Zhu Family Center for Global Cancer Prevention
At the interdisciplinary Zhu Family Center for Global Cancer Prevention, our mission is to support groundbreaking research that develops and implements novel methods, technologies, and tools to further the translation of cancer prevention work into clinical and public health practice. We are dedicated to prevention education and research across the cancer continuum.
631 Francois-Xavier Bagnoud Building (FXB)
651 Huntington Ave
Boston, MA 02115
Community Initiatives
The Zhu Center supports the equitable use of and access to cancer prevention and early detection strategies to reduce or eliminate cancer health disparities. The Zhu Center believes in empowering individuals with resources to make informed cancer prevention choices.
The Good Health Kiosk is a public health education project of the Zhu Family Center for Global Cancer Prevention at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
What’s the purpose?
More than 18 million people throughout the world will find out this year that they have cancer. We want to reduce that number. The risk of many kinds of cancer – such as skin cancer, or cancers linked to excess weight – can be reduced through behaviors such as avoiding exposure to the sun, or eating a healthy diet rich in produce, whole grains, and lean proteins. The kiosk provides simple, practical suggestions about actions you can take today to reduce your cancer risk – while providing a spot to sit and rest or enjoy a game of tic-tac-toe. QR codes on each block lead to trusted resources for getting assistance or learning more about each topic, such as support services for quitting smoking.
What are the sources of information found on the kiosk?
The cancer prevention information conveyed on the kiosk comes directly from the following sources:
Where will the kiosk go?
The Good Health Kiosk made its debut just prior to World Cancer Week (February 5 – February 9, 2024) in Sebastian’s Cafe on the campus of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. From there, you will be able to follow its journey to other areas of campus, the city of Boston, and beyond with the hashtag #GoodHealthKiosk through the Zhu Center social media accounts:
Twitter @HSPHCancer
Instagram harvardchancancer
LinkedIn Harvard Chan Zhu Family Center for Global Cancer Prevention
Why does the Kiosk look like a… desk?
The initial inspiration for the Good Health Kiosk came from Green Newton’s Climate Kiosk. Designed by artist and set-designer Andrew Breithaupt, the Climate Kiosk offers tips for reducing one’s environmental impact through energy usage, transportation choices, diet, home maintenance, and similar topics.
Faithful to its purpose, over 90% of the materials used in the Climate Kiosk were reclaimed and sourced locally (thanks to the generosity of Sage Builders LLC).
Because reducing the incidence of cancer in the world extends beyond individual behaviors to mitigating and avoiding environmental pollution, we, too, wanted to use reclaimed materials for the Good Health Kiosk.
Luckily, Harvard University cares deeply about sustainability and commits to keeping usable materials out of the landfill through the Harvard Recycling and Surplus Center. The Center is a clearing house for furniture, office supplies, textiles, and other goods that, having served the University, are now ready for repurposing.
Among the file cabinets and desk chairs, Harvard dormitory desks are a mainstay at the Recycling and Surplus Center. Dormitory desks are ordinarily a difficult commodity for the Center to rehome due to their size and the sheer number of them that become available at one time. But as they are created out of a hard, solid wood, they proved an ideal material for repurposing into a kiosk! We are delighted that we could give these desks a new life as part of a kiosk that educates the public about cancer prevention.
To watch a short video created by the artist on the transformation process, click here.
The final kiosk design reflects input from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health community. The School’s faculty, staff, and students evaluated renderings of several different designs and color schemes, and we selected the design and scheme that were most favored by the community.
Fall 2023: Harvard University dormitory desks on their way to the workshop to become the Good Health Kiosk.
Give us your feedback via a quick survey!
About the artist:
Andrew Breithaupt is an illustrator, set designer/builder, and educator. A native of Canada, Andrew trained in technical illustration at Sheridan College and was on the faculty at both Sheridan and West Valley Colleges. He now enjoys a thriving freelance career in design and fabrication.
About the Harvard Recycling and Surplus Center:
The Harvard Recycling and Surplus Center collects furniture, office supplies, equipment, textiles and more from around the University for repurposing. Located at 156 Western Avenue in Allston (behind Swiss Bakers), the Center is open to the public from 10am-1pm every Thursday. Items are free and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Follow the Harvard Recycling and Surplus Center on Facebook.
About the Zhu Family Center Global Cancer Prevention:
The interdisciplinary Zhu Family Center for Global Cancer Prevention at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health is dedicated to prevention education and research across the cancer continuum. The center focuses on primary prevention (including lifestyle and behavior modifications), secondary prevention (including screening and early detection), and tertiary prevention (including cancer survivorship and disease monitoring).
Our mission is to support groundbreaking research that develops and implements novel methods, technologies, and tools to further the translation of this work into clinical and public health practice. By forming cross-collaborative partnerships among researchers, physicians, thought-leaders, pharma, academic collaborators, philanthropists, technology companies, and innovators, we strive to accelerate progress within the field and optimize the pathways of care.
We are motivated by the belief that all populations worldwide should benefit from state-of-the-art cancer-prevention strategies.
What are the sources of information found on the kiosk?
The cancer prevention information conveyed on the kiosk comes directly from the following sources:
American Association for Cancer Research; American Cancer Society; American Institute for Cancer Research; American Lung Association; Cancer Research UK; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Commonwealth of Massachusetts/mass.gov; Dana-Farber Cancer Institute; Hepatitis B Foundation; National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; National Institute on Drug Abuse; Minnesota Department of Public Health; Skin Cancer Foundation; University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center; US Department of Health & Human Services/Smokefree.gov; World Cancer Research Fund International; World Health Organization; The dietary recommendations were vetted by Mingyang Song, ScD, Associate Professor of Clinical Epidemiology and Nutrition, Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
Acknowledgments:
The Zhu Family Center for Global Cancer Prevention would like to thank the following individuals and organizations:
- Andrew Breithaupt
- Green Newton
- The Harvard Recycling and Surplus Center, and Recycling Services Supervisor Dailey Brannin
- The Sebastian’s Cafe staff and General Manager Paul Doherty
- The Harvard Chan School of Public Health custodial and operations staff
- Mingyang Song, ScD, Epidemiology Department, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
- The Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health community
Many people are concerned that things they may come in contact with may cause cancer. Some of us turn to social media, internet searches, and friends or family for information. But it can be really hard to know which information is reliable and true.
The FactFinder provides accurate and reliable information about what does and does not cause cancer. We achieve this by summarizing the best scientific evidence-based information available from studies in humans and share this research with the public.
The Cancer FactFinder is now available in: Arabic, Mandarin, French, Haitian Creole, Portuguese, Spanish, Tagalog, and Vietnamese.
The Zhu Family Center for Global Cancer Prevention at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Countway Library of Medicine at Harvard Medical School are joining forces to help members and visitors of the Longwood Medical Area community reduce their risk of skin cancer by hosting two FREE sunscreen stations on campus. Find the dispensers in the Countway Courtyard and in the Countway Community Garden throughout the summer and fall.
Help yourself to a generous dose of SPF 30 broad-spectrum sunscreen before enjoying your lunch al fresco, walking to your next class or meeting, or tending to your plants in the garden.
We embrace sound environmental stewardship as an important tenant of public health. The sunscreen, which is made in the USA and distributed by Sunstation USA, is 100% all-natural, eco-friendly, and even reef-safe!
The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends some helpful ways to measure the amount of sunscreen to adequately protect yourself from UV radiation and ensure that you stay protected.
Use the following guides to distribute the appropriate amount of sunscreen:
- approximately two milligrams of sunscreen per square centimeter of skin;
- a shot glass (two tablespoons) full of sunscreen to the exposed areas of the face and body; and
- a nickel-sized dollop to the face
Apply sunscreen 30 minutes prior to exposure. Re-apply every 2 hours – or more frequently if you’re swimming, sweating, or wiping your skin off with a towel.
Experts from the Skin Cancer Foundation and the American Cancer Society advise that sunscreen is essential for everyone over 6 months of age. Having dark skin or a tan does not protect you from the dangers of UV radiation exposure or the risks of skin cancer.
Use sunscreen even on cloudy days, in each season of the year. In short, wear sunscreen every day!
Some facts about sun exposure and skin cancer from the Skin Cancer Foundation and the American Cancer Society underscore the importance of protecting yourself from UV exposure. Quite simply, ultraviolet (UV) radiation is a proven human carcinogen and exposure to UV rays increases your risk for all types of skin cancer. A “healthy tan” does not exist. More than 9,500 people are diagnosed with skin cancer every day in the United States. More than two people die of the disease every hour. Most skin cancer cases and deaths are caused by exposure to UV radiation , and thus are potentially preventable. One study found that regular daily use of an SPF 15 or higher sunscreen reduces the risk of developing melanoma by 50 percent, when used as directed.
Sunscreen reduces your risk of skin cancer!
No! The most effective strategy for sun safety, according to both the Skin Cancer Foundation and the American Cancer Society, includes:
- covering your body with clothing (especially UPF clothing), hats, and UV-blocking sunglasses;
- staying in the shade;
- avoiding the outdoors between 10am – 4pm; and
- staying mindful of UV exposure through the windows of cars, buses, trains, and planes.
Check out this Sun Protection Guide from the Skin Cancer Foundation for more detailed information about protecting yourself from UV radiation. Click here for an ingredients list and click here for a product safety data sheet. To find out more how sun exposure and tanning beds increase your risk of cancer, visit the Cancer FactFinder, a public education tool sponsored by the Zhu Family Center for Global Cancer Prevention that conveys the latest scientific findings about a variety of cancer-related topics in easy-to-understand language. The Cancer FactFinder is now available in: Arabic, Mandarin, French, Haitian Creole, Portuguese, Spanish, Tagalog, and Vietnamese.
1 See Rogers HW, Weinstock MA, Feldman SR, Coldiron BM. Incidence estimate of nonmelanoma skin cancer (keratinocyte carcinomas) in the US population, 2012. JAMA Dermatol 2015; 151(10):1081-1086 and Cancer Facts and Figures 2024. American Cancer Society. https://www.cancer.org/research/cancer-facts-statistics/all-cancer-facts-figures/2024-cancer-facts-figures.html and Mansouri B, Housewright C. The treatment of actinic keratoses—the rule rather than the exception. J Am Acad Dermatol 2017; 153(11):1200. doi:10.1001/jamadermatol.2017.3395.
2 See See Cancer Facts and Figures 2024. American Cancer Society https://www.cancer.org/research/cancer-facts-statistics/all-cancer-facts-figures/2024-cancer-facts-figures.html and click on Cancer Facts & Figures 2024.
3 See Green AC, Williams GM, Logan V, Strutton GM. Reduced melanoma after regular sunscreen use: randomized trial follow-up. J Clin Oncol 2011; 29(3):257-263.
We welcome your feedback! To submit questions or comments about the Skin Cancer Prevention Initiative, contact Susan Legere, Senior Program Manager at the Zhu Family Center for Global Cancer Prevention at slegere@hsph.harvard.edu or Meredith Solomon, Manager of Outreach & Public Services at Countway Library of Medicine at meredith_solomon@hms.harvard.edu.
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