Some bacteria, called fusobacteria, commonly found in the mouth, use a sugar-binding protein to stick to developing colorectal polyps and cancers, according to a new study by researchers from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Hebrew University-Hadassah School of Dental Medicine. While certain fusobacteria have previously been shown to worsen colorectal cancer in animals…

A new free online course from Harvard University will explore the principles guiding humanitarian response to modern emergencies as well as the challenges faced by responders when providing aid. Humanitarian Response to Conflict and Disaster—offered through HarvardX, the University’s branch of the online education platform edX—begins Aug. 30, 2016. Already, more than 9,000 students from 175 countries…

Stunting—a condition in which children’s physical growth is lower-than-normal for their age—afflicts approximately 160 million children under age five around the world. It can diminish children’s cognitive development and put them at a higher risk for degenerative diseases. The condition is broadly understood to be a consequence of growing up undernourished and in poverty, but Harvard T.H.…

Two years after Medicaid coverage was expanded under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in their states, low-income adults in Kentucky and Arkansas received more primary and preventive care, made fewer emergency departments visits, and reported higher quality care and improved health compared with low-income adults in Texas, which did not expand Medicaid, according to a…

For the first time ever, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has issued a travel advisory to a part of the continental U.S.—a one-square-mile area in the Wynwood Arts District of Miami, where 14 people were infected with Zika after being bitten by local mosquitoes. CDC Director Thomas Frieden urged pregnant women who live and…

Dessert shouldn’t have to be a tradeoff between unhealthy ingredients and flavor, according to Walter Willett of Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Willett, chair of the School’s Department of Nutrition and Fredrick John Stare Professor of Epidemiology and Nutrition, is on a mission to reimagine dessert around what he calls the Three Pleasures:…

“Being Mortal,” the PBS documentary based on the 2014 book of the same name by surgeon, writer, and public health researcher Atul Gawande, has been nominated for an Emmy award. The documentary, which first aired on PBS’s “Frontline” program in February 2015, explores how doctors struggle to care for their dying patients. “Being Mortal” is…

Collegiate gymnasts may have been exposed to flame retardant chemicals from polyurethane foam safety equipment, such as pit cubes and landing mats, according to a small pilot study led by a Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health researcher. Flame retardants are associated with neurological and reproductive toxicity and cancer. The study was published online…

Australia-Harvard Fellowships are offered by the Harvard Club of Australia Foundation supporting learned exchange between Harvard University and Australia. These fellowships are aimed at creative scientists normally based at Harvard who have a persuasive plan for collaborative work in Australia with Australia’s best bioscience researchers and educators. The award also supports Australian researchers who wish to…

Induction of labor appears not to be associated with increased risk of autism spectrum disorders in children in a large new study led by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The new finding suggests that concern about autism risk should not factor into clinical decisions about whether or not to induce labor. The study…

As new vaccines are introduced—some of them quite costly—accurate information on the cost and financing of national immunization programs can be lacking. Research and a new website developed at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and funded through the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation are designed to help governments worldwide manage their immunization programs and…

The nation’s pediatricians are launching new efforts to help their young patients avoid being traumatized by gun violence and racism. In July 2016, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) issued recommendations to shield children from media violence, and called on policymakers and the entertainment industry to address the proven link between virtual and real violence.…

Facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon David Shaye, an MPH student at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, spends three months every year as a volunteer surgeon and instructor in Rwanda. Shaye, who practices at Massachusetts Eye and Ear and teaches at Harvard Medical School, wrote about his experiences in a WBUR CommonHealth blog posted July…

Health economist Katherine Baicker of Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health was interviewed on the July 13 episode of Politico’s “Pulse Check” podcast about her pioneering work with the Oregon health insurance experiment, what she thinks of Obamacare’s cost controls, and how her research helps inform health policies. Baicker, C. Boyden Gray Professor of…

The Eighth New York International Piano Competition (NYIPC), presented under the auspices of The Stecher and Horowitz Foundation of New York, has crowned the winners of the competition. Harvard College student Aristo Sham ’18 claimed the Joyce B. Cowin First Prize, along with a $10,000 cash award and concert and recital appearances presented by the…

Being overweight or obese is associated with a higher risk of dying prematurely than being normal weight—and the risk increases with additional pounds, according to a large international collaborative study led by researchers at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the University of Cambridge, UK. The findings contradict recent reports that suggest…

Michelle Williams, new Dean of Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and Paula Johnson, new president of Wellesley College and a professor in Harvard Chan School’s Department of Epidemiology, talked about their milestone achievements and education in Boston in a Q&A in the July 2016 issue of Boston Magazine. Both women represent historic firsts.…

Black men, compared to white men, were at a five to 19 times greater risk of a law enforcement-related death over the past 50 years, according to a study led by Nancy Krieger, professor of social epidemiology at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. She recently spoke to Voice of America about a report…

Disbelief from last month’s vote for Brexit lingers. Proponents of Britain’s continued EU membership want to revisit the decision. Some hope the British parliament will vote against implementing the referendum, or that the next prime minister will decide not to trigger Article 50 of the Treaty of Lisbon. Others suggest Scotland could refuse to consent…

Solar-powered bike paths that can melt snow and ice; pollution-eating vacuum towers near bicycle paths; bicycle parking stations with lockers, rest rooms, and showers; and bicycle wheels with rechargeable batteries that help propel riders up hills are just a few of the 70 innovations—some already in place, others still on the drawing board—outlined in a…