ID Epi Seminar Series – Trevor Bedford
Apr 24, 2025 | 1-2pm ET | Kresge G3
Fitness flux in SARS-CoV-2 and seasonal influenza H3N2
Presented by Trevor Bedford, Professor at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center and Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Trevor Bedford is a Professor in the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, an Investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and an Affiliate Professor at the University of Washington. His research program focuses on phylodynamic analysis of pathogen sequence data with the goal of making inferences that are actionable to public health. This research program spans both epidemiological and evolutionary questions and spans a number of viral systems including seasonal and avian influenza, Ebola, Zika, MERS-CoV, dengue, mpox and SARS-CoV-2.
Each spring, the Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics hosts an annual seminar series, featuring talks from experts on the latest research in infectious disease epidemiology and modeling.
Speakers will share their own perspectives and do not speak for Harvard.
ID Epi Seminar Series – Mathieu Maheu-Giroux
Apr 17, 2025 | 1-2pm ET | Kresge G3
The impact of structural factors on HIV outcomes
Presented by Mathieu Maheu-Giroux, Associate Professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, McGill University
Mathieu Maheu-Giroux is an Associate Professor in the Dept. of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at McGill University where he holds the Canada Research Chair in Population Health Modeling.
Prior to joining McGill, Mathieu received a doctorate in Population Health from Harvard University. He then completed a postdoctoral fellowship in mathematical modeling at Imperial College London.
His research focuses primarily on 1) infectious disease modeling, 2) epidemiology and surveillance, and 3) impact and economic evaluations of public health interventions.
Each spring, the Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics hosts an annual seminar series, featuring talks from experts on the latest research in infectious disease epidemiology and modeling.
Speakers will share their own perspectives and do not speak for Harvard.
Radiological Emergency Management
Join us for a webinar on the Radiological Emergency Management program offered by Harvard Chan School Executive and Continuing Education, hosted by Program Director Steven B. Goldman, EdD.
Mr. Goldman will share valuable insights into the program, outlining what participants can expect to learn and achieve. As radiological threats continue to pose global challenges, this program is crafted to prepare leaders to effectively manage such emergencies. Participants will gain skills and strategies to effectively plan for and respond to radiological emergencies at the federal, state, local, or individual facility level.
If you’re looking to enhance your expertise in emergency management and take a proactive role in radiological preparedness, we invite you to attend this webinar to discover how the program can align with your professional goals.
Speaker Information
Organizers
Unraveling injustice and power structures
In partnership with the Romani Studies Program at Central European University, the Center on Forced Displacement at Boston University, the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging Committee and the Women, Gender, and Health (WGH) Concentration and Working Group at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School, the Harvard University Committee on Ethnicity, Migration, Rights (EMR), the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs at Harvard University, the Religion, Conflict, and Peace Initiative at the Harvard Divinity School, the Palestine Program for Health and Human Rights, the International Human Rights Clinic at the Harvard Law School, and the Human Rights Program at Harvard Law School, the Roma Program for Health and Human Rights at the FXB Center for Health and Human Rights will host a free, hybrid format conference at Harvard University’s Smith Campus Center (10th Floor) on Friday, April 4, 2025, to mark International Roma Day.
The event aims to unpack and reframe the enduring reproduction of the artificial hierarchy imposed between white Europeans and European Roma people, situating it within the broader global theoretical frameworks related to racism, casteism, racialization, and socio-cultural hierarchies and oppressions. Unraveling injustice and power structures will contribute to and expand upon ongoing global dialogues on racialization.
It will also create opportunities for new inquiries into how caste and/or racial hierarchies are upheld within educational systems beginning in childhood, in violation of several articles of the 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC).
The conference will explore three broad and related topics and questions:
1. The whos, hows, what, and whys of benefiting from the construction and perpetuation of societal hierarchies based on race, ethnicity, ancestry, caste, and other social identities.
2. Is there a global agreement on which groups have historically been targeted by racism and racialization? Are there risks associated with appropriating or misunderstanding the concepts of racism and racialization?
3. In a world where educational systems increasingly undermine diversity, equity, and inclusion, how can we foster curricula and school environments that support all historically marginalized groups?
4. What might a display of global solidarity among historically racialized and oppressed groups look like?
Organizers
Health Care Leadership for Emerging Executives
Join us for an informative webinar on the Health Care Leadership for Emerging Executives program, offered by Harvard Chan School Executive and Continuing Education. This session will be hosted by esteemed Program Directors Eric J. McNulty, MA, and Dr. Leonard J. Marcus, PhD.
The health care sector, like all service industries, is facing significant challenges both in the United States and globally. Health care leaders are increasingly required to take on new roles as force multipliers for their staff, community, and organization.
The program’s Meta-Leadership toolbox—featuring original content from Harvard on team building, negotiation, and conflict resolution—equips participants with the practical mindset and skills necessary to lead effectively and confidently in any situation. You can expect to see a return on your investment as soon as you return to work.
If you’re aiming to enhance your leadership capabilities in health care settings, especially during challenging times, we highly encourage you to attend this webinar to explore how the program can support your professional goals.
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Organizers
Pandemic Preparedness: The Role of Virus-Restricted Vaccines and Universal Antiviral Drugs
BRIEF ABSTRACT
Pandemic Preparedness as a concept has four unknowns to deal with: 1) how often can we expect a pandemic causing excess mortality and morbidity to occur, 2) what virus will cause it?, 3) are panzoonotic infections a harbinger of a human pandemic driven by human to human transmission, and 4) does the change in climate increases the frequency of panzoonotics and pandemics? Recent data on 12,000 mammalian virus-host interactions suggest that enveloped viruses are the most likely cause of the next pandemic and among those a segmented enveloped RNA virus with a high rate of antigenic drift and shift, maximizing viral escape from immune interventions, may present the biggest threat. Currently members of the panzoonotic H5 virus family are spreading rapidly among birds and a wide range of mammal species. Evidence will be presented that a combination of an easy-to-use universal antiviral drug for the first 100 days able to prevent human-to-human transmission and a series of prime and boost virus family-specific vaccines thereafter protecting against severe human disease by consecutive and fast evolving virus strains and clades may present the best of options to prevent catastrophic events.
SHORT BIO
Jaap Goudsmit has an MD and PhD degree from the University of Amsterdam. He was a Fogarthy Scientist at the National Institutes of Health from 1978 till 1983 and was full professor of virology at the University of Amsterdam from 1989-2000.
Jaap Goudsmit was Chief Scientific Officer of the Vaccine Company Crucell from 2000 till 2011 when the company was acquired by Johnson and Johnson in 2011 and developed an Adenovirus vaccine platform resulting in licensed vaccines against Ebola and Covid-19. Jaap Goudsmit authored over 500 scientific publications, many of whom appeared in Nature, Science and PNAS.
Jaap Goudsmit headed the Crucell Vaccine Institute (2011 – 2014) and the Janssen Prevention Center (2014 – 2017) at Johnson and Johnson. In 2017 he joined the faculty of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health as adjunct professor of Epidemiology and Immunology of Infectious Diseases. Jaap Goudsmit initiated and is co-PI of the vaccine course at the T. H. Chan School of Public Health. Jaap Goudsmit co- founded the biotech company Leyden Labs in 2020 and was the founding Chief Scientific Officer from 2020-2025.
Speaker Information
Jaap Goudsmit, MD, PhD
Organizers
Related Events
Data Preservation & Community Event
Event description
This preservation event will focus on compiling a list of websites that feature crucial public health information, reports, and datasets on state web pages for the Internet Archive to capture post-event. No data science skills are needed. This event is open to Harvard Chan students, postdocs, researchers, faculty, and staff, as well as the larger concerned public health community.
Connecting with community is another important component of this event. You’ll have the chance to write postcards to government officials and a silk screening station will be set up so you can express your data preservation pride! Bring your own t-shirt or tote! A small number of free t-shirts will be provided – first come first served. Bring your laptop!
For questions: datapreservationcollective@hsph.harvard.edu.
Organizers
Healing through Crafting Stories
On Wednesday, March 26th, from 1 – 1:50 PM in Kresge 202A, we invite all Harvard students, faculty, and staff to join us for a workshop exploring the role of writing in well-being, led by Student Steering Committee member Naomi Ahn, MPH ’25.
Embark on a brief journey to discover how the simple act of writing and sharing stories can nurture emotional health and resilience. Explore the powerful connection between crafting narratives and healing for both the mind and body through short, easy writing exercises.
Join us in a space of creativity, reflection, growth, and community-building through the art of storytelling. Lunch will be provided.
Disclaimer: This is not the time to feel burdened or pressured by writing long essays. You don’t need to be a fan of writing—your facilitator once disliked writing too.
Speaker Information
Naomi Ahn
Organizers
HCSGA March General Student Body Meeting
HCSGA’s March General Student Body Meeting is this Friday, March 7 from 1-2 pm in Kresge G1! Come join us to voice your concerns, learn the initiatives HCSGA has been working on, upcoming events & more! Catering will be provided to students attending in person.
Organizers
Attacks on children in Gaza: Injuries, trauma, and survival
Join the Palestine Program for Health and Human Rights for a panel discussion about injuries specific to children in the Gaza Strip over the last year. We will be joined by Budour Hassan, Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa researcher, Dr. Mimi Syed, an emergency medicine physician who worked in Gaza in August and December 2024, and Mohammad Mansour, psychotherapist, specialized in treating trauma, sexual assault victims, and emergency intervention. The conversation will be moderated by Ayesha Kadir, pediatrician and public health consultant.
This webinar is co-sponsored by the Religion, Conflict, and Peace Initiative at the Harvard Divinity School, the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at Harvard University, and the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School.