A specific genetic difference in a gene called RTP5—known to be involved in smell and taste perception—was linked to a higher risk of early death in patients hospitalized with severe COVID-19, according to a recent study led by researchers at Harvard Chan School. @harvardenvhealth.bsky.social

Sharing one of our most-shared posts from 2025. What do you want to learn from Harvard Chan School faculty and researchers in 2026?

Harvard Chan School is taking a social media break during Winter Recess. From Wednesday, December 24, through Sunday, January 4, the School’s administrative offices are closed. We will be back on your social media feeds in 2026!

Real estate investment trust (REIT)-acquired U.S. hospitals were associated with a greater risk of bankruptcy or closure than non-REIT-acquired hospitals, according to a new study led by researchers at Harvard Chan School. Learn more from Thomas Tsai of @harvardhpm.bsky.social:

🎥 New video spotlighting the mission and impact of the Department of Health Policy and Management at @hsph.harvard.edu. ▶️ Watch, share, and learn more about what drives HPM! #HealthPolicy #PublicHealth #HPM #HealthEquity #Storytelling

The mission of Harvard Chan School’s Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics (@ccdd-hsph.bsky.social) is to understand how infectious diseases emerge and spread, to train the next generation of scientists and public health officials, and to guide policy with rigorous science.

Mary Rice hears from her asthma and COPD patients about what triggers their symptoms: extreme heat, air pollution, longer pollen seasons—all worsened by climate change. As a pulmonary physician, there’s only so much she can prescribe.

A new report from the World Bank estimates the huge societal costs of lead exposure globally—including developmental harms in children and the risk of disease and early death in adults—and offers a path toward a lead-free world.

Katrina Armstrong explored the factors that led to extraordinary growth in biomedical science in the U.S. over the past 60 years—and offered thoughts on how to move the field forward in spite of current headwinds—at the Cutter Lecture on Preventive Medicine at Harvard Chan School.

Recent changes to SNAP “can really have a dampening effect on [people’s] willingness to apply, because they may assume that they’re not qualified, even if they might actually be eligible for the program,” says Sara Bleich, professor of health policy at Harvard Chan School. @harvardhpm.bsky.social

In a recent Harvard Chan Studio discussion, former Massachusetts Health and Human Services Secretary Kate Walsh explained how upcoming Medicaid cuts could affect people in the state. She cautioned that cuts could undermine Massachusetts’ long-standing commitment to near-universal health coverage.

From the archives: Five Questions with @hsph.harvard.edu biostatistician LJ Wei. A consultant for Harvard Catalyst Biostatistics, Wei shares why methodology matters and explains the power of staying curious. ⁠Read: hvrdct.me/b16177

Christopher Golden has spent 25 years conducting groundbreaking research in Madagascar demonstrating the critical links between environmental health and human nutrition. His research reveals how deforestation and coral reef degradation drive malnutrition. hsph.me/livingproof

“I was drawn to medicine to help people on their worst day and I wondered if it was possible to help people on a much larger scale.” — Michael VanRooyen, Professor of Humanitarian Studies and Director of the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative

“There are still so many questions about what patients can do, what cities can do, and what our government, health care systems, and world leaders can do to avoid or lessen the health effects of fossil fuel combustion,” says Mary Rice, director of @harvardcchange.bsky.social. hsph.me/livingproof

Inspired by the world premiere musical, Wonder, performing December 9th through February 8th at the American Repertory Theater, today’s Harvard Chan Studio panel discussion explores the power of empathy and kindness in the face of bullying. Watch the event at 2 p.m. ET:

“Just as the trauma shaped your experience or perhaps changed you, you still have the opportunity to address it. It’s never too late,” says Harvard Chan School’s Karestan Koenen, who recently spoke on a podcast about trauma recovery and personal reinvention.

Promoting psychological safety in the workplace is essential to employee wellbeing and retention, especially during times of crisis—when, ironically, psychological safety is likeliest to dwindle, according to a study co-authored by Harvard Chan School’s Michaela Kerrissey. @harvardhpm.bsky.social

📰 Proud to see three of our amazing HPM colleagues—Ben Sommers, Michaela Kerrissey, and John McDonough—mentioned in this insightful article on effective classroom strategies. Check it out ⬇️ via @hsph.harvard.edu

Harvard Chan School is taking a social media break during Thanksgiving recess. From Wednesday, November 26, through Sunday, November 30, the School’s administrative offices are closed, and we’re taking time away from our social media feeds to be with family and friends.

Dietitian Nour Hammad, a PhD student in population health sciences at Harvard Chan School specializing in public health nutrition, recommended several ways to serve up a budget-friendly Thanksgiving meal in a recent @wgbh.org article.

I’m especially proud of everyone at @hsph.harvard.edu. No matter what area they focus on, our faculty, researchers, trainees, alumni, students, & staff are committed to understanding the drivers of disease & health inequity, and advancing solutions that improve the health & well-being of everyone.

More than 30 faculty members came together to share teaching practices that work to foster open, respectful, and intellectually engaging discussions in the classroom, as part of a peer workshop series.

“Creators are critical sources of information, support, and solidarity for billions of people,” said @amandayarnell.bsky.social. “This survey reveals the pressures that come alongside those responsibilities ... The burnout. The constant toxicity. And the isolation.”

Lonnie Ali discussed compassion, health, and the humanitarian legacy of her late husband, boxer Muhammad Ali, at a recent event sponsored by Harvard Chan School’s Black Student Health Organization. She spoke alongside Sue Goldie, Roger Irving Lee Professor of Public Health.

As global aid changes, can smarter collaboration—not just more funding—build sustainable, resilient healthcare systems in Africa? Watch today's event with Lia Tadesse Gebremedhin and Rosine Sori-Coulibaly as they discuss how strategic planning and stronger governance can create health sovereignty.

From the archives: Five Questions with @hsph.harvard.edu biostatistician LJ Wei. A consultant for Harvard Catalyst, Wei shares why methodology––and curiosity––matter. ⁠Read: hvrdct.me/957cc9

When Eugenio Fernandez, MPH ’16, returned to the Providence neighborhood where he grew up, he brought a new vision: combine public health services with pharmacy access. “There’s so much we can do together when we listen, learn, and build solutions side by side,” he says: hsph.me/livingproof

Isabella Pabón, SM ’26, once thought she’d be a writer. Now she’s on track to earn a master of science in computational biology and quantitative genetics from Harvard Chan School.

Screening for breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer has increased overall in the U.S.—but disparities between regions persist, with disadvantaged communities most likely to have low screening rates, according to a new Harvard Chan School study.

Monica Bharel, MPH ’12, bridges medicine and public health with a focus on equity. As Massachusetts’ public health commissioner, she led the state through the pandemic. At Google, she builds systems that quantify connections between housing, transportation, and health. hsph.me/livingproof

Earlier this year, Harvard Chan School's Erica Kenney and Cindy Leung shared their reactions to the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” which cut federal funding for SNAP by $187 billion through 2034. The current administration has now announced that SNAP benefits will not be issued for November 2025.

Courtney Peterson, associate professor of nutrition, looks at how intermittent fasting and meal timing may benefit aspects of cardiometabolic health, including weight loss, blood sugar, blood pressure, aging, and even cancer prognosis.

“It was an investment in myself. And through that, it was also an investment for my patients and my team. I think I am a better leader because I have more training,” says Dusadee Sarangarm, MHCM ’26, an emergency medicine physician and faculty member at the University of New Mexico. hsph.me/mhcm

The USDA canceled the Household Food Security Report, which provided yearly data on the state of food insecurity and provided policymakers and others with evidence to help shape policy recommendations to combat hunger. Harvard Chan's Sara Bleich discusses the impact its cancellation could have.

A new study led by Harvard Chan School and @busph.bsky.social projects that U.S. funding cuts to global health aid will have a catastrophic effect on pediatric #tuberculosis.

Rita Hamad, professor of social epidemiology and public policy, explains why losing the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System puts the health of mothers and infants at risk, and how she hopes to help keep its data accessible. “Without data, we can’t fix problems,” says @ritahamad.bsky.social

Join us for a week of virtual events the week of October 20-24! Prospective students can connect with staff and faculty across Harvard Chan School, engage with the Admissions and Financial Aid Offices, learn about student life and support services, and meet with current students! bit.ly/479fJV1

Did you know? Clinical research takes an average of 17 years to reach real clinical practice. A new resource for the Mahalingaiah Lab discusses how we can combat this statistic: hsph.harvard.edu/mahalingaiah... #HealthLiteracyMonth #publichealthsky @hsph.harvard.edu @harvardmed.bsky.social

🌏 Did you catch the @hsph.harvard.edu webinar on addressing #climate change? During a conversation moderated by FXB Faculty Affiliate @gaurabbasu.bsky.social, Gina McCarthy and Bob Inglis discussed solutions and explored opportunities to work across political divides. Watch ➡️ tinyurl.com/39xz6nd2

“An understanding of statistics is going to greatly improve your research,” says Brian Healy @hsph.harvard.edu. Discover the joy in statistics as you read the words of the professor behind our popular program in applied #biostatistics: hvrdct.me/0f9362

Last fall, Isha Nirola, DrPH ’21, arrived at a conference room in Juba, South Sudan, straight from the airport. She’d just had time to drop her bags off and was feeling jetlagged from her flight, but she perked up when she saw an unexpected familiar face in the room—her friend Deng Nyuon, MPH ’22.

Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@drtedros.who.int), director-general of the World Health Organization (@who.int), received the 2025 Elisabeth B. Weintz Humanitarian Award from the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative.

Harvard Chan School's Community Day of Service brings together students, staff, faculty, researchers, and trainees to support nonprofits across Boston. We asked our community members to share how they gave back on Day of Service this year.

More than 200 volunteers from the Harvard Chan School community participated in our third annual Day of Service, which included activities like serving meals at a shelter, cleaning up Boston Public Garden, and making warm blankets for children in need.

“We should be acutely aware of the number of different infectious threats that can be thrown at us, and once you’ve got a really great new tool in your toolkit, why would you throw it away? Why would you turn your back on mRNA technology when it’s helped us so much?” – @billhanage.bsky.social

Jasmine Gonzalvo, a professor at Purdue University, chose the MPH Generalist program at Harvard Chan School because she wanted to advance her career. She was delighted to find that the online program also offered a thriving community. Learn more: hsph.me/online

Our team was proud to take part in the Harvard Chan Community Day of Service! Department members made fleece blankets for youth experiencing homelessness, distributed by Project Linus. Thank you to everyone who volunteered! @hsph.harvard.edu #Boston #CommunityImpact

First-generation students and Harvard Chan School faculty and staff talk candidly about imposter syndrome, campus life, and the support systems and mentoring that help first-gen students thrive.

As part of Harvard Climate Action Week, environmental health researchers from Harvard Chan School looked at how AI could impact climate and discussed ways to protect the public from extreme heat.