Faculty & Research

At Harvard Forest, ecologist Neil Pederson and Ramapough Lenape tribe member Keshia De Freece Lawrence blend research with Indigenous knowledge to protect vulnerable habitats.

According to a study from Harvard, in collaboration with the University of Birmingham, the University of Leicester, and University College London, air pollution from burning fossil fuels was responsible for about one in five deaths worldwide in 2018—significantly higher than previous research suggested.

New faculty appointed to Harvard Chan School’s Department of Environmental Health are studying how a variety of environmental factors—including an individual’s total environmental exposures to toxins over the course of their life, the microbes in engineered water systems, and climate-related extreme weather events—can impact health.

Harvard has hired eight new climate faculty—with more to come—across the University and across disciplines.

Through research originating at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering and Harvard Medical School, an international team has discovered a novel strain of cyanobacteria—nicknamed “Chonkus”—that could help sequester carbon from oceans and factories. 

Three Wyss Institute projects aim to reduce global pollution by developing a cheaper, more reliable test to detect toxic per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS); creating a non-toxic alternative to PFAS inspired by the surface of lotus leaves; and using an enzyme found in soil to break down PET plastic and turn it into a biodegradable material that can be used to make new, eco-friendly plastics.

The Climate and Sustainability Translational Fund—launched by Harvard’s Office of Technology Development and the Salata Institute for Climate and Sustainability—will fund four research projects focused on solutions to climate challenges.

During the inaugural Harvard Amazon Rainforest Immersion, a 10-day teaching and research intensive organized by the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies Brazil Office and the Salata Institute for Climate and Sustainability, students and academics from Harvard and local institutions explored the region’s intricate ecosystems and threats to its environment, economic security, and public health.

The Salata Institute for Climate and Sustainability announced a fourth round of seed grant awards for work on understudied and emerging topics in climate and sustainability. The projects include research into upcycling dairy waste, the role of autoworkers in the EV transition, measuring the effectiveness of climate adaptation strategies, and more.

Professor and pulmonologist Mary Rice discusses her new role as the director of Harvard Chan School's Center for Climate, Health and the Global Environment (C-CHANGE) and how she's thinking about the intersection of health and climate.