Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Global humanitarian and disaster management one year after the dismantling of USAID
2026-05-07 10:00 - 10:50 (America/New_York) | Online
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Presented jointly with the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative

How are the front lines of global disaster and humanitarian response faring one year after the dismantling of USAID? Altaf Musani, director of Humanitarian and Disaster Management at the World Health Organization, and Michael VanRooyen, director of the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, will examine the impacts and explore the paths forward to ensure that lives continue to be saved in this pre-recorded conversation moderated by Irini Albanti, executive director of the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative.

Speakers

Altaf Musani
Director, Humanitarian and Disaster Management, World Health Organization

Michael J. VanRooyen

Lavine Family Professor of Humanitarian Studies in the Department of Global Health and Population

Moderator

Irini Albanti

Executive Director, Harvard Humanitarian Initiative

About The Studio

The Harvard Chan Studio is the hub for the School’s premier in-person and live-streamed events.

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Healthcare in the Crosshairs: US Foreign Policy and the Destruction of Public Health in Lebanon & Gaza
2026-05-07 13:00 - 14:00 | FXB G10
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Join us on Thursday May 7 at 1 pm in FXB-G10 for a conversation with Professor Ziad Abu Rish and Professor Atalia Omer on the destruction of public health infrastructure in Lebanon and Gaza while examining the role of US foreign policy in the ongoing attacks. Professor Walter Johnson will present opening remarks.

This event is co-sponsored by the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Department of Health Policy and Management, Black Students Health Organization, and the Harvard Chan Student Committee for Health Equity and Justice in Palestine.

Speaker Information

Ziad Abu Rish, PhD

Associate Professor of Human Rights and Middle Eastern Studies; Director, MA Program in Human Rights and the Arts

Atalia Omer, PhD

Professor of Religion, Conflict, and Peace Studies at the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies and at the Keough School of Global Affairs at the University of Notre Dame

Walter Johnson, PhD

Professor of History and African and African American Studies and Vice-President AAUP-Harvard

Organizers

Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences

Co-sponsored, Department of Health Policy and Management

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The Women’s Health Student Summit at Harvard Chan
2026-05-09 08:30 - 16:30 | Kresge G1, Synder Auditorium, 677 Huntington Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts, 02115
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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
Women's Health Ambassador for England

Lia Tadesse
Former Minister of Health of Ethiopia

Hector Valle
President, Mexican Foundation for Health

Alicia Yamin, JD, MPH, PhD
Director, Global Health and Rights Project, Harvard Law School

Rhonda Pacheco
President, U.S. Business Unit and U.S. Country Head, Takeda

Winnie Yip, PhD
Professor of the Practice of Global Health Policy and Economics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Organizers

Office for Student Affairs

Co-sponsored by the Harvard Chan Student Government Association

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Monday Nutrition Seminar | Food is Medicine for Improving Cancer Outcomes
2026-05-11 13:00 - 13:50 | FXB G-13 & Online
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Marianne Wessling-Resnick Lecture

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Please join the Department of Nutrition for the Monday Nutrition Seminar featuring Fang Fang Zhang, MD, PhD, Professor and Chair of the Division of Nutrition Epidemiology and Data Science at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University. Dr. Zhang’s talk—”Food is Medicine for Improving Cancer Outcomes”—will take place on May 11 at 1:00 p.m. ET in FXB G-13 and via Zoom (registration is required and closes at 3:00pm ET on May 8).

Healthy snacks will be provided, thanks to the generous support of the Wellbeing Project Fund from the Office of the Associate Provost for Student Affairs.

The Monday Nutrition Seminar Series is free and open to the public. If you plan to attend this event and do not have an active HUID, please click the “Register Today” button to fill out the registration form by 3:00 p.m. ET on the Friday before the seminar to request a visitor pass to access the building.

Seminar speakers share their perspectives, they do not speak for Harvard.

Speaker Information

Fang Fang Zhang, MD, PhD

Professor and Chair, Division of Nutrition Epidemiology and Data Science, Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University

Organizers

Department of Nutrition

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Takemi Program Poster Presentations
2026-05-12 10:30 - 12:30 | Kresge Atrium
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Marianne Wessling-Resnick Lecture

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Join us to hear from the Takemi Fellows as they present. Questions to follow from 11:15 – 12:15 am. See more on the Takemi Fellows here.

Coffee and tea will be provided.

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Organizers

Takemi Program in International Health

Department of Global Health and Population

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Seminar with Professor Keizo Takemi
2026-05-12 12:30 - 13:30 | Kresge G2
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Marianne Wessling-Resnick Lecture

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Dr. Keizo Takemi will speak on “My personal journey with global health and the Takemi Program.” Join in person or online.

Please email takemi@hsph.harvard.edu for questions or to access the Zoom link.

Speaker Information

Keizo Takemi
Former Japanese Minster of Health, Labour, and Welfare; Chair of the Asian Population and Development Association

Organizers

Department of Global Health and Population

Takemi Program in International Health

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Discovery to intervention: The Healthy Life Trajectories Initiative with Stephen G. Matthews, PhD, FCAHS
2026-05-13 13:00 - 14:00 | HSPH, Bldg. 1, 1302 and Zoom
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Please join the Harvard Chan NIEHS Center for Environmental Health and the Department of Environmental Health for a talk by Stephen G. Matthews, PhD, FCAHS, Canada Research Chair in Early Development and Health and Professor of Physiology, Ob-Gyn and Medicine at the University of Toronto. Dr. Matthews will discuss “Discovery to intervention: The Healthy Life Trajectories Initiative.”

This event will be held in person (HSPH Bldg. 1, 1302) and via Zoom. Lunch and refreshments provided! Register here

Trainee meeting for students and postdocs immediately following the seminar, 2-3 pm, in 1306A! Come in-person to discuss research interests, career plans, and funding opportunities. RSVP here!

Abstract

It is well established that the environment during pregnancy can have a long-term impact on cardiometabolic and neurodevelopmental outcomes in offspring and increase risk of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in later life. There is growing evidence from preclinical studies and some clinical studies that the preconception period in both females and males and the early pregnancy phase are periods of high sensitivity to environmental perturbation. The Healthy Life Trajectories Initiative (HeLTI) was developed to translate new knowledge in the area of developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD) and improve the health of mothers, infants and children. The HeLTI consortium includes harmonized trials in Canada, China, India and South Africa designed to evaluate the impact of an integrated evidence-based intervention package, delivered through the preconception, pregnancy and postnatal period on, 1) reducing adiposity and obesity, and improving neurodevelopmental and cardiometabolic development in infants and children to 5-years of age and, 2) improving maternal health and pregnancy outcomes. All trials have completed recruitment and combine harmonized data and biospecimen collection. The HeLTI-India trial will be described in detail. Findings from the HeLTI studies will have profound implications for public health policy but will also allow determination of the mechanisms that underlie intergenerational transmission. HeLTI is funded by the Canadian Institutes for Health Research and International funding agencies (India, China and South Africa) and is partnered with WHO.

About the speaker

Stephen Matthews, PhD, FCAHS, is Canada Research Chair in Early Development and Health, Professor of Physiology, Ob-Gyn and Medicine at the University of Toronto and a Senior Scientist at the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health. He served as Chair of the Department of Physiology (UofT; 2007-2014). He is currently Director of Research at the Alliance for Human Development, LTRI, and Director of the Ontario Birth Study. Matthews is also the Canadian lead PI of the CIHR/DBT-funded Healthy Life Trajectories (HeLTI) trial in India.

His fundamental research program is determining mechanisms by which early interventions and exposures can impact long-term neurologic and endocrine function in offspring across multiple generations. With a focus on epigenetics, his research team is determining the molecular mechanisms by which this occurs. In a parallel program, his group is investigating drug and hormone transport mechanisms in the placenta and fetal brain, with a focus on developing novel treatments to protect the developing fetal brain.

Professor Matthews is committed to translating fundamental research to improve human health. In addition to leadership of the HeLTI-India trial and the Ontario Birth Study, he co-founded the MAVAN program, which followed neurocognitive development in children following adverse early experience. He has secured over $40M in research funding, published 265 full papers and has received >300 invitations to present his work around the world. He was elected a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (2019). He has served as elected President of the Society for Reproductive Investigation. In 2015, he co-founded DOHaD Canada and served as elected President (2018-23).

Speaker Information

Stephen G. Matthews, PhD, FCAHS

Professor of Physiology, Ob-Gyn and Medicine, University of Toronto

Organizers

Harvard Chan NIEHS Center for Environmental Health

Department of Environmental Health

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CHDS Seminar with Marissa Reitsma
2026-05-14 13:00 - 14:00 | Virtual
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Marianne Wessling-Resnick Lecture

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Join the Center for Health Decision Science for a seminar with Marissa Reitsma from Stanford University, titled, “Integrated Interventions for Syndemics of Substance Use, HIV, and HCV.” Syndemics are interacting epidemics, driven by social and structural factors, which can concentrate excess disease burden among marginalized populations. Integrated interventions can more efficiently address syndemics, including the syndemic of substance use disorder, overdose, HIV, and hepatitis C virus among people who use drugs. We developed an agent-based model of this syndemic, parameterized with real-world data, to inform the design and delivery of integrated treatment and harm reduction interventions for people who use drugs.

Marissa Reitsma is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Policy at Stanford University. Her research develops computational models to quantify disease burden, evaluate the benefits and costs of interventions, and support evidence-based policies across a range of priorities in population health. Ongoing work focuses on building multi-disease models to address syndemics and developing methods for multimodal data fusion. She is dedicated to partnering with clinicians and public health decision-makers to translate scholarly work into policy impact.

Speaker Information

Marissa Reitsma, PhD

Assistant Professor, Health Policy, Stanford University

Organizers

Center for Health Decision Science

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Screening for Major Diseases — Does it help?
2026-05-15 13:00 - 15:00 | Virtual
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Marianne Wessling-Resnick Lecture

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The Cutter Lectures on Preventive Medicine – 10th Symposium

Part of the Cutter Lectures on Preventive Medicine series, The 10th Cutter Symposium “Screening for Major Diseases—Does It Help?” will feature three separate lectures from expert speakers on the topic of screening for colorectal cancer, prostate cancer, and infectious diseases followed by a moderated Q&A segment with all the speakers. This symposium is open to the public & is virtual only.

Schedule of talks:

1:00PM Introducing the Cutter SymposiumAlbert Hofman, MD, PhD1:05PMThe Power of Colorectal Cancer ScreeningHermann Brenner, MD. MPHAbstract: Over 30 years ago, in 1993, a groundbreaking analysis of the US National Polyp Study was published, which suggested that colonoscopic removal of colorectal polyps was associated with an 88% reduction of colorectal cancer incidence. Since then, numerous observational studies and randomized trials have confirmed effectiveness of colorectal cancer screening, even though most of them substantially underestimated screening effects for various reasons. Large heterogeneity in introduction of and adherence to screening programs across countries in the last three decades is mirrored in large heterogeneity of trends in colorectal cancer incidence and mortality. Modelling studies based on the accumulated evidence confirm that the vast majority of the approximately one million colorectal cancer deaths per year globally could be prevented by screening. 1:35PMControversies and Innovations in Screening for Prostate Cancer Lorelei Mucci, ScD Abstract: More than 1.6 million men across the globe are diagnosed with prostate cancer annually, and it is the leading cause of cancer death in more than 50 countries. In randomized controlled trials, screening with prostate specific antigen (PSA) has been shown to reduce cancer mortality over two decades. However, PSA screening also has led to overdiagnosis of prostate cancers that have a low potential for metastasis and concomitant overtreatment of patients. What has ensued over the past two decades has been an active debate about the harms and benefits of screening, guidelines that are often in conflict with one another, and in the United States, a substantial reduction in prostate cancer screening that is now tied to an uptake in incidence of metastatic prostate cancer. This talk will provide an overview of the history of PSA screening, the evidence around risks and harms, the controversies, and recent innovations in approaches to accelerate a risk stratified approach to screening. 2:05PM Diagnostics, Screening, and Surveillance in Pandemics Marc Lipsitch, DPhilAbstract: This talk will describe challenges and opportunities for surveillance during large infectious disease events, with lessons from COVID-19 and earlier pandemics. Active testing of population-based random samples provide numerous advantages over passive case detection in many situations, while linked data on demographics, severity, and pathogen variant among other characteristics are far more valuable for decision making than the same data if unlinked. Better data can inform more efficient decisions about control measures that improve the ratio of disease control effectiveness to cost and disruption.2:35PMGeneral Discussion3:00PMClosing by Albert Hofman

Speakers will share their own perspectives; they do not speak for Harvard.

Speaker Information

Hermann Brenner, MD, MPH
Professor of Epidemiology, Heidelberg University, Scientific Coordinator, National Cancer Prevention Graduate School, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany

Lorelei Mucci, ScD

Professor of Epidemiology, Head of the Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention Track, Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Marc Lipsitch, DPhil

Berberian Professor and Senior Fellow, Center for International Security and Cooperation Professor of Medicine, and Professor of Biology, Stanford University, Adjunct Professor of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Albert Hofman, MD, PhD

Stephen B. Kay Family Professor of Public Health and Clinical Epidemiology, Chair, Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Organizers

Department of Epidemiology

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HCMPH Center Annual Symposium
2026-05-18 08:30 - 17:00 | Kresge G1 & Online
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We are delighted to welcome everyone to the eighth annual Harvard Chan Microbiome in Public Health Center (HCMPH) symposium. As microbial community science expands across industry, clinical research, biotech, and pharma, this year’s theme – translating the microbiome – focuses on turning discovery into implementation. From the first approved live biotherapeutics to microbiome-informed cancer immunotherapy, the field is already reshaping how we understand health and develop therapies.

The symposium will highlight recent advances while looking ahead to future opportunities, including microbial biochemistry in small-molecule drug development and engineering of microbial community members. As always, we hope to be joined by an audience that is both topically and geographically diverse, online and in person. The symposium program will include keynotes, invited talks, and selected presentations from poster submissions. We collect a nominal fee for in-person registration, with virtual attendance available for free. Refreshments and a poster presentation are offered on-site, and support for social media and interactive participation are provided for online attendees.

For more information on the event and the poster reception, please visit this link. For questions: levesque@hsph.harvard.edu

Registration

In-person registration is available: HEREVirtual registration continues to be free and is available here: virtual attendance only

Location:Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public HealthSnyder Auditorium – Kresge G1Poster Reception to be held in the Kresge CafeteriaVirtual attendance available via Zoom webinar (link emailed to you after completing registration for virtual attendance)

Speaker Information

Eric Rubin, MD, PhD

Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Editor-in-Chief of the New England Journal of Medicine with opening remarks

Michael Fischbach, PhD

Liu (Liao) Family Professor, Stanford University presents "Commensal vaccines”

Laura Cox

Assistant Professor, Brigham and Women’s Hospital presents “Dissecting strain-specific roles of the gut microbiome in neurologic diseases”

Robert Britton, PhD

Professor of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine presents “The impact of the infant microbiome on brain development and cognition”

Jose Clemente, PhD

Associate Professor, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai presents “A tale of two trials: microbiome interventions in early life”

Jean McGee, MD, PhD, MS

Associate Professor, Brigham and Women’s Hospital presents
“The gut feeling behind healthy skin: Expanding the role of the gut microbiome in dermatology”

James Collins, PhD

Termeer Professor of Medical Engineering and Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology presents “Microbiome-friendly medicine: engineering live therapeutics and AI-designed antibiotics”

Organizers

Department of Biostatistics

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EcoOp Spring into Action: Street Cleanup
2026-05-20 14:00 - 15:30 | Kresge Building, 677 Huntington Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts, 02115
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Marianne Wessling-Resnick Lecture

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Join us for a spring cleaning litter pickup! Let’s make the neighborhood cleaner and greener!

Meet outside the Kresge Building by the revolving door. All are welcome, bring a friend!

Please RSVP to susan_bottino@harvard.edu. This event is weather-dependent.

Organizers

EcoOpportunity

Operations Office

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Harvard Chan Awards Presentation and Celebration
2026-05-26 10:00 | Kresge Cafeteria, 677 Huntington Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts, 02115
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Marianne Wessling-Resnick Lecture

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Awards will be presented to staff, faculty, and students. Reception to follow the ceremony.

Full schedule of graduation week events

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Harvard Chan School Convocation 2026
2026-05-27 09:00 - 13:30 | Agganis Arena, 925 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, Massachusetts, 02215, United States
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Marianne Wessling-Resnick Lecture

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Convocation is the formal ceremony for the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, held at Agganis Arena. Dean Baccarelli will deliver remarks, along with a student speaker, a convocation speaker, and an alumni speaker. Graduates are individually presented with a scroll of the UN Declaration of Human Rights and will walk across the stage as their names are announced.

Dr. Rochelle Walensky, MPH ’01, former director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, will deliver the Convocation speech for the Class of 2026.

9:00 am: Graduate arrival10:00 am: General admission guest seating opens10:15 am: Live stream begins10:30 am: Procession begins11:00 am: Ceremony begins1:30 pm (approximately): Ceremony ends and reception beginsHarvard Chan School community members who are not attending the ceremony at the Agganis Arena can watch the live stream in the Kresge Atrium and Cafeteria or the student lounge.

Full schedule and livestream

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Harvard University Commencement Morning Exercises 2026
2026-05-28 09:30 - 12:15 | Agganis Arena, 925 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, Massachusetts, 02215, United States
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Marianne Wessling-Resnick Lecture

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Commencement is the Harvard University-wide ceremony and activities, open to graduates of all Harvard schools.

6:45 am: Guest seating opens7:00 am: Graduate arrival at Sever Quad7:20 am: Harvard Chan procession begins9:30 am: Commencement Exercises called to order12:15 pm: Commencement Exercises adjourn

Full schedule of graduation week events

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NEW DATE | Pressure Points: Engineering AI for the future of healthcare
2026-06-09 13:00 - 13:50 | Online
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Marianne Wessling-Resnick Lecture

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The original event has been rescheduled and will now premiere on the HSPH YouTube Channel on Tuesday, June 9 at 1pm ET.

Pressure Points is a webinar series co-hosted by The Studio and the Advanced Learning Academy at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health bringing you inside the business of health care.

AI has already changed how health care organizations collect and analyze data. Now, it’s changing how they build. From large language models to AI agents and low-code development tools, it’s possible to create workflows, build applications, and generate prototypes, raising questions about what health care leaders should build, buy, and scale. This Pressure Points virtual event will analyze the recent acceleration of AI capabilities beyond vibe coding and explore the emerging best practices and organizational challenges that come with implementing agentic AI tools.

Register for free to submit your questions.

An on-demand video will be posted after the event.

Speakers

Aman Bhandari
Chief AI and Analytics Officer, SCAN Group

John Brownstein
Senior Vice President and Chief Innovation Officer, Boston Children’s Hospital

Heather Mattie

Lecturer on Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and Co-Director of ALA’s "Responsible AI for Health Care" and "Innovation with AI in Health Care" courses

Trishan Panch
CEO of LUNRStudio and Executive Chair and Chief Strategy Officer at Lumin Health; Co-director of ALA’s "Responsible AI for Health Care," "Innovation with AI in Health Care," and "Beyond Vibe Coding: Building AI Solutions to Transform Health Care" courses

Moderator

Rifat Atun

Vice Dean for Non-Degree Education and Innovation, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

About The Organizers

The Studio is the hub for the School’s premier in-person and live-streamed events, convening global leaders in health policy, advocacy, industry, and research for insightful conversations about public health’s most pressing challenges and most promising solutions.

The Harvard Chan Advanced Learning Academy is the home for non-degree education at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, offering a dynamic portfolio of programs built for real-world impact.

Unleash your potential at Harvard Chan School.
In addition to our degree programs, we offer highly targeted programs through our Advanced Learning Academy, directed and taught by Harvard faculty.

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Midweek Mindfulness Reset
2026-06-17 11:00 - 11:30 | Virtual
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Marianne Wessling-Resnick Lecture

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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 register here

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

Thich Nhat Hanh Center for Mindfulness in Public Health

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Midweek Mindfulness Reset
2026-06-17 11:00 - 11:30

Reframing exercise: How simple physical activity boosts health
2026-06-18 13:00 - 13:50 | Online
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Marianne Wessling-Resnick Lecture

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For many people, consistent exercise feels daunting — an all-or-nothing proposition in which setbacks signal failure and advice overwhelms. This discussion reframes physical activity as something accessible and sustainable by challenging common myths about exercise and the amounts needed for health and well-being. Speakers will explore how different “doses” of activity, from light movement to more intense training, influence health — and how adapting routines can help people avoid burnout and keep exercising over a lifetime. A panel of specialists in epidemiology, sports cardiology, athletics, and health journalism will weigh in, drawing on both research and real-world experience.

Speaker Information

Brooke Forde
Olympic Silver Medalist and Project Coordinator, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

I-Min Lee

Professor in the Department of Epidemiology

Mia Sanchez
SM ‘26, and Marathoner

Meagan Wasfy
Sports Cardiologist and Echocardiographer, Massachusetts General Hospital

Moderator

Gretchen Reynolds
Health columnist, The Washington Post

About The Studio

The Harvard Chan Studio is the hub for the School’s premier in-person and live-streamed events.

Unleash your potential at Harvard Chan School.
In addition to our degree programs, we offer highly targeted programs through our Advanced Learning Academy, directed and taught by Harvard faculty.

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Summer Solstice Celebration 2026: Night at the Harvard Museums of Science & Culture
2026-06-21 17:00 - 21:00 | Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology, 11 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02138
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Marianne Wessling-Resnick Lecture

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Join the Harvard Museums of Science & Culture on the longest day of the year—free of charge—to explore the galleries and new exhibitions at the Harvard Museum of Natural History, the Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology, the Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments, and the Harvard Museum of the Ancient Near East.

Step outdoors to enjoy live music and performers, play lawn games, and make a flower crown. Ice cream, beverages, and food will be available for purchase from food trucks. Don’t miss out on this popular event for all ages!

Sponsored by the Harvard Museums of Science & Culture.

Free event parking will be available at the 52 Oxford Street Garage starting at 4:30 pm. Please note that Divinity Avenue will be closed to traffic during the event.

The Harvard Museums of Science & Culture are an 8-minute walk through historic Harvard Yard from the Harvard Square MBTA Red Line station.

In case of rain, the museums will remain open and a select number of activities will be available. Please check the HMSC website for details.

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Advanced Learning Academy

Plotting like a Pro: Data Visualization with R / ggplot2
2026-06-22 12:00 - 13:00 | Zoom
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Marianne Wessling-Resnick Lecture

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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

Countway Library

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Best Practices for Creating Charts and Graphs
2026-06-24 12:00 - 13:00
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Marianne Wessling-Resnick Lecture

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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

Organizers

Countway Library

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EcoOpportunity Book Exchange
2026-06-24 14:00 - 15:00
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Marianne Wessling-Resnick Lecture

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Informal gathering to chat about books we’ve enjoyed and build a sustainable community through reuse. Bring books to share. (All types of books: fiction, non-fiction, memoir, how-to, etc.).

Don’t have any extra books? Bring some book recommendations. There will be extra books. Invite a friend!

HUID required for building entry

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In addition to our degree programs, we offer highly targeted programs through our Advanced Learning Academy, directed and taught by Harvard faculty.

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Advanced Learning Academy

The fight against Ebola
2026-06-30 10:00 - 10:45 | Online
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Marianne Wessling-Resnick Lecture

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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
Emergencies director for WHO Africa and WHO Incident Manager for the Ebola (BVD) outbreak

Petra Khoury
Director of Health and Care Department at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)

Moderator

Phuong Pham

Director of Education, Harvard Humanitarian Initiative; Associate Professor in the Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

About The Studio

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.

Unleash your potential at Harvard Chan School.
In addition to our degree programs, we offer highly targeted programs through our Advanced Learning Academy, directed and taught by Harvard faculty.

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Community-Engaged Environmental Data Science Training
2026-07-09 08:00 - 2026-07-10 17:00 | Hybrid (Virtual or in person at University of Washington)
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Marianne Wessling-Resnick Lecture

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Join a two-day intensive course featuring lectures on key concepts in solution-oriented, community environmental health research. Sessions will cover areas ranging from exposure assessment techniques to epidemiologic methods, community engagement practices, health policy applications, data science, and statistical analytic approaches for doing environmental health science that is in partnership with and relevant for improving community health.

Apply for a scholarship* by June 17

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Register

Led by Joan Casey, PhD, University of Washington and Tamarra James-Todd, Harvard University

This training is co-hosted by the Columbia University SHARP (Skills for Health and Research Professionals) Program, the Columbia NIEHS Center for Environmental Health in Northern Manhattan (CEHNM), URMC’s NIEHS Environmental Health Sciences Center & Institute for Human Health and Environment, the Harvard Chan NIEHS Center for Environmental Health, and the Center for Disaster Resilient Communities at the University of Washington.

*Scholarship covers registration fees only, not travel.

Speaker Information

Tamarra James-Todd

Professor of Environmental Reproductive Epidemiology

Organizers

Harvard Chan NIEHS Center for Environmental Health

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Extreme heat and health
2026-07-14 13:00 - 13:45 | Online
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Marianne Wessling-Resnick Lecture

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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

Caleb Dresser

Assistant Professor in the Department of Environmental Health

Amruta Nori-Sarma

Assistant Professor of Environmental Health and Population Science

Lisa Robinson

Senior Research Scientist

Moderator

Sabrina Shankman
Reporter, Boston Globe

About The Studio

The Harvard Chan Studio is the hub for the School’s premier in-person and live-streamed events.

Unleash your potential at Harvard Chan School.
In addition to our degree programs, we offer highly targeted programs through our Advanced Learning Academy, directed and taught by Harvard faculty.

Degree Programs

How to Apply

Advanced Learning Academy

Introduction to Data Visualization with Python / Seaborn
2026-08-12 12:00 - 13:00 | Zoom
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Marianne Wessling-Resnick Lecture

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This hands-on workshop, hosted by the Countway Library, will cover the basics of data visualization using Seaborn, a library for the Python programming language. We will cover how to create plots using numeric and categorical data, as well as the creation of multi-panel figures for data exploration and presentation.

For more information about the event, visit the event page.

Unleash your potential at Harvard Chan School.
In addition to our degree programs, we offer highly targeted programs through our Advanced Learning Academy, directed and taught by Harvard faculty.

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Advanced Learning Academy

A world without lead exposure: Pursuing the path forward with Mary Jean Brown, ScD
2026-09-09 13:00 - 14:00 | HSPH, Bldg. 1, 1302 and Zoom
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Marianne Wessling-Resnick Lecture

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Please join the Harvard Chan NIEHS Center for Environmental Health and the Department of Environmental Health for a talk by Mary Jean Brown, ScD, Assistant Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Dr. Brown will discuss “A world without lead exposure: Pursuing the path forward.”

This event will be held in person (HSPH Bldg. 1, 1302) and via Zoom. Lunch and refreshments provided! Register here

Trainee meeting for students and postdocs immediately following the seminar, 2-2:30 pm, in 1306A! Come in-person to discuss research interests, career plans, and funding opportunities. RSVP here!

Abstract

A recent World Bank Report ‘A World Without Lead: Paving the Path to a Healthy Productive Future’ describes the global lead poisoning crisis, and its impacts on health, the environment, and human capital. The report offers a roadmap for eliminating exposure, comprising strategic investments, policy reforms and foundational public health practices like monitoring and surveillance that every country can use to address this crisis.

Removal of lead from gasoline reduced average blood lead levels globally but was not the only source of lead. Global lead consumption exceeded 12 million tons in 2022. Toxic emissions are routinely released from formal and informal lead mining, smelting and recycling and contaminate adjacent communities. Lead is found in a multitude of foodstuffs, remedies, low fire glazed pottery, jewelry, leaded residential paint and water pipes. One study estimated that 800 million children worldwide, most living in low-middle income countries, have blood lead levels known to affect learning, behavior and later adult health.

But good news: fugitive emissions from lead mining and smelting can be controlled, contaminated sites can be cleaned up, and old lead mines can be permanently closed. Lead contamination of foodstuffs and leaded paint have been successfully regulated. Population-level blood lead surveillance, together with studies of blood and environmental lead levels in areas with known lead contamination, help countries and communities identify risks and monitor progress to eliminate the danger. And, the costs of these interventions are far less than the costs of letting the exposure continue.

In this seminar, Dr. Brown will describe the current status of lead exposure with a focus on low and middle income countries, the expected costs/benefits of eliminating exposure globally, and the work that remains to be done.

About the speaker

Mary Jean Brown is on the faculty of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, where she taught courses in public health practice. Dr. Brown co-authored A World Without Lead: Paving the Path to a Healthy, Productive Future and works regularly with domestic and international public health agencies and non-governmental organizations such as the World Health Organization UNICEF, and Human Rights Watch on issues related to health and housing, including developing policies to eliminate childhood lead poisoning. She has published more than 150 peer reviewed scientific articles, commentaries, and policy documents and conducted epidemiological studies of housing interventions for lead, asthma, and injuries in the United States and internationally.

Dr. Brown received a Doctor of Science degree from the Harvard School of Public Health in 2000. She received a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from Boston College in 1982.

Speaker Information

Mary Jean Brown

Adjunct Assistant Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences

Organizers

Harvard Chan NIEHS Center for Environmental Health

Department of Environmental Health

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Monday Nutrition Seminar | What Can Exposomics Bring to Nutrition and Food Science? From the Food Exposome to Human Health
2026-09-28 13:00 - 13:50 | FXB G-13 & Zoom
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Marianne Wessling-Resnick Lecture

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Please join the Department of Nutrition for the Monday Nutrition Seminar featuring Peng Gao, PhD, MS, Assistant Professor of Environmental Health and Exposomics at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Dr. Gao’s talk—”What Can Exposomics Bring to Nutrition and Food Science? From the Food Exposome to Human Health”—will take place on September 28 at 1:00 p.m. ET in FXB G-13 and via Zoom (registration is required).

The Monday Nutrition Seminar Series is free and open to the public. If you plan to attend this event and do not have an active HUID, please click the “Register Today” button to fill out the registration form by 3:00 p.m. ET on the Friday before the seminar to request a visitor pass to access the building.

Seminar speakers share their perspectives, they do not speak for Harvard.

Speaker Information

Peng Gao

Assistant Professor of Environmental Health and Exposomics, HSPH

Organizers

Department of Nutrition

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2026 Healthy Aging Symposium
2026-10-09 09:00 - 19:00 | The Rotunda at Joseph B. Martin Conference Center, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, Massachusetts, 02115, United States
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Marianne Wessling-Resnick Lecture

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From Cells to Society: The Science of Extending Healthspan

Please join us for the launch of the annual Healthy Aging Symposium at Harvard, hosted by the Healthy Aging Initiative at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and supported by the Danone Institute North America (DINA). The inaugural Healthy Aging Symposium will be held October 9, 2026, at the Joseph B. Martin Conference Center in the Veritas Science Center. The symposium will showcase cross-disciplinary excellence in healthy aging research, spanning biological sciences, social sciences, nutrition, environmental health, epidemiology and policy. This event is open to students, researchers, community stakeholders, and industry professionals from the Boston/Cambridge innovation ecosystem. The symposium will be a full day event, with talks from experts in the field, panel discussions, and time for rising stars and trainees to show how their work fits into the rapidly growing science of healthy aging. We will provide coffee and a continental breakfast, boxed lunches, and there will be an evening wine & cheese reception to close out the day. If you are interested in attending, please fill out this form, and we will reach out closer to the date with more details and registration information. If you have questions, please contact Kelsey Hunt (khunt@hsph.harvard.edu).

Organizers & Key Speakers

William B Mair

Professor of Molecular Metabolism, Harvard Chan

Courtney Marie Peterson

Associate Professor of Nutrition, Harvard Chan

Laura D. Kubzansky

Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard Chan

Additional Speakers and Topics will be announced soon!

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Fasting Mimicking Diet Cycles In Multi-System Regeneration and Disease Treatment
2026-11-09 16:00 - 17:15 | Kresge G3 or Zoom, 677 Huntington Ave, Boston, Massachusetts, 02115
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Marianne Wessling-Resnick Lecture

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21st Annual Stare-Hegsted Lecture

Valter Longo, PhD, Edna Jones Professor in Biological Sciences and Gerontology at USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology will serve as the distinguished speaker for the 21st Annual Stare-Hegsted Lecture.

Lecture Overview: Based on the discovery by his laboratory of the role of the Tor-S6k pathway in accelerating aging and diseases, the Longo lab developed the Fasting mimicking Diet (FMD), a periodic intervention that activates stem cells, cellular reprogramming and autophagy to extend longevity and reverse diseases in rodents. In over 40 clinical trials, five-day FMD cycles resulted in the reduction of biological age and regression of multiple diseases.

This annual lecture honors Drs. Fredrick Stare and Mark Hegsted, who were the founders of the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in 1942, which was the first department of nutrition in any medical center or school of public health in the U.S.

Speaker Information

Valter Longo, PhD
Valter Longo, PhD, is the Edna Jones Professor in Biological Sciences and Gerontology at the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, one of the oldest and leading centers for aging research. His laboratory studies the fundamental mechanisms of aging in yeast, rodents and humans by using genetics and biochemistry techniques with focus on the nutrient-response signal transduction pathways.

Organizers

Department of Nutrition

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In addition to our degree programs, we offer highly targeted programs through our Advanced Learning Academy, directed and taught by Harvard faculty.

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Advanced Learning Academy
