Eating homemade meals instead of eating out could significantly lower the risk of type 2 diabetes, according to new research from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. That’s because restaurant food is often high in processed ingredients and unhealthy fats, and is linked with being overweight or obese—important triggers for type 2 diabetes. Analyzing…

The Internet Governance Forum (IGF) is a multistakeholder forum for policy dialogue on issues of Internet governance. This year is the 10th annual meeting, and it’s being held in João Pessoa, Brazil, Nov. 10-13. The Berkman Center for Internet & Society is thrilled to be an active participant in key discussions about some of the…

加油! Jiāyoú! The Chinese colloquialism — which literally translates to “step on the gas!” and is used to express words of encouragement like “go for it!” or “good luck!” — epitomized the spirit of this year’s Chinese Poetry Recitation Contest. The event, held for the 3rd time last Thursday, Oct. 29, is organized every other…

The effectiveness of low-fat diet on weight-loss has been debated for decades, and hundreds of randomized clinical trials aimed at evaluating this issue have been conducted with mixed results. Researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (HSPH) conducted a comprehensive review of the data generated from…

Creating a more welcoming climate for all. Recruiting and retaining a more diverse group of students, staff, research appointees, and faculty. Fostering stronger connections with the surrounding Mission Hill community. These were some of the issues addressed at a Town Hall on diversity and inclusion at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health on October…

Two new studies from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health shed light on critical dietary issues facing Americans. One study showed that while recent improvements in the U.S. diet have helped reduce disease and premature death, the overall American diet is still poor. Another, which analyzed interventions to reduce childhood obesity, found three that…

More people than ever are taking prescription medications, according to a new study from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Researchers found that, in 2011-12, 59% of U.S. adults used at least one prescription drug over the past 30 days, up from 50% a decade earlier. They also found that the share of people…

For more than 100 years, Harvard Theological Review has been a leading source for compelling original research from established scholars in the fields of religion and theology. Now, the Review has a new managing editor, and the journal’s editors are aiming to build upon its legacy of embracing the history and philosophy of religious thought…

“Finding Your Roots,” an innovative new curriculum utilizing personalized genealogy and genetics to teach science and health to disadvantaged and minority students, based on Henry Louis Gates, Jr.’s PBS documentary series of the same name, has received two major external grants: a $355,000 grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation for “Genetics and Genealogy Summer Camps…

Harvard University’s Berkman Center for Internet & Society announced changes to its pioneering Chilling Effects project, including an expanded mission and a new set of international research partnerships. To better reflect this evolution in scope as well as the changes in the landscape over the 14 years since it was launched, the project has changed…

Cutting-edge work on molecular mechanisms involved in the cellular response to stress was the focus at the 18th annual John B. Little Symposium, held Oct. 23-24 at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The symposium is hosted each year by the John B. Little (JBL) Center for Radiation Sciences. Both the symposium and the center are…

Dyann Wirth was honored by the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH) with the Joseph Augustin LePrince Medal for “outstanding work in the field of malariology.” Wirth, who is Richard Pearson Strong Professor of Infectious Diseases and chair of the Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public…

Unless there is a major shift in the way the world fights tuberculosis — from a reliance on biomedical solutions to an approach that combines biomedical interventions with social actions — the epidemic and drug resistance will worsen, say researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. In a new study, they call for…

How does a library capture a global debate about freedom of the press? The attacks on the Paris headquarters of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo and a kosher supermarket in January 2015 by Islamic extremists provoked a worldwide conversation through all forms of media. Harvard librarians are collecting and organizing a diverse array of visual and…

People who work in well-ventilated offices with below-average levels of indoor pollutants and carbon dioxide (CO2) have significantly higher cognitive functioning scores—in crucial areas such as responding to a crisis or developing strategy — than those who work in offices with typical levels, according to a new study from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of…

The Gray Wave. The Silver Tsunami. The Agequake. Aging societies have been on the horizon for decades, not just in the United States but also around the world. The driving forces are well-established: falling fertility rates (by far, the most important factor), longer life expectancy, and the maturing of large cohorts such as the baby…

Last month, the public health community marked one of the most significant biomedical milestones in the fight against malaria in nearly half a century: European regulators authorized the world’s most advanced malaria vaccine candidate — more than three decades in the making — and paved the way for subsequent review by the World Health Organization.…

Two faculty members from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health — Xihong Lin and Brendan Manning — will receive prestigious National Cancer Institute Outstanding Investigator Awards (OIA). These multimillion dollar seven-year awards, providing extended funding stability, are aimed at giving promising and productive investigators enough time and money to continue or embark on projects…

The President’s Challenge headlines a slate of opportunities offered by the i-lab this year, including two Deans’ Challenges focused on areas within Cultural Entrepreneurship and Health & Life Sciences. Attend a kickoff celebration on Thu., October 22, from 6 to 8 p.m., at the i-lab to learn more about the challenges, meet previous winners, and network with like-minded individuals. Keynote speaker…

Richard Levins, John Rock Professor of Population Sciences at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, has been 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, Levins describes the subject matter he…

The recent renovation of the home to the one of the largest and most comprehensive anthropology collections in the world — the Faculty of Arts and Sciences’ Tozzer Anthropology Building — has achieved LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. The 26,000 square foot renovation sought to unite the Department of Anthropology and…

Frank Hu, professor of nutrition and epidemiology, and Sudhir Anand, adjunct professor of global health, at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, have been elected to the National Academy of Medicine (NAM), the National Academies announced Oct. 19. Election to the NAM is considered one of the highest honors in the fields of health…

Low-income housing residents who live in “green” buildings that are built with eco-friendly materials and energy-efficient features appear to have fewer “sick building” symptoms (SBS) than residents of traditionally constructed low-income housing, according to a new study led by researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Asthma outcomes—hospitalizations, attacks, and missed school days…

Carotenoids, the pigments that give color to vegetables such as carrots, sweet potatoes, spinach, and kale, may help prevent the vision ailment known as age-related macular degeneration. The researchers found that people who consumed the highest amounts of two carotenoids (lutein and zeaxanthin) present in green leafy vegetables had a 40 percent lower risk of…

Physicians need to step up their role in safeguarding human and civil rights because failure to do so can threaten the health and even the lives of individuals facing political persecution, social strife, racial discrimination, or other forms of exploitation, according to Nikhil “Sunny” Patel, MPH ’16, who along with other Harvard T.H. Chan School…

Due to an unexpected change in circumstances, “Giving Voice: A Conversation with Plácido Domingo,” scheduled for Thursday, October 22, 2015 at Harvard University’s Sanders Theatre, has been postponed. A date and ticketing information for the rescheduled event will be announced by the presenters, which include the Division of Arts and Humanities, Office for the Arts…

Data visualization researchers at Harvard’s Center for International Development (CID) have unveiled The Globe of Economic Complexity – an interactive tool which colorfully captures $15 trillion in world trade data in cutting-edge 3-D visualizations.  Powered by the UN’s international trade data, the Globe uses “confetti” or dot-based representation to generate dynamic maps, stacked graphs and…

HILT Spark Grants Through modest but meaningful support, these $5-$15K grants are designed to help “spark” promising teaching and learning projects from idea to reality and position innovations for future success. Through Spark Grants, awardees will receive resources, feedback, and community support to help them develop their ideas into prototypes, pilots, and small-scale innovations. HILT…

Massachusetts may become the first state to regulate sales of dietary supplements marketed as weight-loss and muscle-building aids, thanks to a bill promoted by researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. These products, which are not tested for safety by the federal government, have been linked to serious side effects including liver damage,…

Carnegie Mellon University’s Chinmay Kulkarni will discuss his research with the Human-Computer Interaction Institute and advances in the science of learning in a talk titled “Structuring Peer Interactions for Massive Scale Learning” on Oct. 26 at 4:30 p.m. in William James Hall Room 105. Learning with peers helps students reflect, generalize knowledge, and apply it more successfully…