Faculty News: Spring 2025
Daniel Wikler retires
Daniel Wikler, Mary B. Saltonstall Professor of Ethics and Population Health, emeritus, retired in January after more than two decades of service in the Department of Global Health and Population. His research focused on ethical issues in population and international health, including the allocation of health resources, health research involving human subjects, ethical dilemmas arising in public health practice, and ethical dimensions of global tobacco control policy. For many years, this work was carried out as part of the Harvard Program in Ethics and Health, an interfaculty initiative. Prior to joining GHP in 2002, Wikler served as the first staff ethicist for the World Health Organization and as staff philosopher for the President’s Commission for the Study of Ethical Problems in Medicine and Biomedical and Behavioral Research.
Honors
Lorelei Mucci, professor of epidemiology, and Edward Giovannucci, professor of nutrition and epidemiology, were recently accepted to participate in the American Cancer Society’s Round Table on Prostate Cancer. Established last year, the roundtable convenes representatives from member organizations to advance national priorities, promote evidence-based strategies, and catalyze policy and patient care solutions.
Clyde Lanford Smith, assistant professor in the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, recently received a Massachusetts Chapter of the American College of Physicians’ 2024 Humanism in Medicine Award. This award recognizes outstanding dedication and service to patients and underserved populations.
Bookshelf
Effective Pandemic Response Linking Evidence, Intervention, Politics, Organization, and Governance: A World Scientific Reference on Pandemics
World Scientific Series in Global Health Economics and Public Policy, 2025
This three-volume set covers: understanding and controlling pandemics, the governance of pandemic response, and jurisdictional case studies. It was edited by Peter Berman, adjunct professor of global health, and includes contributions from other researchers affiliated with the Department of Global Health and Population including Thomas Bossert, Kevin Croke, Shelly Keidar, and Bereket Yakob.
Statistical Methods for Environmental Mixtures: A Primer in Environmental Epidemiology
Springer, 2025
Authored by Andrea Bellavia, lecturer in the Department of Environmental Health, this book provides a comprehensive overview of statistical approaches for the assessment of complex environmental exposures.
Appointments and promotions
Appointments
Christopher Boyer, adjunct assistant professor of epidemiology
Caleb Dresser, assistant professor in the Department of Environmental Health
Arianne Kourosh, associate professor in the Department of Environmental Health
Nidhiya Menon, adjunct professor of global health and population
Lidia Maria Moura, associate professor in the Department of Epidemiology
Pradeep Natarajan, associate professor in the Department of Epidemiology
Matthew Nock, professor in the Department of Epidemiology
Justin Yang, adjunct assistant professor of environmental health
Amanda Yarnell, lecturer on social and behavioral sciences
Promotions
Bizu Gelaye, adjunct professor of epidemiology
Krista Huybrechts, professor in the Department of Epidemiology
Shruthi Mahalingaiah, associate professor of environmental, reproductive, and women’s health
Natalie Slopen, associate professor of social and behavioral sciences
In memoriam
Richard R. Monson, professor emeritus of epidemiology at Harvard Chan School, died Jan. 14 at 88. Monson joined the School in 1968 as a research associate and became professor of epidemiology in 1981 and professor emeritus in 2008. He is known as a pioneer in occupational and environmental epidemiology and is remembered by his colleagues as a respected teacher, sought-after mentor, and dear friend.
Monson’s research focused on the evaluation of occupational health. He conducted numerous cancer, radiation, reproductive, and psychiatric epidemiological studies and investigated the health impact of workplace chemicals and ionizing radiation on workers in different industries. He authored textbooks and a great number of publications. His work contributed to lasting improvements in workplace protections.
