Sleep Medicine:
Extended Shifts for Residents Called Risky for Patients
The State of HSPH:
Bloom Reviews Faculty Research, Welcomes Allston Planning Role
Pathology:
Neurons Use Noodle When Motoring
Neurobiology:
Technique Begins to Decode Spiny Signaling in Brain
Graduate Education:
PhD Programs Added in Systems Biology, Chemical Biology
Protein Tied to Opportunistic Bacterium's Adaptability
Gene Expression Profile Predicts Survival in Ovarian Cancer
Birth of Motor Neurons Connected to Spinal Cord Induced in Adult Brain
Proceedings of the HMS Faculty Council
Five from HMS and HSPH Appointed to IOM
Grants Advance Research on Childhood Brain Tumors
Talking to the Public: How Can Media Coverage of Medicine Be Improved?
Med Ed Day Marks Progress of Curriculum Reform
Bloom Reviews Faculty Research, Welcomes Allston Planning Role
Donning Red Sox hats in honor of the team's pennant victory the previous night, HSPH dean Barry Bloom and dean for academic affairs James Ware provided an overview of the School's accomplishments this past year, as well as future goals, to a standing-room-only crowd at the third annual State of the School Address, on Oct. 21.
In his State of the School address, HSPH dean (and Red Sox fan) Barry Bloom explained that a priority for the School is to explore the role of public health in Harvard's future Allston campus. (Photo by Richard Chase)
With University plans for a new Allston campus moving forward, a priority for HSPH will be to envision the future of public health and how these expectations relate to the new campus, said Bloom. Science and technology are anticipated to be a major focus for the Allston campus, although more specific plans are still being discussed. Parts of many faculties are expected to work there in configurations that will promote new synergies.
"The vision is to take on very big problems and do it in a multidisciplinary way, which has not been so easy with the [current] geographic dispersion and with the organizational structure of many of the faculties," said Bloom.
Under consideration by an Allston subcommittee on science and technology are 18 white papers--ranging from astronomy and evolutionary biology to population sciences--that will form a framework for the early building phases of the new campus. The fact that HSPH researchers are involved in half of these papers demonstrates that "we are already one of the most interconnected faculties at the University," Bloom said.
He reviewed several significant research achievements from the past year, noting that they were just a sampling.
Research Highlights
The new Department of Genetics and Complex Diseases has made fundamental discoveries of genetic traits in mice that render them resistant to type 2 diabetes or cardiovascular disease.
An HSPH study has confirmed the contribution of mammography to saving women's lives.
| With University plans for a new Allston campus moving forward, a priority for HSPH will be to envision the future of public health and how these expectations relate to the new campus. |
The Public Health Disparities Geocoding Project Monograph has given officials and researchers for the first time a systematic way to monitor health disparities across a wide range of outcomes using basic socioeconomic information.
The widely used "Your Cancer Risk" index, a Web-based tool for determining individual cancer risks and the steps to reduce them, has now been expanded to include diabetes, osteoporosis, heart disease, and stroke, and has been renamed "Your Disease Risk".
The Center for Children's Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Research will undertake one of the first in-depth studies of how exposure to heavy metals like lead and mercury at the Tar Creek Superfund Site in Oklahoma affects the health of children.
A soon-to-be-published study of the 1918 influenza epidemic provides the first explanation of the dynamics of that epidemic and its impact.
Fiscal Health
For the 18th consecutive year, HSPH has ended the fiscal year with a positive operating balance, said Ware, who described the School's financial picture. The percentage of tuition covered by scholarships grew from 36 percent in fiscal year 2003 to 47 percent this year, a growth largely credited to time-limited funds made available by the University's Office of the President. Bloom noted that he is working toward further increasing scholarship funds for students. There was also a notable increase in new gifts and pledges.Ware unveiled a website for the Great Place to Work (GPTW) initiative at the School, an effort begun to increase job satisfaction and to promote a healthy, supportive, and productive working environment. The site features information on a variety of subjects, including two new programs and a suggestion box. The Buddy Program pairs current School employees with new hires to help guide them as they learn about HSPH. The GPTW Recognition Fund is an opportunity for HSPH employees to recognize a peer for an outstanding work-related accomplishment. Successful nominees will receive a $100 gift certificate from GiftCertificates.com that can be used to purchase goods and services from hundreds of online or walk-in stores.
"We hope that you will be an active participant in the process of making the School a great place to work," Ware said.
--Christina Roache