Faculty & Research

Professor of organismic and evolutionary biology Mandë Holford uncovers the secrets of venomous sea snails and cephalopods, their toxins, and how those compounds might be turned into medicines for human diseases.

From climate solutions to medical breakthroughs, 20 Harvard faculty projects have been awarded grants from a new University fund dedicated to translating research into tangible benefits for society.

Three prominent Harvard faculty—stem cell scientist Doug Melton, theoretical computer physicist Boaz Barak, and applied mathematics scholar Michael Brenner—have been appointed Catalyst Professors, a distinguished role that allows leading faculty to pursue industry and academic work concurrently.

Laude Institute, a nonprofit research organization, has awarded a “Moonshot” seed grant to a Harvard-led research team building an advanced, AI-supported online platform that allows people across the political spectrum to come together and actually hear each other.

Learning how to accept feedback—even blistering criticism—and gain something from it is an invaluable skill that can make us better at our jobs and even better citizens, argues Harvard Law School professor Sheila Heen JD ’93, a world-renowned expert on negotiation and conflict resolution.

Harvard Medical School professor Stuart Orkin and National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute researcher Swee Lay Thein received the 2026 Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences for their work leading to transformative treatments for two inherited blood disorders: sickle cell disease and beta-thalassemia.

Professor of economics Ludwig Straub has won the prestigious John Bates Clark Medal for his wide-ranging contributions to economic thought and knowledge, including the creation of macroeconomic models that better reflect how people at different levels of wealth and income respond to monetary and fiscal policy.

Research led by Harvard professor of human evolutionary biology Christopher Kuzawa shows that the brain’s energy needs peak at age five. Now he’s studying the implications for nutrition, society, and public health.

Julia Minson AB ’99, a behavioral scientist and professor of public policy at Harvard Kennedy School, shares practical strategies for engaging with people we disagree with.

Harvard researchers uncovered how a toxin produced by common gut bacteria damages DNA and may drive mutations linked to colorectal cancer, offering a potential new target for prevention.