the Faculty Council met with Provost Garber to ask and answer questions as representatives of the Faculty. They also heard presentations on SEAS master’s programs and on a draft report from the Climate Change Task Force. The Council next meets on Nov. 29. The preliminary deadline for the Dec.…

For many hospital patients — such as someone recovering from hip surgery, or a woman in labor — bedrest is not necessarily the best thing for health. Yet most hospitals are designed with a focus on beds. In a Nov. 8, 2017 article in Politico, Neel Shah of Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health…

Older women who take at least one brisk walk a week could potentially reduce their risk of early death by 70 percent, according to a new study from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Brigham and Women’s Hospital. The study also found that light activities such as housework or window shopping did not…

Toxic air, water, and soil contribute annually to 9 million deaths and $4.6 trillion in economic damages globally, according to a new report by the Lancet Commission on Pollution and Health. Illness and death related to pollution in less-developed nations cut productivity and slashed economic output by 1 percent to 2 percent annually, the report said.…

Beatboxer and Broadway actor Chesney Snow, film producer Rich McKeown, and Hutchins Center Nasir Jones Hiphop Fellow Martha Diaz recently came to the Harvard Ed Portal in Allston for a screening of “American Beatboxer,” produced by Snow and McKeown. The show was followed by a conversation that spanned topics ranging from the relative prominence of…

Multiple micronutrient (MMN) supplements given to pregnant women reduced deaths among female newborns and provided better birth outcomes than iron and folic acid supplements alone, especially among anemic and undernourished women, according to a new study from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health researchers and colleagues. They found no evidence to support concerns that…

Eating fruits and vegetables with high amounts of pesticide residue — such as strawberries, spinach, peppers, or grapes — may reduce women’s chances of conceiving and bearing children, according to a new study from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The study, published Oct. 30, 2017 in JAMA Internal Medicine, looked at 325 women undergoing…

Harvard Global Health Institute (HGHI) has announced four Burke Global Health Fellowships for 2017. The Fellowships, made possible by Harvard alumna Katherine States Burke ’79, and her husband T. Robert Burke, support Harvard junior faculty members engaged in global health research and training in the early stages of their careers. The 2017 Burke Global Health…

Manipulating mitochondrial networks inside cells—either by dietary restriction or by genetic manipulation that mimics it—may increase lifespan and promote health, according to new research from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The study, published online Oct. 26, 2017 in Cell Metabolism, sheds light on the basic biology involved in cells’ declining ability to process…

Researchers will discuss changes in the markets of developing countries at VII International Scientific Conference: New trends, strategies and structural changes in emerging markets on May 24–26, 2018. The event aims to facilitate the exchange of ideas and identifying emerging challenges and problems during instability in the world economy. Harvard Extension School Instructor and Davis Center…

Massachusetts should raise the minimum age for purchasing tobacco to 21, Howard Koh, Harvey V. Fineberg Professor of the Practice of Public Health Leadership at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health argued in an Oct. 21, 2017 Boston Herald op-ed published. Koh formerly served as the state’s commissioner of public health and as U.S. assistant secretary for Health and…

Two large genome-wide association studies of thousands of women have identified 75 new genetic regions that influence the risk of breast cancer. The findings—from an international team including Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health—add to the roughly 100 known breast cancer risk regions in the human genome, providing information that could help identify women at high risk…