Thursday Brown Bag Series

The Department of Global Health and Population’s Thursday Brown Bag Series is a weekly seminar series featuring current research of faculty, affiliates, and guests of the department. The intent is to educate and raise awareness of our community and beyond. This series is held from 1 to 2 pm in Building 1, Room 1208. Questions regarding the series can be directed to Kim Ploeg.

Harvard Chan School hosts a diverse array of speakers, invited to share both scholarly research and personal perspectives. They do not speak for the School, and hosting them does not imply endorsement of their views, organizations, or employers.

Visit our event archives for past Brown Bag seminars.

Fall ’25 Seminars

Seminars are held from 1 to 2 pm in Building 1, Room 1208.

September 18, 2025
Could Altruism End the HIV Epidemic? Evidence from South Africa
Jacob Bor, Associate Professor, Departments of Global Health and Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health

September 25, 2025
Menstrual Cycle Characteristics as a Window Into Whole Body Health
Shruthi Mahalingaiah, Mark and Catherine Winkler Associate Professor of Environmental Reproductive and Women’s Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

October 2, 2025
Sharing Experiences and Discussing the Future of Fukushima in Radiation Education at FMU
Isamu Amir, Research Fellow, Takemi Program in International Health; Assistant Professor, Department of Radiation Health Management, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine

October 9, 2025
The Air We Share: Lessons from a Career in Pulmonary and Global Health Research
William Checkley, Professor of Medicine, Departments of International Health and Biostatistics; Director, Fogarty Global Health Fellowship at Johns Hopkins University; Director, Center for Global Non-Communicable Disease Research and Training; Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, Johns Hopkins University

October 16, 2025
Threading Policy and Practice: Lessons From a Primary Healthcare Project to Address Hepatitis in Vietnam and the Philippines
Bethany Holt, Director of Health Systems Transformation and Partnerships, Program in Global Primary Health Care, Harvard Medical School

October 23, 2025
Thyroid Cancer Prevention in Radiological Emergencies
Yoshitaka Nishikawa, Research Fellow, Takemi Program in International Health; Associate Professor, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine

October 30, 2025
Combating the Health Effects of Extreme Heat and Air Pollution in Urban India
Amruta Nori-Sarma, Assistant Professor of Environmental Health and Population Science, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

November 6, 2025
Mental Health and Psychosocial Support for Male Former Yazidi Child Soldiers in Northern Iraq: Gaps in Humanitarian Response and Legal Obligations
Serhat Yildirim, Research Associate, FXB Center for Health and Human Rights, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

November 13, 2025
The Front Line Indigenous Partnership Program: Addressing Indigenous Health Care Disparities and Support for AIAN Pathway Programs
Valerie Dobiesz, Director, Front Line Indigenous Partnership Program, Harvard Humanitarian Initiative; Director, External Programs, STRATUS Center for Medical Education

November 20, 2025
Measuring Household Out-of-Pocket Health Spending Using Household-Reported Survey Data
Chunling Lu, Director, Program in Global Health Economics and Social Change; Associate Professor, Departments of Medicine and Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Division of Global Health Equity, Brigham and Women’s Hospital

December 4, 2025
Advancing Global Mental Health Delivery: The Role of Digital Innovation, Task Sharing, and Reciprocal Learning
John Naslund, Co-Director, Mental Health for All Lab; Instructor, Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School

December 11, 2025
Ibou Dieye, PhD Candidate, Harvard PhD Program in Health Policy