Faculty News: Summer 2025
Alberto Ascherio, professor of epidemiology and nutrition at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, received the Breakthrough Prize in April for his groundbreaking research on multiple sclerosis (MS). The award recognized his work establishing the Epstein-Barr virus infection as the leading cause of MS.
Sara Bleich and Wendy Garrett were elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in April. Bleich is professor of public health policy in the Department of Health Policy and Management. She is also the inaugural vice provost for special projects at Harvard University and a faculty member at Harvard Kennedy School. Garrett is Irene Heinz Given Professor of Immunology and Infectious Diseases in the Departments of Immunology and Infectious Diseases and Molecular Metabolism at Harvard Chan School, and a professor in the Department of Medicine at Harvard Medical School.
Tianxi Cai and James Robins were elected as fellows of the Institute of Mathematical Statistics. New fellows will be honored in August during the Joint Statistical Meetings in Nashville.
Cai, John Rock Professor of Population and Translational Data Sciences, was recognized for her “pioneering contributions to translational statistics,” including her work on Electronic Health Records analysis, in addition to her mentorship and professional service to the field.
Robins, Mitchell L. and Robin LaFoley Dong Professor of Epidemiology, was recognized for “outstanding and sustained contributions to statistical theory and methods for causal inference and semiparametrics, and for dedication to mentoring young statisticians.” He was also awarded the 2025 Committee of Presidents of Statistical Societies Distinguished Achievement Award and Lectureship for his contributions to the creation of the modern field of causal inference.
Kizzmekia Corbett-Helaire, Melvin J. and Geraldine L. Glimcher Assistant Professor of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, was awarded Research!America’s Building the Foundation Award along with her former colleague Barney Graham in March. This award recognizes individuals whose basic research discoveries have played a pivotal role in advancing public health. Corbett-Helaire and Graham were recognized for their research on the fundamental biology of coronaviruses that led to development of COVID-19 vaccines. Corbett-Helaire also recently received the Hans Sigrist Prize from the University of Bern, Switzerland.
Christian Happi, adjunct professor of immunology and infectious diseases, was named one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People of 2025 in recognition of his significant contributions to infectious disease research and public health. He is a distinguished professor of molecular biology and genomics in the Department of Biological Sciences and Director of the African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases at Redeemer University in Nigeria. He co-directs the SENTINEL project, a disease surveillance system in West Africa with Pardis Sabeti, professor of immunology and infectious diseases.
Xihong Lin and K. Vish Viswanath were elected fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) at a forum in Washington, D.C. in June. Election is a distinguished lifetime honor recognizing fellows’ scientific excellence and service.
Lin is professor of biostatistics and coordinating director of the Program in Quantitative Genomics at Harvard Chan School, professor of statistics in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences of Harvard University, and associate member of the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. Her research focuses on the development and application of scalable statistical and machine learning/AI methods for the analysis of massive and complex genetic and genomic, epidemiological, and health data.
Viswanath is Lee Kum Kee Professor of Health Communication in the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences at Harvard Chan School and in the McGraw-Patterson Center for Population Sciences at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. He directs the India Research Center and the Lee Kum Sheung Center for Health and Happiness at Harvard Chan School. His work focuses on the role of science communication in promoting health and well-being for all population groups.
William Mair became a member of the Academy for Health & Lifespan Research in May. Mair’s research explores the effects of dietary and metabolic regulation on cellular mechanisms of aging and longevity. Members of the Academy are researchers, scientists, and clinicians who work to make breakthroughs in longevity both accelerated and accessible.
Muhammad Pate, adjunct professor of public health, made the 2025 Time100 Health list for his work shaping Nigeria’s health systems. He has been the country’s minister of health and social welfare since 2023.
Meir Stampfer, research professor of epidemiology and nutrition in the Departments of Epidemiology and Nutrition, recently marked his 30th anniversary at Harvard Chan School and reflected in an interview on his career and memories of the School.
Eric Tchetgen Tchetgen received a 2025 David Cox Medal for Statistics from the Royal Statistical Society. Tchetgen Tchetgen, adjunct professor of biostatistics and epidemiological methods, was recognized for “outstanding contributions to the development of pioneering statistical theory and methods that have reshaped our understanding and practice of causal inference.”
Bookshelf
The Millennial Caregiver: Caring for Loved Ones in the Busiest Years of Your Life
Sutherland House, 2025
Rachael Piltch-Loeb offers practical advice for millennials balancing early adulthood with the demands of caregiving, inspired by her personal experience.
Appointments and promotions
Appointments
Lia Tadesse Gebremedhin, professor of the practice of public health
Alejandro Szmulewicz, assistant professor of epidemiology
Promotions
Andrew Beam, associate professor of epidemiology
Kevin Croke, associate professor of global health
William Hanage, professor of epidemiology
Shruthi Mahalingaiah, associate professor of environmental reproductive and women’s health
Anna Sinaiko, associate professor of health economics and policy
Endowed professorships
Flaminia Catteruccia, Irene Heinz Given Professor of Immunology and Infectious Diseases
Kizzmekia Corbett-Helaire, Melvin J. and Geraldine L. Glimcher Assistant Professor of Immunology and Infectious Diseases
