21st Freeman-Seage Symposium on Infectious Disease Epidemiology
Join us for the 21st Freeman Seage Symposium on Tuesday, May 5th, 2026 in honor of Professors Jonathan Freeman and George Seage who were leaders in the field of Infectious Disease Epidemiology.
Oral presentations will take place in FXB 301 from 1:30-4:30 pm followed by a poster reception in the FXB Atrium from 4:30-6:30 pm. Contact CCDD with any questions: ccdd@hsph.harvard.edu.
Jonathan Freeman (1939-2000)
Jonathan Freeman was a faculty member at the Harvard Chan School of Public Health from 1990 until May 2000. He was instrumental in creating and leading the Interdisciplinary Program in Infectious Disease Epidemiology (IPIDE). Freeman designed and taught courses on the investigation and transmission dynamics of infectious disease outbreaks, promoting an active interest in infectious disease epidemiology at a time when it was not widely popular. As a faculty member at Harvard Medical School, he practiced infectious disease medicine at Boston City Hospital (now Boston Medical Center), Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and the West Roxbury Veterans Affairs. Freeman was also an active member of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America, where he taught a famously rigorous course on epidemiology principles for hospital epidemiologists. His research interests included hospital-acquired infections, tuberculosis, and malaria.
George R. Seage III (1957-2021)
George R. Seage III was a faculty member at Harvard Chan School of Public Health from 1999 until his passing in 2021. He was a valued member of the Department Epidemiology and a leader in the field of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) research. He played a key role in the earliest efforts to understand HIV and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), bringing epidemiologic skills and expertise to the the field.
Seage was passionate about and dedicated to mentoring the next generation of infectious disease epidemiologists. He contributed to establishing program to mentor early career investigators in the Pediatric HIV/AIDS Cohort Study (PHACS). He was also the co-principal investigator of a T32 graduate training program in infectious disease epidemiology and biodefense and served as the director of the IPIDE.
Speaker Information
Organizers
Public health and medicine have added years to life; our next urgent challenge is ensuring those extra years are healthy and equitable—especially now that advances in biology and data science let us measure biological age and test aging interventions far more rapidly.
The seminar is designed to bring together researchers from across the School’s disciplines and departments to share current aging research efforts and discuss opportunities for future collaborations and funding. The program will feature brief talks on major aging-related research themes, a panel discussion with Q&A, and informal conversations over coffee and dessert. Your participation will be invaluable in leveraging and expanding the School’s capacity for aging research.
This event is the first of an ongoing interdisciplinary seminar series focused on cross-cutting public health challenges. By showcasing the breadth and depth of our research in aging and healthy longevity, we can begin to position Harvard Chan as a visible leader in this area.
Please register online to indicate your availability; you will receive an Outlook invitation about a week before the event.
Speakers will share their own perspectives; they do not speak for Harvard.
Organizers
2026 Harvard Global Health Student Research Showcase
We invite you to join us at the 2026 Harvard Global Health Student Research Showcase, a University-wide poster session highlighting global health research conducted by Harvard undergraduate and graduate students. We encourage members of the Harvard community to join us to view posters, learn about ongoing research across the University, and support student scholarship.
The Harvard Global Health Student Research Showcase celebrates student research and promotes interdisciplinary exchange, bringing together perspectives from research, practice, and policy across Harvard. The event provides an opportunity to engage with emerging work on pressing global health challenges and to foster dialogue and collaboration across disciplines and sectors.
Registration in advance is not required but is strongly encouraged. Harvard ID or visitor’s pass required for building entry.
Organizers
The Women’s Health Student Summit at Harvard Chan
Women around the world experience systemic barriers to respectful, quality care. Countries like the UK and Australia, in response, developed national women’s health strategies to evolve from fragmented programs toward integrated, life-course approaches. However, there is no academic forum that convenes global leaders, policymakers, academic experts, and advocates to advance the discussion and create a shared agenda for holistic women’s health strategies. The women’s health student summit at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health is the forum where changemakers gather to develop strategies that unify siloed programs and bridge research, policy, and implementation to advance women’s health agendas globally.
This event is in-person and virtual.
Agenda
8:00 AM — Registration
9:00 AM — Opening remarks · Betza Bravo & Aracely Guzman Guajardo
9:20 AM — Keynote: The Imperative of Developing National Women’s Health Strategies · Dame Lesley Regan
10:00 AM — Panel: Transforming Maternal Health: From Evidence to Systems Change · Katherina Semrau · Rose Molina · Christin Price
10:55 AM — Panel: Womenomics 2.0: The ROI of Investing in Women’s Health Strategies · Rhonda Pacheco · Esther Duflo
11:50 AM — Lunch (breakout sessions):
- “Small Shifts, Meaningful Directions” — MomPath
- “The Menopause Leadership Gap: From Screening to Empowering Leaders in and Beyond Transition” — Promoting Good
12:20 PM — Lunch (fireside chat):
- The Power of Prevention
1:05 PM — Panel: Sexual and Reproductive Health in a Polarized World: Evidence, Rights, and Policy · Alicia Yamin · Sapna Kathri
2:00 PM — Panel: Invisible No More: Addressing Neglected Areas in Women’s Health Across the Life Course · Jorge Chavarro · Olga Garcia · Louise King
2:55 PM — Panel: Blueprint for Change: Moving Toward Integrated, Life-Course Health Strategies · Lia Tadesse · Hector Valle · Dr. Winnie Yip
3:50 PM — Panel: The Last Mile of Health Policy: If Science Doesn’t Influence People’s Behavior, What Does? Communicating Health Policy in the Age of Social Media · Amanda Yarnell
4:20 PM — Closing keynote
4:50 PM — Closing remarks · Betza Bravo & Aracely Guzman Guajardo
We greatly thank our sponsors for their contribution to making this event possible.
Changemakers: FUNSALUD, Promoting good
Blueprint partner: Provost’s Fund for Student Collaboration, David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies
Womenomics champion: Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (department of Social and Behavioral Health, Department of Global Health), Harvard Chan Student Government Association
Speaker Information
Dame Lesley Regan
Lia Tadesse
Hector Valle
Alicia Yamin, JD, MPH, PhD
Rhonda Pacheco
Winnie Yip, PhD
Organizers
2026 Harvard President’s Innovation Challenge Awards Ceremony
Join the Harvard Innovation Labs for our annual celebration of innovation, community, and entrepreneurship at Harvard. We’ll hear live pitches from 25 finalists and reveal which ventures will receive a share of $500,000+ in funding, courtesy of the Bertarelli Foundation.
Tickets are now available to the Harvard community. Registration will open to the public on or before April 22.
The theme of this year’s competition is “What Moves You” — and our founders represent the diverse paths to entrepreneurship and how early ideas can lead to real impact.
Get excited for this year’s event by watching highlights from last year.
How to join:
In-person: Join us in person for the awards ceremony in Klarman Hall in Allston, Massachusetts. An after party will follow at Schwartz Pavilion (directly outside of Klarman Hall) with food, drinks, and a chance to meet and mingle with the finalists and our broader innovation community.
Online: Can’t make it to campus? Join us online from anywhere in the world for an immersive digital experience. We’ll share the livestream link as the date gets closer.
Please note: By registering, you agree to receive emails about this event and future communications from the Harvard Innovation Labs.
Organizers
21st Kolokotrones Symposium
21st Kolokotrones Symposium – a CAUSALab event in Collaboration with the Richard A. and Susan F. Smith Center for Outcomes Research
CAUSALab is thrilled to invite you to the 21st Kolokotrones Symposium at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
“External Controls for Causal Inference: Study Design and Analysis” features four expert talks and a panel discussion.
The symposium will provide an introduction to external control arms and explore methodology and study design for causal inference. The symposium will conclude with an expert panel that will consider the question: where do we go from here?
Speakers & panelists:
⭐ Christina Lalani (Moderator) (Richard A. and Susan F. Smith Center for Outcomes Research)
⭐ Dhruv Kazi (Moderator) (Richard A. and Susan F. Smith Center for Outcomes Research)
⭐ Sonia Hernández-Díaz (Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health)
⭐Lorenzo Trippa (Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health)
⭐ Daniel Burkhoff (CRF, PV Loops, Columbia University)
⭐ Issa Dahabreh (Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health)
⭐ Robert Yeh (Richard A. and Susan F. Smith Center for Outcomes Research)
⭐ Laura Mauri (Medtronic)
⭐ Rafael Cavalcante (Boston Scientific)
In person and online attendance free and open to the public. Limited spots available, so please register now to reserve your spot. Zoom link will be distributed to all virtual attendees the week leading up to the event. Additional information can be found on causalab.org.
Speakers’ remarks are based on their own scholarship and experience. As such, they speak for themselves, and not for Harvard University.
This event is hybrid, you can join in person or online by registering in advance.
Organizers
14th Annual Roma Conference | Mapping Romani futures: Connected local histories and global realities
International Roma Day has been celebrated by Romani communities around the world for decades. This year marks the 55th anniversary of the First World Roma Congress, a historic gathering at which Roma Day, the Romani flag, and the anthem “Gelem, Gelem” were adopted as key symbols of the global Roma diaspora.
Across regions, neighborhoods, organizations, and institutions use this anniversary to highlight Romani heritage through concerts, exhibitions, film screenings, conferences, and media events. Many leaders and scholars also observe Roma Day with commemorations that honor victims of anti-Roma racism and reflect on progress in social, political, cultural, and economic life.
Since 2013, the annual Harvard Roma Conference has provided a forum to examine and address anti-Roma racism—its origins, history, drivers, protectors, and global manifestations, with particular attention to children and youth. The conference has worked to strengthen data collection on Roma (especially youth and children), improve research methods, promote participatory action research with Romani youth, and critically revisit histories, policies, and practices affecting Romani communities. A central goal has been to amplify and center Romani voices and experiences in global scholarship.
On April 10, 2026, the 14th Harvard Roma Conference, Mapping Romani Futures: Connected Local Histories and Global Realities, will once again mark Roma Day. This year’s event examines Romani histories and present-day realities to help shape more equitable futures for Romani children, youth, and generations to come, situating these discussions within a global context of rising human rights abuses, wars, extremism, and climate and digital threats.
This year’s program includes:
Keynote panel on global and regional trends and threats affecting Romani children and youth, especially in the context of escalating human rights abuses, wars, extremism, and climate and digital risks.
Panel 1 – Connected Futures, Histories, and Realities: Exploring connections and continuities in Romani histories and lived realities, and how these shape the lives, inequities, and identities of Romani children, youth, and future generations.
Panel 2 – Intersectionality and Intersecting Stories: Examining often overlooked and marginal axes of inequity in narratives of Romani histories, realities, and futures.
Book talk: Continuing a recent tradition, the conference will close with a book talk highlighting recent monographs on Romani people, with emphasis on works that advance global scholarship.
Organizers
Africa Health Conference – Future-Proofing Africa: Investing in Impact and Innovation
Join us at the 2026 Africa Health Conference to explore innovative solutions to advance health in Africa by pre-registering by Sunday, January 18 HERE.
The Africa Health Conference is a dynamic platform that brings together experts, researchers, practitioners, students, and community stakeholders dedicated to advancing forward-thinking solutions for Africa’s evolving health challenges.
The 2026 conference will take place on Saturday, February 21, 2026, at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, with an online attendance option available. This year’s theme is “Future-Proofing Africa: Investing in Impact and Innovation”. It builds on last year’s sessions that focused on adaptive strategies in health financing, technology, and resilience. This year, the conference will guide participants in reimagining Africa’s development landscape amidst a rapidly changing global context. We will move beyond traditional approaches to explore innovative financing mechanisms and highlight how African entrepreneurs, businesses, and creative thinkers are driving impactful solutions in various fields, from healthcare to technology.
For questions, please contact us hsphafricahealthconference@gmail.com or visit our website: https://africa-health-conference.hsph.harvard.edu/
Organizers
Women’s Health Conference 2026
Overview
The global Women’s Health Conference was launched in 2023 by the Global Centre for Asian Women’s Health (GloW) at the National University of Singapore (NUS) Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, in collaboration with Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Following the successful conferences held in Singapore in 2023 and 2024 and in Paris in 2025, the 2026 conference will take place in Boston from September 30 to October 2, 2026.
The 2026 meeting is co-organized by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, GloW at NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, and the Institute for Women and Interdisciplinary Research in Science and Health (iWISH) at Université Paris Cité. The conference will highlight cutting-edge advances shaping women’s health across the life course.
Despite increasing global attention, women’s health remains under-researched and underfunded in many critical domains. Women experience unique biological transitions—from puberty and pregnancy to menopause and aging—that shape lifelong health trajectories. Addressing these complexities requires coordinated, interdisciplinary, and global collaboration.
This conference will convene leading scientists, clinicians, innovators, policymakers, and global organizations to accelerate solutions that improve health outcomes for women worldwide.
The scientific program will feature:
- Breakthroughs in precision nutrition and lifestyle medicine
- Advances in fertility, pregnancy, and reproductive health
- New approaches to mental health and brain health
- Healthy aging, cognition, and cardiometabolic health
- The expanding role of AI and femtech in diagnosis, treatment, and prevention
- Global women’s health and health equity
The program will include plenary lectures, thematic panels, poster sessions, lightning talks by junior investigators, and a special session featuring international organizations and foundations focused on sustaining global investment in women’s health research.
The conference will conclude with a half-day symposium commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS), the largest and longest-running study of women’s health, established in 1976.
Registration
Register to join us in-person or on livestream (via Zoom). Registration is free and open to the public.
*Please note that no certificates of attendance will be provided*
Abstract Submission
Call for abstracts: Submit your abstract for a chance to present a poster or give a flash talk. Trainees and investigators within five years of earning their terminal degree are eligible to present a flash talk. Please follow these rules and guidelines and use this template to prepare your abstract.
All abstracts (for both poster session and flash talks) must be presented in-person.
Deadline: Abstract submission deadline is May 15th, 2026 at 11:59 PM EST.
Organizers
Scientific Organizing Committee
- Frank B. Hu, MD, PhD, MPH, Professor and Chair, Department of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health; Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School (Committee Chair)
- Cuilin Zhang, MD, PhD, Chair Professor of Women’s Health; Founding Director, Global Centre for Asian Women’s Health (GloW), Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore (Committee Co-Chair)
- Yap Seng Chong, MBBS, MD, Lien Ying Chow Professor in Medicine; Dean, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore
- Heather Eliassen, ScD, Professor of Nutrition and Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health; Professor of Medicine, Channing Division of Network Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School
- Jorge E. Chavarro, MD, ScD, Professor of Nutrition and Epidemiology; Dean for Academic Affairs, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health; Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School
- Kathryn M. Rexrode, MD, MPH, Chief, Division of Women’s Health, Brigham and Women’s Hospital; Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Chief Academic Officer, Brigham and Women’s Hospital
- Michelle A. Williams, ScD, Professor of Epidemiology and Population Health; Associate Chair for Academic Affairs, Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Stanford University School of Medicine
- Melissa Bondy, PhD, Professor and Chair, Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Stanford University School of Medicine
- Rosa Maria Bruno, PhD, Professor in Clinical Pharmacology, Université Paris Cité; Head of the Hypertension Unit of Georges Pompidou European Hospital, Paris, France; iWISH, Institute for Women Interdisciplinary Research in Science and Health, Université Paris Cité
- Clarisse Berthezène, PhD, Professor of History, Université Paris Cité; Chair, Institut Universitaire de France; iWISH, Institute for Women Interdisciplinary Research in Science and Health, Université Paris Cité
Administrative Organizing Committee
- Katrina Soriano, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
- Jessie Powell, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Tentative Program
Opening Session
8:30–9:00 AM
Welcome and Opening Remarks
AI and Digital Innovation in Women’s Health
9:00–9:20 AM
Leveraging Human Organ Chips to Provide New Insights into Women’s Health
9:20–9:40 AM
AI-guided Integration of Biological and Clinical Knowledge for Maternal and Child Health.s Health
9:40–10:00 AM
Artificial Intelligence in Obstetrics: Opportunities and Challenges in Maternal–Fetal Medicine
10:00–10:20 AM
AI and FemTech in Women’s Health
10:20–10:40 AM
Wearables, Data Science, and Performance: Insights from Women Athletes
10:40–11:00 AM
Panel Discussion
11:00–11:20 AM | Coffee Break
Precision Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine
11:20–11:40 AM
Mediterranean Diet Interventions and Women’s Health: Evidence from Cohort Studies and Trials
11:40–12:00 PM
Healthy Diets for People and Planet: Integrating Human and Planetary Health
12:00–12:20 PM
Nutrition and Women’s Health: over life course and across generations
12:20–12:40 PM
Panel Discussion
12:40–1:30 PM | Lunch
Hormones, Cardiometabolic and Vascular Health
1:30-2:00 PM
Keynote Lecture: Menopausal Hormone Therapy: Evolution of Evidence and Current Clinical Recommendations
2:00–2:20 PM
Cardiovascular Disease in Women: Epidemiology, Risk Factors, and Prevention
2:20–2:40 PM
Vascular Aging in Women: Mechanisms, Measurement, and Clinical Implications
2:40–3:00 PM
Cardiometabolic Diseases in Asian Populations: Unique Risk Profiles and Prevention Strategies
3:00–3:20 PM
Sex Differences in GLP-1–Based Therapies: Implications for Cardiometabolic Health
3:20–3:40 PM
Panel Discussion
3:40–4:00 PM | Coffee Break
Lightning Talks by Young Investigators
4:00–5:00 PM
Selected Abstract Presentations
Healthy Aging and Mental Health
8:30–8:50 AM
Brain Aging in Women: Biomarkers, Imaging and Risk for Dementia
8:50–9:10 AM
Brain Health and Aging: Clinical and Population Perspectives
9:10–9:30 AM
Depression and Mental Health in Women: Risk Factors and Prevention
9:30–9:50 AM
Panel Discussion
9:50–10:10 AM | Coffee Break
Reproductive Health I: Pregnancy, Fertility, Endometriosis, and PCOS
10:10–10:30 AM
Nutrition and Fertility: Evidence from Prospective Cohorts and Clinical Studies
10:30–10:50 AM
Endometriosis and PCOS: Epidemiology, Mechanisms, and Clinical Management
10:50-11:10 am
Menstrual Blood as a Novel Biofluid for Endometriosis Research and Diagnosis
11:10–11:25 AM
Panel Discussion
Reproductive Health II: Pregnancy, Fertility, Endometriosis, and PCOS
11:25–11:45 AM
Preconception Health and Offspring Outcomes: Insights from the GUSTO and S-PRESTO Cohorts
11:45–12:05 AM
Environmental Exposures and Reproductive Health: Emerging Evidence
12:05 AM–12:25 PM
Autoimmune Diseases in Women: Epidemiology and Clinical Implications
12:25–12:40 PM
Panel Discussion
12:40–1:30 PM | Lunch
Global Women’s Health and Health Equity
1:30–1:50 PM
THE STRESS TEST WE IGNORE: Reclaiming Prevention as Women’s Health Policy
1:50–2:10 PM
Therapeutic Mobility and Breast Cancer: Lived Experiences of African Women in Europe
2:10–2:40 PM
Advancing Global Women’s Reproductive Health: The confluence of Science, Programs and Policy Innovation
2:40–3:00 PM
Panel Discussion
3:00–3:20 PM | Coffee Break
Global Women’s Health Impact Tracking Platform
3:20–4:15 PM
Special Session: Global Women’s Health Impact Tracking Platform (WHIT)
4:15–5:00 PM
Spotlight on NUS–Harvard Chan Women’s Health Initiative (NUSHINE)
Reception and Poster Presentations
5:00–8:00 PM
Location: Veritas Science Center (formerly Harvard Medical School New Research Building) – 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, MA
NHS at 50: Celebrating Discovery, Inspiring Generations
8:30–8:45 AM
Welcome
8:45–9:15 AM
Nurses’ Health Study: History, Landmark Discoveries, and Public Health Impact
9:15–9:45 AM
Diet and Nutrition Across the Life Course: Lessons from NHS
9:45–10:45 AM
Lightning Talks by Junior NHS Investigators
10:45–11:05 AM | Coffee Break
11:05 AM–12:05 PM
NHS Principal Investigator Panel
12:05-12:35 PM
NHS participant panel
Closing remarks
MassCPR Annual Symposium- Innovation Without Borders: Academia and Pharma Driving Preparedness
This year’s hybrid symposium will explore how the partnership between pharma and academia fuels breakthroughs that strengthen outbreak preparedness. Join colleagues from across the consortium, industry, public health, and academia for a lively exchange of ideas and insights. The event is sponsored by Harvard Medical School, the Maxwell Finland Fund, and the Warren Alpert Foundation.
Please register in advance:
In-Person Registration: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/masscpr-annual-symposium-tickets-1684524450979
Zoom Registration: https://partners.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ZuxtphlITFOyXhnAJH5jJg#/registration