Health & Medicine

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

An illustration depicting a series of mouths and heart organs connected by lines, indicating the link between oral hygiene and heart health

Five Questions with Tien Jiang

How brushing and flossing can protect your heart

by Olivia Farrar

David Baker

Harvard Alumnus Wins Chemistry Nobel

David Baker ’84 invents new proteins not found in nature.

by Lydialyle Gibson

Illustration of a human head with abstract, colorful brain waves overlayed.

How Does the Brain Interpret Language in Real-Time?

New research on how the brain uses sounds to form words and create meaning.

by Jonathan Shaw

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Using Generative AI to Predict Viral Mutations and Develop Vaccines

Biomedical researchers are using AI to survey the viral landscape.

by Nina Pasquini

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