Research
SEAS Researchers Develop Method to Change the Fundamental Microscopic Shape of Materials
Researchers at the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences created a new method to transform the fundamental topology of cellular material, according to their paper published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature last week.
‘Misleading to the Public’: Students, Experts Criticize Harvard Study Suggesting Early Emergence of Covid-19 in Wuhan
A June 2020 research article suggested that the novel coronavirus emerged in Wuhan earlier than the documented start of the pandemic in December 2019. Upon closer examination, two SEAS graduate students found what they believed to be multiple flaws in the presentation and methods of the study.
Sciences Dean Stubbs Says Federal Science Funding Could Increase, Denies ‘Academic Espionage’ at Harvard
Dean of Science Christopher W. Stubbs said in an interview that funding for scientific research has the potential to increase under the Biden administration. Stubbs also objected to the notion that there is “academic espionage” on Harvard’s campus.
Raindrops on Exoplanets Remain Similar to Those on Earth, Harvard Researchers Discover
A pair of Harvard researchers discovered that falling raindrops on other planets remain similar in size and behavior despite widely different atmospheric conditions, according to a study published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets last month.
Harvard Researcher Presents Novel Approach to Model America’s Opioid Crisis
Mohammad S. Jalali presented his lab’s ongoing efforts to accurately model the opioid crisis during a Harvard School of Public Health seminar on Tuesday.
‘Like a Poison’: Medical School Hosts Conversation on White Supremacy in Textbooks
Harvard researcher Donald Yacovone discussed his research into the ways white supremacy has and continues to permeate the textbooks used by American students at an HMS event.
Researchers at Harvard’s GenderSci Lab Explore Connections Among Race, Sex, and Covid-19 Mortalities
Researchers at Harvard’s GenderSci Lab investigated the intersectionality of race, sex, and Covid-19 mortalities, as detailed in a study published earlier this month in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.
Harvard Astrophysicists Help Make Historic Discovery in Understanding Black Hole’s Magnetic Fields
A team of astronomers, including Harvard affiliates, have captured the first-ever image of a black hole’s polarized emission — which offers insight into its magnetic fields — according to an article published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters in late March.
Harvard Researchers Elucidate Relationship Between Stress and Hair Loss
Harvard researchers have identified a mechanism explaining how chronic stress may lead to hair loss, according to a study published in Nature last month.
HMS Affiliates Help Publish Novel Study on Causes of Cold-Induced Tooth Pain
Researchers from around the world, including two Harvard Medical School affiliates, announced the discovery of a new cellular function that explains how teeth sense cold temperatures and why that causes tooth pain.
Sciences Dean Stubbs Applauds New Quantum Science Program, Additional Research Endeavors
Dean of Science Christopher W. Stubbs expressed his excitement for three areas of study within the Sciences Division — including the recently-approved Quantum Science and Engineering graduate program — in an interview last week.
Lieber Prepares for Impending Trial on Federal Charges As He Battles Incurable Cancer
Attorneys for former Chemistry chair Charles M. Lieber said during a status conference that Lieber’s cancer diagnosis and deteriorating health call for an expedient trial.
Finding a Proxy: SEAS Seniors Submit Theses After Unconventional Research Year
With limited or no access to all of laboratory equipment at the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, many seniors had to adapt to researching and writing their theses remotely. Some relied more on computer-aided research, while others found inventive ways to still utilize in-person experimentation.
SEAS Researchers Postpone Test Flight for Controversial Geoengineering Project To Block Sun
Harvard researchers announced Wednesday they will postpone a test flight for a controversial environmental engineering project — the Stratospheric Controlled Perturbation Experiment, known as “SCoPEx” — after pushback from an Indigenous peoples’ group in Sweden.
Harvard Researchers Obtain 100,000 Baby Teeth to Investigate Effects of Environment on Long-Term Health
Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health have obtained a sample of over 100,000 baby teeth that they plan to use to determine indicators of individuals’ long-term health.
Harvard Medical School Researchers Identify Covid-19 Mutation That Makes Variants More Contagious
Harvard researchers have identified a mutation in several common Covid-19 variants that causes a structural change in the virus, allowing it to spread more rapidly, according to a study published earlier this month in the journal Science.
Broad Institute Launches $150 Million Schmidt Center for Research in Machine Learning, Biology
The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard announced Thursday the launch of the Eric and Wendy Schmidt Center, which will aim to integrate research in machine learning and the life sciences.
Harvard Center Helps Improve Communication of Quantum Science Concepts in American Sign Language
Harvard’s Center for Integrated Quantum Materials and the Learning Center for the Deaf are developing new signs in American Sign Language for quantum science concepts to increase accessibility in the field.
Harvard Researchers and Home Improvement Experts Talk Housing in the Aftermath of Covid-19 in Panel Discussion
Harvard researchers and home improvement industry representatives discussed the recent remodeling boom and widening housing inequities — both linked to the Covid-19 pandemic — in an event hosted by the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies and the Kennedy School’s Taubman Center for State and Local Government on Thursday.
Harvard Researchers Develop Cheaper Method For Renewable Energy Storage
In a step forward for renewable energy storage, researchers in Harvard’s Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology have accomplished the continuous splitting of impure water into pure hydrogen and oxygen gas by leveraging a process called forward osmosis, according to an article published earlier this month.
More Primary Care Physicians Could Result in Increased Life Expectancies, HMS Study Finds
Harvard Medical School researchers found that increasing the number of primary care physicians in underserved areas may boost life expectancies, according to a study published Tuesday in Annals of Internal Medicine.
Harvard Scientists Propose New Model of Martian Atmosphere with Life-Permitting Conditions
Harvard researchers published a revised model of the early Martian environment that could explain how life may have emerged on Mars in Nature Geoscience earlier this month.
Danielle Allen Calls for Expansion of U.S. ‘Civic Infrastructure’ At Kennedy School Panel
University Professor Danielle S. Allen and Rockefeller Brothers Fund President and CEO Stephen B. Heintz presented strategies to strengthen civic engagement at a virtual panel co-hosted by the Harvard Kennedy School Wednesday.
Medical School Research Details ‘Escape Mechanisms’ Covid Variants Use to Evade Antibodies
A team of researchers at Harvard Medical School detailed how mutated Covid-19 variants can evade both naturally occurring and synthetic antibodies in a study published earlier this month.