Science
Physics Professor Jennifer Hoffman ’99 Shatters Women’s Transcontinental Running Record
Harvard Physics professor Jennifer E. Hoffman ’99 broke the world record for the fastest trans-America run by a woman last Friday, running more than 3,000 miles in under 48 days.
Harvard Medical School Professor Gregory Petsko Awarded National Medal of Science
Renowned biochemist Gregory A. Petsko, Harvard Medical School professor of neurology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, received a 2022 National Medal of Science on Oct. 24.
Harvard Northwest Labs Director Alain Viel Appointed UNESCO Chair on Life Sciences and Innovation
Alain Viel, director of the Northwest Undergraduate Laboratories and a Harvard senior lecturer in Molecular and Cellular Biology, has assumed the role of chair on life sciences and social innovation for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
HKS Postdoc Christine Gschwendtner Talks Electrical Vehicle Charging Research at Harvard-China Project Presentation
Christine Gschwendtner, a postdoctoral fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School, spoke about strategies to handle strain on electrical grids from increased electric vehicle use in a presentation at the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences Wednesday afternoon.
Hundreds of Students ‘Hack to the Future’ at Eighth Iteration of HackHarvard
More than 600 students representing universities around the country and the world gathered in the Science and Engineering Complex last weekend to participate in HackHarvard, a student-run hackathon.
One Small Quantum Dot, One Giant Leap for Nanoscience: Moungi Bawendi ’82 Wins Nobel Prize in Chemistry
Moungi G. Bawendi ’82 was among three scientists awarded the 2023 Nobel Prize in Chemistry “for the discovery and synthesis of quantum dots,” the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced in a press release Wednesday morning.
‘Struggling to Keep Up’: Harvard Students and Faculty Grapple with Impact of Generative AI in Classrooms
From evolving syllabi to entirely new course offerings, Harvard’s classrooms are adapting in real time to the widespread impact of ChatGPT and other generative artificial intelligence tools.
Harvard Astronomer Avi Loeb, Team Find Spherules of ‘Likely Extrasolar Composition’
Harvard Astronomy professor Abraham “Avi” Loeb and his research team have found metallic spherules of “likely extrasolar composition,” according to an Aug. 29 preprint posted to the online paper repository arXiv.
Judge Says Harvard and Biotech Company 10x Must Face Antitrust Claims in Two Gene Analysis Lawsuits
Harvard and 10x Genomics — a biotechnology company — must face antitrust claims over their licensing practices in two gene analysis lawsuits, a federal judge ruled in July.
In Photos: STAHR-Gazing at the Loomis-Michael Observatory
The Crimson Multimedia staff visit the Loomis-Michael Observatory on the 10th floor of the Science Center to take in the space and gaze at the stars.
Harvard SEAS Holds Annual BRIDGE Week to Celebrate Diversity in STEM
Harvard’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences held a series of events for an annual celebration of diversity in STEM last week.
‘Father of Environmental Justice’ Robert Bullard Honored by Harvard Law School Environmental Law Society
The Harvard Law School Environmental Law Society presented Robert D. Bullard with the Horizon Award in an award ceremony Tuesday evening.
Harvard Sciences Dean Stubbs Offers No Comment on Interest in FAS Dean Vacancy
Dean of Science Christopher W. Stubbs declined to comment on whether he is interested in succeeding University President-elect Claudine Gay as the next Faculty of Arts and Sciences Dean, calling the position a very “demanding” role.
Harvard Medical School Professor Michael Greenberg Wins Brain Prize for Neuroplasticity Research
Harvard Medical School professor Michael E. Greenberg has won The 2023 Brain Prize for his decades-long research on brain plasticity, alongside University of Cambridge professor Christine E. Holt and Max Planck Institute Director Erin M. Schuman.
Yoshito Kishi, Organic Chemist Who Climbed ‘Mount Everest’ of Synthesis, Dies at 85
Yoshito Kishi, a Harvard emeritus chemistry professor known for his contributions to breast cancer treatment, died on Jan. 9.
Harvard Scientists Study Impact of Infections on Social Behavior in Animals
New research at Harvard’s Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology sheds light on how infections can alter the social behavior of animals.
Structural Racism Linked to Disparities in Adolescent Brain Development, HMS Study Finds
Harvard Medical School researchers at McLean Hospital published a study demonstrating a correlation between race-based adversity in childhood and structural differences in brain development.
Former U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter Remembered as ‘Laser Smart’ and Devoted Public Servant
A lifelong academic and public servant who would go on to serve as the 25th Defense secretary under President Barack Obama, Ashton B. Carter died on Oct. 24 in Boston after suffering a heart attack. He was 68.
Panelists Discuss Ethics of Biotechnology at Science, Technology, and Society Symposium
Medical and legal authorities spoke about the ethics and future of biotechnology at a Friday panel hosted by the Program on Science, Technology, and Society at the Harvard Kennedy School.
Arundhati Roy Talks Indian Politics, Development in Keynote at HKS Science, Technology, and the Human Future Symposium
Indian author Arundhati Roy, who wrote “The God of Small Things,” spoke about the political and social effects of India’s development in her keynote lecture Thursday for a symposium hosted by the Harvard Kennedy School.
Harvard Astrophysicists Confirm Existing Theories of Composition, Expansion of the Universe
Researchers at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics found that dark energy makes up two-thirds of the universe, according to a study published in a special issue of The Astrophysical Journal last month.
HSPH Panel Envisions the Future of Public Health
A panel of health practitioners convened at the Harvard School of Public Health on Wednesday to discuss potential solutions to challenges facing public health.
Educators and Scholars Stress Collaboration, Urgency in Confronting Climate Change at HGSE Conference
Education officials and sustainability experts discussed how students and educators can “engage creatively and intelligently” on climate change at a Harvard Graduate School of Education conference Thursday.
Experts Discuss Neuroscience and the Death Penalty at Harvard Law School Panel
A pair of psychology and legal experts discussed the role neuroscience plays in legal decisions about the death penalty at a panel hosted Thursday by the Petrie-Flom Center at Harvard Law School.
Harvard Astrophysicists Discover Black Hole With Delayed Stellar Burp
In October 2018, Sebastian Gomez, then a Harvard PhD student, observed a black hole tear apart and engulf a small star in a galaxy located 665 million light years away from Earth. Almost three years later, he and a team of researchers noticed that the same black hole had begun ejecting stellar material.