Health & Medicine

Cutting-edge developments in biomedical research, public health, and clinical practice at Harvard’s medical institutions.

Illustration of tiny doctors working inside a large nose against a turquoise background.

A Flu Vaccine That Actually Works

Next-gen vaccines delivered directly to the site of infection are far more effective than existing shots.

by Lindsay Brownell

Harvard University Professor Gary Ruvkun is jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine or Physiology. Victoria Ruvkun (from left) with dog Barnaby, Gary Ruvkun, and Natasha Staller are pictured the morning of the announcement at their home in Newton.

Gary Ruvkun Shares Nobel Prize in Medicine

Harvard Medical School genetics professor honored  

by John S. Rosenberg

How to Reform Healthcare

104 Harvard thought leaders outline medicine’s unmet needs.

by Olivia Farrar

A group of clinicians and professionals gathered at a panel discussion, against a backdrop saying "World Medical Innovation Forum."

Can New Drugs Help Millions of Americans with Obesity?

GLP-1s like Ozempic in the future of healthcare

by Olivia Farrar

Catherine Dulac stands beside a whiteboard filled with colorful handwritten notes and diagrams, wearing a dark blazer and patterned scarf.

Social Interaction and Human Health

Why social interactions are as vital as food and water

by Erin O’Donnell

A vibrant illustration of a lively indoor gathering, with people eating, talking, and dancing. Abstract shapes representing microbes in pink, purple, and yellow surround the scene, creating a surreal atmosphere.

How Your Social Circle Affects Your Microbiome and Health

The microbiome may be socially exchanged, modulating both health and metabolism.

by Ann Thomas

Gavel and stethoscope.

The Medical Civil Rights Act

Harvard affiliates seek a statutory right to emergency care for persons interacting with law enforcement officers.

by Jack R. Trapanick

Hands holding a heart-shaped bowl of fruits and vegetables with a stethoscope, clipboard with medical records in the background.

Nutrition education at Harvard Medical School

Will Harvard Medical School return nutrition instruction to pre-eminence?

by Jack R. Trapanick

Person walking alone in a vast, empty desert at night, leaving a trail of footprints behind.

Chronic Loneliness Increases Stroke Risk

Harvard study finds link between loneliness and increased risk of stroke among older adults.

by Jack R. Trapanick

Harvard physicians on the digital healthcare revolution

Harvard physicians on the future of medicine

by Olivia Farrar

Conceptual illustration of two human heads in outline, one filled with disconnected blocks, the other with random images.

How Schizophrenia Resembles the Aging Brain

The search for schizophrenia’s biological basis reveals an unexpected link to cellular changes seen in aging brains.

by Ann Thomas