Harvard Medical School
Personal Genome Project Launches in UK
Last month, the UK branch of the Personal Genome Project (PGP-UK) went online, following the American project started by genetics professor George Church and colleagues at Harvard Medical School in 2005.
Researchers Identify New Treatment for Kidney Disease
A group of researchers led by Dr. Peter H. Mundel at Massachusetts General Hospital has recently identified the first targeted therapy for a specific type of kidney disease, focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, or FSGS.
Pre-Med Students Readjust Concentration Choices
Like many pre-medical students not in a science concentration, Haley P. Brown ’15 has struggled to balance her science courseload with classes for her Classics concentration and Spanish citation. As a result of the burden on students like Brown, the number of non-science-concentrating pre-meds has fallen by two-thirds over the past decade, according to the Office of Career Services.
HMS Physician To Be Nominated for U.S. Surgeon General
If successful, Vivek H. Murthy ’98 will become the youngest surgeon general in U.S. history.
Levels of Hormones Help Better Predict Breast Cancer
Levels of key hormones can help better predict a woman’s risk for breast cancer, according to a study at Harvard Medical School presented at a conference hosted by the American Association for Cancer Research at the end of October.
HMS Researchers Make Progress Suppressing HIV In Monkeys
In a comprehensive study led by HMS professor Dan H. Barouch ’93, scientists were able to use specific antibodies taken from human HIV victims to suppress viral activity in monkeys infected with simian-human immunodeficiency virus. The study was published in the scientific journal Nature on Oct. 30.
Low Fiber Linked to Disease Risks
Those who consume low amounts of fiber in their diets have a higher risk of obesity, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular inflammation, according to a recent study published in the American Journal of Medicine.
In Talk, Berwick Proposes Health Care Reforms
While the American health care system may seem to be beyond repair, there may be a way to fix it, Massachusetts gubernatorial candidate Donald M. Berwick ’68 told an audience on Monday.
Harvard Researchers Grow (and Shave) Mustaches For a Cause
Some men grow mustaches as a display of masculinity. Others do it as a way to change their image or conform to urban style trends. But for the men of Harvard’s medical community, growing a mustache is about raising awareness and money for men’s health.
Scientists Re-Code Genome of E. Coli Bacterium
Scientists from Harvard and Yale came together to achieve what was once thought impossible: to fundamentally transform the identity and properties of an organism by re-coding its genome.
HMS Finds Dangerous Substance in Energy Supplement 'Craze'
A popular and widely used workout supplement, Craze, has been discovered to contain a banned substance similar to methamphetamine, according to new research from Harvard Medical School.
The Longwood Forum
Law School professor David J. Barron ‘89 discusses the challenges facing the email privacy policy task force at a Harvard Medical School forum that drew about 35 people.
At Longwood Forum, Email Privacy Policy Task Force Details Challenges Ahead
The nearly hour-long event, held in a Harvard Medical School lecture hall, represents one step in a broader effort by the task force to engage with numerous constituencies on both of Harvard’s campuses before it begins drafting its recommendations.
Despite Deficit, HMS Will Make Fewer Cuts Than First Intended
Harvard Medical School administrators announced their decision to decrease the number of custodial jobs slated to be cut later this year during a meeting on Tuesday with members of the Service Employees International Union 32BJ District 615.
Harvard Professors Decry ‘Dysfunctionality’ Surrounding Government Shutdown
Harvard faculty members on Tuesday condemned the politics leading to the budget gridlock that caused the U.S. government to shut down parts of its machinery for the first time in nearly two decades.
Symposium Promotes Alzheimer's Awareness
Organized by Harvard College Alzheimer’s Buddies, the Symposium attracted a range of speakers to promote greater collaboration and dialogue amongst those impacted by the disease, according to the group’s website.
Medical School Researchers Urge Earlier, More Frequent Mammograms
The study found that women should have mammograms performed yearly beginning at age 40, contrary to government recommendations that state the screenings should occur biennially beginning at age 50.
Targeting an Alumni Audience, Protesters Oppose HMS Custodial Cuts
A group of workers, students, and union members gathered at the Harvard Club of Boston late Tuesday afternoon to raise awareness among Harvard alumni about the planned cuts of 31 custodial contract jobs at Harvard Medical School.
Wyss Researchers Use DNA as Smart Glue
Two researchers at Harvard’s Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering have developed a new technique to construct biological structures the size of a grain of sand with unprecedented precision, a discovery that could herald better construction of artificial tissues.
Entering the Yard
Protesters begin their march through Harvard Yard at a rally on Wednesday afternoon. The rally was held in protest of Harvard Medical School's decision to cut 31 custodial contract jobs, a decision that was made in an effort to reduce the School's operating deficit.
In Two Rallies, Protesters Oppose Medical School’s 31 Planned Custodial Job Cuts
A Wednesday morning rally at the Medical School’s Longwood campus drew more than 50 people, according to a union employee, while an afternoon rally that began in front of Holyoke Center and turned into a march through Harvard Yard attracted more than 80 protesters.
Marching Through the Yard
Workers, union members, and labor activists march through Harvard Yard on Wednesday afternoon in protest of Harvard Medical School's decision to cut 31 custodial contract jobs. Though the Medical School has cited financial constraints as reasoning behind the cuts, protesters alleged Wednesday that the terminations are unnecessary.
City Council Rebukes Medical School’s Decision To Cut 31 Custodial Contract Jobs
The Cambridge City Council approved a resolution Monday evening “condemning” Harvard Medical School’s decision to cut 31 custodial contract jobs, joining a chorus of voices urging the University to reconsider the move.
Medical School’s Decision To Cut 31 Custodial Contract Jobs Prompts Outcry
The Medical School is citing financial constraints for a move that has prompted criticism from the labor union that represents the workers and the circulation of an online petition opposing the decision.
Harvard Geneticists React to Supreme Court’s Gene Patent Ruling
While many in the scientific community lauded the Supreme Court’s ruling that naturally occurring human genes may not be patented, several geneticists at Harvard Medical School on Friday said they believe the decision warrants a more lukewarm response.