Visits to hospital emergency departments (EDs) not only jumped by 40% in Oregon after Medicaid coverage was expanded there in 2008—but the increase persisted for at least two years, according to a new study led by health economists at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The study also…

The National Academy of Medicine (NAM), formerly the Institute of Medicine, announced today the election of 80 new members, including five Harvard faculty and an Overseer, during its annual meeting. Sudhir Anand, D.Phil., professor of economics, University of Oxford, United Kingdom; and adjunct professor of global health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston Friedhelm…

Using judgmental words like “junkie,” “crackhead,” or even “substance abuser” can increase the stigma associated with substance use disorders and can end up driving people away from the treatment they need, according to an Oct. 4, 2016 article in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). “The basic message is that words matter,” said…

Recent research suggests that eating a low-fat/high-carbohydrate diet—which Americans were advised to do for about 40 years—is not a good idea. But Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health nutrition expert David Ludwig says that the low-fat diet remains “deeply embedded in public consciousness and food policy.” In an Oct. 6, 2016 CNN.com article, Ludwig,…

Cambridge, Mass.—Dena DeRose, “the most creative and compelling singer-pianist since Shirley Horn” (Joel Siegel, Washington City Paper), will be in residence at Harvard University Oct. 31–Nov. 5, 2016, sponsored by the Office for the Arts at Harvard’s Learning From Performers program and Harvard Jazz Bands (Yosvany Terry and Mark Olson, conductors). In addition to working…

About one in four low-income adults in three U.S. states have experienced changes in their health insurance coverage—known as “churning”—since the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was passed in 2014, according to a new study from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The study suggests that, while the ACA has expanded health coverage to millions,…

More than 40 percent of health facility births in five African countries are taking place in poor-quality facilities with crucial deficiencies in staffing, infrastructure, referral systems, and routine and emergency care practices, according to a new study from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. “Our findings suggest that the current strategy of ‘birth at…

Antibodies are one of the body’s first lines of defense against infection, but their role in tuberculosis (TB) has gone largely unstudied. Now, by harnessing a unique technology for rapidly analyzing human antibodies, a team of researchers led by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard…

Mothers in low- and middle-income countries experience high rates of depression during pregnancy and following the birth of their babies, according to a new study led by researchers from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. They found that one in four women experienced antepartum (before birth) depression and one in five experienced postpartum depression—rates significantly…

The U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit gained a significant new capacity last week—a dedicated section on the built environment—and the Graduate School of Design’s Dr. Jesse M. Keenan is a central figure in its conception and development. Launched in November 2014, the U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit (CRT) at climate.gov provides resources to help communities and businesses build resilience…

Renovations are continuing on the Richard A. and Susan F. Smith Campus Center, and work is on schedule for a targeted completion date of fall 2018. The project is an important element of President Drew Faust’s common spaces vision — one that brings together students, faculty, and staff as a community in new and exciting…

Pam Grier and Jessye Norman are among those who will be honored at the fourth annual Hutchins Center Honors. They, along with the 1966 Texas Western Miners Men’s Basketball Team, the first all-black starting lineup to win an NCAA national championship, and others will be honored with the W.E.B. Du Bois Medal. The Hutchins Center…

Applications are invited from graduate students who are writing dissertations or are engaged in major research on topics in practical ethics, especially ethical issues in architecture, business, education, government, law, medicine, public health, public policy, and religion. The Center seeks applicants who have excelled in their fields of specialization, have demonstrated an interest in questions…

In the early 1990s, Harvard ‘s Diana Eck, professor of Comparative Religion and Indian Studies, together with her students, began to study and document the changing religious landscape of the United States. The inspiration for this groundbreaking work, and the first researchers, were Harvard students. “When I first met these new students — Muslims from…

A $10 million gift to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health from an anonymous donor was announced today to support financial aid for students in the School’s Nutrition and Occupational Health Sciences programs, and to provide significant program support for the School’s Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) Program. The anonymous donor, who has…