Sciences Division
Harvard Medical School Study Reveals How Cells Respond to Viral Infections
A new Harvard Medical School study uncovered a mechanism that cells use to rapidly respond to certain viral infections, a finding that researchers say could eventually improve vaccines and gene therapies.
Harvard Science Division Launches Five AI-Related Faculty Searches
The Faculty of Arts and Sciences’ science departments are launching at least five artificial intelligence-related faculty searches, after Dean of Science David T. Johnston pitched themed searches to secure new positions amid a hiring freeze.
Harvard Departments Split on AI Use in Senior Theses, With Many Yet to Set Rules
Only 18 of Harvard College’s 50 concentrations have department-wide restrictions on how seniors can use artificial intelligence in their theses, according to a Crimson review of departmental policies.
Harvard and Yale Researchers Awarded $46 Million to Study Autism’s Origin in the Brain
Two Harvard Medical School researchers and one Yale University professor were awarded a $46 million grant from a privately funded autism initiative to study how the condition first emerges in the developing human brain, according to an HMS announcement last week.
SEAS Eliminated Extra Pay for Graduate Students Who Teach Beyond Required Load
Graduate students at the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences who teach more courses than required for their degree programs no longer receive additional compensation under a policy that took effect at the start of the fall 2025 semester.
Science Dean Jeff Lichtman Pushed Back on Ph.D. Admissions Cuts. Then He Was Pushed Out.
After months of behind-the-scenes conflict over sweeping cuts to science Ph.D. admissions, Jeff W. Lichtman was abruptly removed in mid-January from his post as Dean of Science by FAS Dean Hopi E. Hoekstra.
Harvard Students Turn to Entrepreneurship As University Moves to Keep Pace
Entrepreneurship is drawing increasing interest among Harvard students, driven by rising technology salaries and national shifts in the startup economy — though some investors and alumni say the University’s support for founders still lags behind peer institutions.
Harvard Departments Brace for Teaching Fellow Shortage After Ph.D. Cuts
Harvard’s deep cuts to PhD admissions are on track to leave undergraduate courses short of teaching fellows within two years, a looming squeeze already pushing departments to prepare contingency plans.
Harvard To Admit 50% Fewer Ph.D. Students in Science, Walking Back Deeper Cuts
The Faculty of Arts and Sciences announced Wednesday that it would reduce the number of Ph.D. admissions slots for the Science division by 50 percent for the current admissions cycle, walking back plans for even steeper cuts after faculty responded with frustration to the reductions.
Nobel-Winning DNA Scholar James Watson, Dead at 97, Leaves Famed but Fraught Legacy at Harvard
James “Jim” D. Watson, who helped discover the structure of DNA at age 25 and went on to spend 21 years as a Harvard biology professor, died last Thursday at 97.
Harvard Physics Professor John Huth Wins U.S. ATLAS Lifetime Achievement Award
Harvard Physics professor John Huth was awarded the 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award by ATLAS, a group of American particle physicists.
Ancient DNA Database Faces Uncertain Future after Funding Expires
Researchers at a Harvard Medical School laboratory are uncertain how they will continue supporting a large public genetic database after its primary source of funding expired last month.
Primatologist Christine Webb Criticizes ‘Human Exceptionalism’ in Science at Harvard Talk
Primatologist Christine Webb argued at a Harvard talk on Tuesday that modern science is often skewed by “human exceptionalism."
Harvard Researchers Reveal New Insights Into Human Bipedalism
Harvard scientists have discovered new evolutionary changes in pelvic structure that allowed the first humans to walk upright on two legs.
Harvard To Remove Black Lives Matter Message From Biology Professors’ Office Windows
A Harvard administrator told two professors on Tuesday that a Black Lives Matter sign displayed in their office windows would be taken down by this Saturday, describing it as a violation of the University’s campus use rules.
Ex-Harvard Chemist Charles Lieber Joins Chinese University
Former Harvard Chemistry professor Charles M. Lieber, who was convicted of lying to federal authorities about his ties to China in 2021, took a new job as a professor at a Chinese university last week.
Human Evolutionary Biology Concentration Will Be Renamed This Summer
Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences has officially voted to change the name of the Human Evolutionary Biology concentration during a meeting on April 1. Effective as of July 1, 2025 — when the academic year rolls over — the concentration will now be known as Human Biology, Behavior, and Evolution.
FAS Dean Asks Center Directors To Show Compliance With Viewpoint Diversity Guidance
Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences Dean Hopi E. Hoekstra told directors of FAS centers they would be required to meet with their divisional deans to explain how their programs are complying with recent guidance on intellectual diversity in a Tuesday email.
Researchers Discover Supermassive Black Hole in Neighboring Galaxy
A team of Harvard astrophysicists discovered a supermassive black hole at the center of the Large Magellanic Cloud, the Milky Way’s closest galactic neighbor.
‘Science on Display:’ First Phase of Teaching Lab Renovations Completed in Science Center
Harvard completed the first phase of Science Center Teaching Lab renovations in January, refreshing existing lab spaces with glass walls and introducing collaboration spaces on the first and second floors of the building.
Harvard Affiliates Anticipate Uncertain Landscape for Climate Research Funding
Since taking office in January, Trump has repeatedly targeted environmental regulation — withdrawing from the Paris Accords, cutting staff at the Environmental Protection Agency, and even issuing an executive order banning paper straws at federal agencies. In late February, the administration cut funding to any research that mentions the word “climate.”
SEAS Professors Partner with Meta, Amazon, OpenAI to Enhance Computer Science Courses
Meta, which has sponsored the Puzzle Day for almost 15 years, is just one of the many tech companies that support courses at Harvard. Professors at Harvard’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences have repeatedly collaborated with companies — like Amazon, OpenAI, Google, and Microsoft — to secure technical support for their students.
Harvard Researchers Discover Origin of Indo-European Language Family
Harvard researchers traced the origins of the vast Indo-European language family to the Caucasus-Lower Volga region, identifying the ancestral population that gave rise to more than 400 languages, in a study published on Feb. 5 in Nature journal.
Ten Stories That Shaped 2024
At Harvard, 2024 began with an ending — the chaotic close of Claudine Gay’s short-lived presidency. It would not be a quiet year. Pro-Palestine student protesters staged an encampment in Harvard Yard. Congress expanded its investigation into campus antisemitism, issuing threats alongside blistering reports. Amid it all, Alan M. Garber ’76 quietly ascended from the interim presidency to a permanent post at Harvard’s helm. Here, The Crimson looks back at 10 stories that shaped the University, and Cambridge, in 2024.
Harvard Biology Professors Win International Awards for Neuroscience Research
Two Molecular and Cellular Biology professors, Takao K. Hensch ’88 and Catherine Dulac, received prestigious international awards this fall for their neuroscience research.
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