Welcome to the May 2012 issue of HSPH Update, an e-letter for friends of Harvard School of Public Health.
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Simple, low-cost checklist dramatically improves practices of health workers during childbirth
A new study from HSPH and the World Health Organization found that a simple checklist-based childbirth safety program dramatically improved adherence to essential childbirth care practices at a pilot hospital in south India. Of 29 practices measured, 28 were improved after adoption of the checklist and overall adherence to essential practices was 150% better after the checklist was introduced. Read more
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Some HDL, or "good" cholesterol, may not protect against heart disease
A new study by HSPH researchers has found that a subclass of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, the so-called "good" cholesterol, may not protect against coronary heart disease and in fact may be harmful. Read more
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Understanding and preventing obesity
New efforts are underway at HSPH to combat obesity. The Obesity Prevention Source, launched by the Department of Nutrition, offers quick and easy access to science-based information about obesity's causes, its consequences, and what can be done to turn back its global spread. Read more. In addition, HSPH researchers are collaborating with colleagues around the country to explore the complex mechanisms by which obesity develops, and how it affects cancer risk and survivorship, through an initiative called Transdisciplinary Research on Energetics and Cancer (TREC). Read more
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Positive feelings may help protect cardiovascular health
Over the last few decades, numerous studies have shown that negative states, such as depression, anger, anxiety, and hostility, are detrimental to cardiovascular health. Now, HSPH researchers have found that positive psychological well-being appears to reduce the risk of heart attacks, strokes, and other cardiovascular events. Read more
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Long-term air pollution exposure may increase hospitalization risk
Older adults may be at increased risk of being hospitalized for lung and heart disease, stroke, and diabetes following long-term exposure to fine-particle air pollution, according to a new study by HSPH researchers. Read more
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Newer antiepileptic drugs may pose less risk of fetal malformations
For pregnant women with epilepsy, new anticonvulsant drugs may be less likely than older ones to cause malformations in their fetuses, according to a new study from the North American AED Pregnancy Registry at Massachusetts General Hospital for Children in collaboration with a researcher HSPH. But one of the new generation anticonvulsants--topiramate--is associated with an increased risk of cleft lip, researchers found. Read more
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New research explores role of genetics in smoking and lung cancer
HSPH researchers have found strong evidence that certain genetic variants are directly associated with lung cancer--independent of their effects on increasing smoking. But for those who have the variants, smoking could potentially be more lethal than for those who don't have them. Read more
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New Humanitarian Academy to train disaster responders
 | From left: Michael VanRooyen, Jonathan
and Jeannie Lavine, Dean Julio Frenk |
The Humanitarian Academy at Harvard, a new comprehensive training program for humanitarian workers, will be offered through the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, a University-wide center led by Michael VanRooyen that uses research to improve aid response. The Academy will include the Lavine Family Humanitarian Studies Initiative, an existing training program for humanitarian professionals that was recently expanded through a gift from Harvard alumni Jonathan and Jeannie Lavine. There also will be a new, interdisciplinary concentration in humanitarian studies, ethics, and human rights, to be offered at HSPH beginning in 2013, and hands-on training through internships with relief agencies. Read more
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William Foege awarded Presidential Medal of Freedom
HSPH alumnus William Foege, MPH '65, legendary for his work in the late 1970s to eradicate smallpox, has been named one of 13 recipients of the 2012 Presidential Medal of Freedom--the nation's highest civilian honor. Read more
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HSPH nutrition news roundup
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A way to achieve great things
Students--the core of HSPH--make the School a tremendously energizing and diverse place to learn. Financial support for students is at the heart of our ability to be the very best school we can be. "The students who benefit from your support truly all share a commitment to public health," said Dean Julio Frenk, "just as our supporters share a belief in financial aid as a means of achieving great things in the world." Please make a gift to the HSPH Scholarship Fund today.
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