Harvard Chan Alumni and Friends

After graduating from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Sophia Siu-Chee Chan, MPH ’07, returned to Hong Kong to lead The University of Hong Kong (HKU) as a professor and head of the nursing school. Today, Chan is back at the university, leading HKU Primary Health Care Academy—which generates evidence and disseminates knowledge of primary health care—as well as inspiring the next generation of health care professionals. In this role, Chan is working together toward universal health coverage and the sustainable development of a healthy society in Hong Kong: https://lnkd.in/gMGMfgbd.

Tomás Aragón, MPH '88, has served in public health leadership roles for more than 20 years.?Today, Aragon is the state public health officer and director of the California Department of Public Health, fostering collaborative partnerships to mobilize communities and institutions to transform policies and systems toward a “culture of equity, antiracism, healing, and health for all people and our planet.” Learn more about the impact Aragon has had on California and beyond: https://lnkd.in/e7rRpk4s.

Former flight surgeons, Ray Motoyama, MPH ’24, and Derek Stewart, MPH '25, are part of Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health's Occupational and Environmental Health Medicine Residency community. With a firm commitment to advancing occupational health and medicine, Motoyama recently took on the role of medical director for the VA Boston Healthcare System, while Stewart, drawing from a robust foundation in exercise science, plans to continue creating the most innovative ways to provide people with the resources and encouragement needed to live a healthy lifestyle through his work post-graduation. #VeteransDay

While a flight surgeon for the U.S. Navy, Tiffany Tam, MPH ’25, crossed paths with many people who piqued her interest in occupational health. “I have always been interested in my patients’ occupations and how their health affects their ability to perform their work duties and vice versa—in aviation, the intersection of man and machine,” she says. Today, Tam is in the Occupational and Environmental Medicine Residency program, expanding her occupational medicine skills through formal residency, at?Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. #VeteransDay

Being radically optimistic means trying to see a chaotic or negative scenario from a better perspective, as opposed to striving to find the 'perfect' one—an important concept to think about in the coming days and years ahead. A recent womenshealthmag article broke down the importance of radical optimism, highlighting that people who are radically optimistic sleep better, experience less stress, and live longer; and quoting Hayami Koga, MPH ’16, PhD ’23, who co-authored a study showing optimistic people are more likely?to live to be 90 years old or older?regardless of race or ethnic background. "Often, an external force can cause stress or unhappiness that develops into a more holistically negative mindset. To suss out the source of stress in your life, take a look at the environments around you," she says: https://lnkd.in/gAx75tvS.

This Fall, faculty like Renee N. Salas, MPH '16, are sharing their recommendations on urgent public health challenges facing the next U.S. administration. “There are headlines and discourse elevating the belief that we are polarized and fragmented as a country. Obviously there’s truth in that. But there’s actually much more common ground than people realize. There’s a?strong consensus from the majority of Americans to act on climate change,” Salas says. In a Q&A, she unpacks the harms posed by?climate change,?as well as policies that could help mitigate the threat: https://lnkd.in/edDdxEyx.

Our community is comprised of individuals who dedicate their lives to improving health and promoting equity so all people can thrive. We recently lost one of those cherished community members, Richard Cash. Cash began teaching at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (then Harvard School of Public Health) in the 70s, and remained a senior lecturer here until the end of his life. In 1978, The Lancet called oral rehydration therapy (ORT)—one of his greatest achievements—“potentially the most significant medical advance of the century.” ORT saved tens of millions of lives. This, and Cash's countless contributions to public health, touched the lives of many people around the world, and we're profoundly grateful for it: https://lnkd.in/ekZXPQJ4.

Jeff Sobotko shares a recap of a recent Public Health Is Personal event hosted by Sheila Sarma, SM '01, which focused on the importance of the work being done by Amanda Yarnell, Professor?David Williams, and?Professor S. Bryn Austin, founding director of Harvard STRIPED, at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health to support mental health: https://lnkd.in/e2NPH_gp. “At our School, we do a lot in this area [of mental health]…programs that are rigorous, that are cutting edge, and that make a difference,” Dean Baccarelli said.

In a recent issue of Harvard Chan Magazine, we asked five Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health researchers—Caroline Buckee, Yonatan Grad, Joseph Allen, Sarah Fortune, and Bill Hanage—to weigh in on what we learned (or didn’t learn) from the COVID-19 pandemic, what their main worries are regarding current and future infectious disease risks, and what steps we should be taking to minimize risks going forward. Read what they have to say about recognizing, preparing for, and managing future outbreaks: https://lnkd.in/gbTdZfqz.

Wendy Garrett, Irene Heinz Given Professor of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health describes the microbiome as "worlds within worlds.” “The microbiome is filled with wonder—from the shapes and functions of the bacteria, archaea, protists, viruses, and fungi to the molecules they produce.” In the latest issue of Harvard Chan Magazine, Giulia Cambieri breaks down what this means: https://lnkd.in/eev4BNyB.?