Brown Bag Seminar: Sharing experiences and discussing the future of Fukushima in radiation education at Fukushima Medical University
Isamu Amir is a research fellow in the Takemi Program in International Health at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and an assistant professor in the department of radiation health management at Fukushima Medical University (FMU) School of Medicine. Amir obtained his PhD from Tokyo Institute of Technology in 2018, where he specialized in translation studies in linguistics and science communication. He has worked with the Consulate General of Japan in Boston, University of Tokyo, and Ministry of the Environment (MOE). He is dedicated to addressing discrimination, prejudice, and unfounded rumors about the health effects of radiation exposure derived from the Fukushima nuclear accident.
Speaker Information
Isamu Amir
Organizers
Student Meet and Greet with the Initiative on Health and Homelessness
✨ Come meet the Initiative on Health and Homelessness at Harvard Chan! ✨
Join us for an engaging meet-and-greet with the Initiative on Health and Homelessness (IHH), a collaborative hub bringing together research, practice, and policy to address one of today’s most pressing public health challenges. This is your chance to learn about our work, connect with our Steering Committee, faculty, staff, and partners, and discover opportunities to get involved.
You’ll also meet the Chan Coalition to End Homelessness (CCEH), our dynamic student group leading advocacy, action, and awareness-building efforts across campus. Whether you’re interested in research, policy, service, or community engagement, there are many ways to contribute and make an impact.
✨ Don’t miss this chance to expand your network, explore meaningful opportunities, and help advance solutions to homelessness.
🍴 Lunch will be provided!
Organizers
Harvard Chan School Day of Service
We have lined up more than 20 service projects on campus and across Boston to address social determinants of health.
Most projects will take place on Monday, Sept. 29, 2025, but we also have some activities the previous weekend—and, new this year, we will be hosting a Red Cross Blood Drive on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025.
Please carefully review the dates, times, and locations before signing up — and mark the information on your calendar! Click here for more information: hsph.me/dos-signup
You will be responsible for your own transportation to the project sites; most are easily accessible on public transit.
You can sign up for more than one project, but please be mindful that slots are limited, so please sign up only for activities you have every intention of joining.
Organizers
Protecting Young Children From the Impacts of Wildfires
Wildfire smoke is becoming an increasingly common part of childhood in many parts of the US. While we often associate wildfires with remote or forested locations, they are increasingly happening in more urban settings—such as the January 2025 fires in Los Angeles—and the smoke can travel thousands of miles, remaining highly toxic. This means that exposure to wildfire smoke is a growing concern far beyond fire zones, with implications for the health and development of young children in both the short term and throughout their lifespan.
Join us for a live discussion on how wildfire smoke affects young children, focusing on how the LA Fire HEALTH Study aims to better understand the short- and long-term health impacts of wildfires. The study addresses the need for answers in the LA community and has broader implications for many communities across the US that are increasingly dealing with wildfire smoke.
Panelists will share emerging findings from the study and how these insights can guide efforts to reduce exposure, support children and caregivers, and protect healthy development—especially for those most affected by recent wildfires.
The discussion will be led by our Chief Science Officer, Lindsey Burghardt, MD, MPH, FAAP, and will feature panelists Joseph Allen, DSc, MPH, Associate Professor at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Director of the Harvard Healthy Buildings Program, and Sujeet Rao, Health and Wellbeing Practice Director at the Public Exchange at the University of Southern California.
Speakers
Moderator
Joseph G. Allen
<strong>Sujeet Rao</strong>
<strong>Lindsey C. Burghardt</strong>
Organizers
Deep Learning–Based Estimator for the Non-Iterative Conditional Expectation (NICE) g-Formula
Join us on Wednesday, October 22 for the “Works In Progress” Epidemiology Seminar Series, featuring Dr. Jing Li discussing Deep Learning–Based Estimator for the Non-Iterative Conditional Expectation (NICE) g-Formula.
Abstract: The g-formula can be used to estimate causal effects of sustained treatment strategies using observational data under the identifying assumptions of consistency, positivity, and exchangeability. The non-iterative conditional expectation (NICE) estimator of the g-formula also requires correct estimation of the conditional distribution of the time-varying treatment, confounders, and outcome. Parametric models, which have been traditionally used for this purpose, are subject to model misspecification, which may result in biased causal estimates, particularly in high-dimensional or nonlinear settings. To address these limitations, we propose a unified deep learning framework for the NICE g-formula that leverages recurrent neural networks to flexibly model the joint conditional distribution of time-varying variables. Through simulation studies, we demonstrate the advantages of the proposed deep learning–based estimator over conventional parametric approaches and establish its statistical validity through uncertainty quantification.
Bio: Dr. Jing Li is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at CAUSALab in the Department of Epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, working under the mentorship of Prof. Miguel Hernán. Her research focuses on combining causal inference and machine learning to better understand the effects of treatments and interventions in complex longitudinal settings. Her current work includes advancing g-formula methods, developing deep learning techniques to improve the estimation of sustained treatment effects, and building large-scale simulation experiments to evaluate the performance of deep learning-based estimators. Her work has appeared in leading venues such as CVPR, ICLR, AAAI, IEEE Transactions on Image Processing (TIP), and NeurIPS workshops. In addition to academic publications, she is the primary developer of the open-source Python package pygformula, and also contributes to several other causal inference software packages, including gfoRmula and gfoRmulaICE. Jing Li received her Ph.D. in Computer Science from Peking University, where she was advised by Prof. Yizhou Wang in the School of Computer Science. She received her bachelor’s degree in Statistics from the School of Mathematics and Statistics at Wuhan University.
Speaker Information
Jing Li, PhD
Organizers
Related Events
Social Demography Seminar with John Wilmoth
John Wilmoth, PhD presents “The future of world population: Divergent trends, competing narratives, and the role of the United Nations.”
Speaker Information
John Wilmoth, PhD, Director, Population Division, United Nations
Organizers
Brown Bag Seminar: Could altruism end the HIV epidemic? Evidence from South Africa
Jacob Bor, ScD, is an associate professor in the departments of global health and epidemiology at Boston University School of Public Health. His research applies the analytical tools of economics and data science to the study of population health, and his research interests include HIV treatment and prevention in southern Africa, structural causes of health disparities in the U.S., and intersections of health, politics, and development. Prior to his graduate training at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Bor worked with an HIV-prevention NGO in Botswana, Lesotho, and South Africa. He is a faculty affiliate of Boston University’s Global Development Policy Center and senior research at the Health Economics and Epidemiology Research Office in South Africa.
Speaker Information
Jacob Bor
Organizers
From Signal to Noise: Addressing Multiplicity Using the Exposome-Neurodevelopment Example
Join us on Wednesday, October 8 for the Epidemiology Seminar Series, featuring Dr. Stefania Papatheodorou discussing From Signal to Noise: Addressing Multiplicity Using the Exposome-Neurodevelopment Example.
Abstract: In epidemiologic research, investigators frequently examine numerous concurrent environmental exposures and outcomes within a single study. However, the degree of multiplicity involved is often underreported or unclear. The question of how to appropriately handle multiplicity—whether during study design, statistical analysis, or in the communication of findings—remains a subject of considerable debate. This issue becomes even more pressing in exposome research, where the potential number of exposures is vast and continuously growing. Since causality cannot be reliably inferred solely from the presence of statistically significant associations, it is crucial to enhance transparency around multiplicity. Doing so helps mitigate the risk of spurious associations and strengthens the credibility of reported findings. This talk will explore these concepts through an example on ambient exposome and neurodevelopmental delays, and it will outline future directions to improve methodological rigor and reproducibility across life sciences.
Bio: Stefania Papatheodorou, MD, PhD, MSc, is an Associate Professor in Epidemiology at Rutgers School of Public Health and a trained obstetrician and gynecologist. Her research lies at the intersection of extreme weather, air pollution, pregnancy, and children’s health. She has been the primary investigator on multiple epidemiological studies examining the association between prenatal exposure to extreme weather, air pollutants, and adverse pregnancy and childhood outcomes. Her research utilizes a wide range of administrative data sources, such as electronic health records, birth registries, and claims data. She is currently focused on examining the effects of prenatal and early childhood exposure to extreme weather and air pollutants on children’s neurodevelopmental outcomes.
Speaker Information
Stefania Papatheodorou, MD, PhD, MSc
Organizers
Related Events
Pressure Points is a webinar series co-hosted by The Studio and Executive and Continuing Education at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health bringing you inside the business of health care.
With shifting demands, burnout, and evolving care models, how are health care organizations rethinking workforce strategy? Join this panel of leaders in workforce development, human resources, and academia as they share insights on building a more resilient, adaptive, and sustainable health care workforce.
Registerfor free to submit your questions.
An on-demand video will be posted after the event.
Designed for professionals navigating today’s evolving health care landscape, Pressure Points explores the industry’s most urgent challenges—from workforce shifts and financial pressures to leadership, technology, and innovation. Join leading experts for timely conversations on what’s shaping the business of health care now—and what lies ahead.
Speakers
Karen Donelan
Kara Greer
Joanne Pokaski
Moderator
About the Organizers
The Harvard Chan Studio is the hub for the School’s premier in-person and live-streamed events. We convene global leaders in health policy, advocacy, industry, and research for insightful conversations about public health’s most pressing challenges and most promising solutions.
Executive and Continuing Education
Strengthen your expertise and build new capabilities to address pressing healthcare and public health challenges. Learn from industry experts and esteemed Harvard faculty and join a global community of peers driven to creating a healthier world.
Prostate Cancer Screening: What’s Gone Wrong? What Can We Get Right?
Join us on Wednesday, October 29 for the Epidemiology Seminar Series, featuring Dr. Kevin Kensler discussing Prostate Cancer Screening: What’s Gone Wrong? What Can We Get Right?
Abstract: Prostate cancer screening is at a crossroads. Despite evidence that screening prostate-specific antigen (PSA) can reduce advanced disease and mortality, current practices too often overscreen older men while underserving those at highest risk. This seminar will examine where prostate cancer screening has gone wrong and highlight opportunities for more targeted, equitable approaches to early detection.
Bio: Kevin Kensler, ScD, MHS, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Population Health Sciences at Weill Cornell Medicine and member of the Cancer Prevention and Control program at the Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center at Weill Cornell Medicine. His research focuses on prostate cancer epidemiology, with emphasis on screening, disparities, survivorship, and molecular heterogeneity. He has examined how changes in screening guidelines have shaped trends in advanced disease, particularly across socioeconomic and racial groups, and uses large-scale population and clinical data to study risk and prognosis. Collectively, his research aims to guide policies and interventions that advance equitable and personalized approaches to prostate cancer prevention and early detection.