Works In Progress Seminar: Wenxin Zhang & Salome Kuchukhidze
Join us on Wednesday, November 11th for the Department of Epidemiology works-in-progress seminar series featuring Wenxin Zhang (advisor: Yuan Ma) and Salome Kuchukhidze (advisor: Jeff Imani-Eaton).
Wenxin Zhang
Title: Cardiovascular Contributions to Cognitive Impairment and Dementia: The Flip Side
Abstract: Cardiovascular disease is a major contributor to cognitive impairment and dementia. Yet dementia develops over a long prodromal period, during which subtle vascular cognitive changes may emerge years before clinical onset of cardiovascular disease, long before dementia is diagnosed. Could detecting the early subclinical cognitive impairment signal cardiovascular vulnerability and open a window for earlier prevention of both cardiovascular and cognitive outcomes? In this talk, Dr. Zhang will present recent work examining the extent to which global and domain-specific cognitive function, assessed in mid-to-late adulthood, predicts incident cardiovascular disease beyond traditional risk factors across high-risk clinical cohorts and community-based general populations. The findings suggest that a brief processing-speed test may capture vascular vulnerability not reflected in conventional risk assessment and could help refine cardiovascular risk stratification in older adults.
Bio: Wenxin Zhang, MBBS, PhD, is a postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Epidemiology at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Dr. Zhang’s research lies at the intersection of cardiovascular and aging epidemiology, with the goal of advancing the prevention of cardiovascular disease and dementia and promoting healthy aging. With expertise in preventive medicine and population health, Dr. Zhang’s work focuses on identifying potentially modifiable factors and early markers that contribute to or predict the risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, cognitive decline, and dementia. His long-term goal is to inform clinical vascular risk management and develop scalable, population-based strategies to prevent cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, thereby extending healthspan and promoting healthy aging.
Salome Kuchukhidze
Title: Oral PrEP in South Africa: Evaluating the Impact on HIV Incidence During Pregnancy Using Routine Health Service Delivery Data
Abstract: Pregnant and breastfeeding women in South Africa have an elevated risk of acquiring HIV and transmitting it vertically to their infants. Oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), a daily pill for HIV prevention, was introduced in public antenatal care clinics in 2023. However, suboptimal retention and adherence to PrEP raise questions about its real-world, population-level impact. In this talk we use routinely collected, aggregate program data from public antenatal clinics in South Africa to measure PrEP’s population-level impact on new HIV infections averted during pregnancy.Â
Bio: Salome Kuchukhidze is an epidemiologist whose work examines how interpersonal and structural marginalization shape HIV risk and health outcomes globally. Her research focuses on gender-based drivers of HIV vulnerability among women and children, and evaluates interventions designed to address these inequities. Currently, Dr. Kuchukhidze is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, where her work leverages quasi-experimental methods to evaluate the impact of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis on HIV acquisition risk among pregnant and breastfeeding women in South Africa. Dr. Kuchukhidze holds a PhD in epidemiology from McGill University and an MPH from Boston University.Â
Speaker Information
Wenxin Zhang
Salome Kuchukhidze
Organizers
Related Events
Yin Cao Seminar
Join us on Wednesday, October 21st for the Department of Epidemiology seminar series featuring Dr. Yin Cao.
Speaker Information
Yin Cao, ScD, MPH
Organizers
Related Events
George Davey Smith Seminar
Join us on Wednesday, October 14th for the Department of Epidemiology seminar series featuring Dr. George Davey Smith.
Speaker Information
George Davey Smith, FRS, MD, DSc, MSc, FMedSci, FRCP, FFPH
Organizers
Related Events
Harvard Cancer Consortium (HCC) Celebration of Early Career Investigators in Cancer Research
Early career investigators are a unique reservoir of new ideas, innovation, and excellence in cancer research. To celebrate this, we welcome you to join the Annual HCC Celebration of Early Investigators in Cancer Research. This symposium will showcase the talent of early career investigators at the Harvard Cancer Consortium (HCC) who work in several areas of population science, including epidemiology, biostatistics, outcomes, diversity, and survivorship. We invite all members of the public to attend the event. We also invite students, post-docs, residents, and clinical fellows to submit abstracts for consideration as oral or poster presentations by September 18th. We look forward to an exciting afternoon of discussion, sharing new discoveries, and building new collaborations.
Speaker Information
Presented jointly with the Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment (C-CHANGE)
Extreme heat is among the deadliest weather threats in the U.S. Rising temperatures take lives, strain health systems, and drive increasing costs. In this discussion, speakers will explore who is most at risk and unpack the economic stakes. They also will examine a range of possible solutions, from providing affordable access to air conditioners, to increasing green spaces, to helping neighbors look out for each other. The experts will share research, frontline experience, and practical guidance so viewers come away with clear steps to help themselves and their communities stay cooler and safer when temperatures soar.
Speakers
Moderator
Sabrina Shankman
About The Studio
Midweek Mindfulness Reset
Reduce your stress, calm your nervous system, and reset.
Sit with a rotating group of some of the most influential instructors in the mindfulness space, including monastics from the Plum Village tradition. Each session offers a variety of mindfulness practices and insights to support your well-being. It’s the perfect reset to mark the middle of your week!
We will meet virtually via Zoom every Wednesday from 11:00 am–11:30 am ET (and you’re welcome to stay for an optional 15 additional minutes for sharing and community building). Open to all; no experience needed.
Please note that these sessions are for relaxation and general wellness only and are not a substitute for professional medical, psychological, or psychiatric treatment. By participating, you agree to take responsibility for your own physical and emotional well‑being, and to consult a qualified healthcare provider regarding any medical or mental health concerns.
Organizers
Presented jointly with Harvard Humanitarian Initiative
As the number of Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda climb, health infrastructure and resources are stretched thin. The outbreak response is complicated by conflict, remote terrain, and population movement. With no vaccine or specific treatment for the Bundibugyo strain, surveillance, cross-border coordination, and community engagement is key. Join leaders from WHO and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies for a conversation that examines the challenges of the current response and what the fight against Ebola reveals about humanitarian aid and global health security.
Watch the premiere on June 30 at 10 a.m. ET on the Harvard Chan YouTube page.
An on-demand recording will be available following the premiere.
Speakers
Marie Roseline Belizaire
Petra Khoury
Moderator
About The Studio
Plotting like a Pro: Data Visualization with R / ggplot2
In this hands-on workshop we will demonstrate how to create high-quality plots utilizing the ggplot2 R package. The workshop will cover different plot formats as well at many of the key options and theme layers that participants may be interested in applying to create their highly customized plots. We will also cover exporting plots as well as creating functions for a consistent formatting across plots.
Organizers
Midweek Mindfulness Reset
Reduce your stress, calm your nervous system, and reset.
Sit with a rotating group of some of the most influential instructors in the mindfulness space, including monastics from the Plum Village tradition. Each session offers a variety of mindfulness practices and insights to support your well-being. It’s the perfect reset to mark the middle of your week!
We will meet virtually via Zoom every Wednesday from 11:00 am–11:30 am ET (and you’re welcome to stay for an optional 15 additional minutes for sharing and community building). Open to all; no experience needed.
Please note that these sessions are for relaxation and general wellness only and are not a substitute for professional medical, psychological, or psychiatric treatment. By participating, you agree to take responsibility for your own physical and emotional well‑being, and to consult a qualified healthcare provider regarding any medical or mental health concerns.
Organizers
Best Practices for Creating Charts and Graphs
This workshop will cover key design principles you should consider when planning data visualizations — from choosing the optimal chart or graph type for your data to the effective use of color, text, and annotations.
Instructor: Jess Cohen-Tanugi, Visualization Specialist, Harvard Library