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CHANNING LABORATORY NEWS
2011
ANNOUNCEMENT!!
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 June 16, 2011. Dr. Scott Weiss wishes to announce the elevation of Channing Laboratory faculty member Dr. Diane Gold to Professor of Medicine at HMS. At a soiree here at the Channing honoring Dr. Gold, Dr. Weiss noted that of about 11,000 faculty at HMS only 8.5% are Professors and roughly 10% of them are women. Dr. Gold is the first woman to become a professor in the Respiratory Group at the Channing, the first women, trained as a pulmonologist, to be a professor of IM at any of the big three Harvard teaching hospitals, and when her secondary appointment at HSPH comes through, she will be the first female to become a professor in the Department of Environmental Health at HSPH. Dr. Gold will also soon become the senior female epidemiologist here at the Channing after the departure of our present person holding that distinction. Dr. Gold is also the first person to hold the Amalie Kass fellowship to rise to the rank of professor. Since joining the Channing in 1985 she has collaborated with two of our Directors, Dr. Dennis Kasper and Dr. Frank Speizer, as well as Dr. Douglas Dockery, the current chair of EOH at HSPH, and Dr. Scott Weiss. Many of her friends and collaborators filled the room to raise a toast to this hard working friend and colleague. Congratulations, Professor Gold!! We look forward to watching you break more ground for your students and your colleagues in the future. The Channing is proud to have you choose to be here and hope you will stay another 26 years in the Quad.
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ANNOUNCEMENT!!
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 April 8, 2011. After 15 years as a resident member of the Channing Laboratory, Dr. Arnold S. Relman, Professor Emeritus of Medicine and Social Medicine, and former Editor-in-Chief of the New England Journal of Medicine is moving his office from 181 Longwood Avenue to his home in Cambridge, where he will continue his writing on health policy matters. Dr. Relman has been a physician for 65 years. In the first half of his career he was a clinician, clinical investigator and clinical teacher. From 1949 to 1968 he was on the faculty of Boston University School of Medicine, finishing his career there as Professor of Medicine and Chief of the 5th and 6th (BU) Medical Units of the Boston City Hospital. From 1968 to 1977 he was Chairman of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, returning to Boston in 1977 to take charge of the NEJM. Since then he has served in the Harvard faculty and been concerned with health policy issues. In 2007 he published “A Second Opinion”, a book analyzing the problems of U.S. health care and proposing a solution based on reform of the medical delivery system.
The Channing Lab has always considered it a source of pride and a genuine pleasure to host such a dedicated scientist. He will be greatly missed. We all are looking forward to your next book, Dr. Relman!! Thank you for all your years of devotion to the research community here on the Quad.
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CONGRATULATIONS!!
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|  Press Release - Nov. 8, 2011
The Channing Laboratory offers its sincere congratulations to Dr. Frank Sacks on his recent 2011 Research Achievement Award of the American Heart Association. In a Brigham and Women's Hospital Press Release the BWH said, "Frank M. Sacks, MD, Professor of Cardiovascular Prevention at Harvard School of Public Health and Professor of Medicine of the Channing Laboratory is the recipient of the 2011 Research Achievement Award of the American Heart Association. The award has been conferred annually since 1953 in recognition of distinquished scientific achievement in the field of cardiovascular research. The American Heart Association commits to building healthier lives, free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke." Well done, Dr. Sacks!!
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CONGRATULATIONS!!
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| The Channing Laboratory offers its congratulations to Brigham and Women's Hospital. The hospital once again ranked extremely high in the US News and World Report lists at #11 nationally!! Out of 4,852 facilities analyzed only 152 were ranked in any of the 16 specialties and BWH was one of them!! Thomson Reuters also named the Partners HealthCare System in its top 10 list of best health care systems nationwide. A tremendous accomplishment for all!! We are proud to be a part of such a caring and professional organization. Well done, BWH!
The Channing also wishes to extend its congratulations on the two recent full face replacement surgeries performed at BWH. They have made it possible to allow two men to live normally again and given hope to others everywhere that they also may be given a new lease on life. BWH has earned the admiration of an entire nation and encouraged other facilities to try the impossible. It's gratifying to be a part of an organization continually breaking new ground on so many fronts. Don't ever stop!!
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NEWS
Channing faculty member is senior author on new study on coffee.
Harvard Gazette by Todd Datz, September 14, 2011
HSPH in the Media, September 26, 2011
Dr. Alberto Ascherio, long-time Channing Laboratory faculty member, is the senior author on a new HSPH study, "Coffee, Caffeine, and Risk of Depression Among Women", covered by the news media nation wide. The study, led by Michel Lucas and begun in 1996, utilized data from our own Nurses' Health Study. Click HERE to go to the HSPH media coverage site.
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Channing faculty members help Harvard introduce the new Healthy Eating Plate.
Harvard Gazette by Todd Datz, September 14, 2011
The Harvard Focus by Todd Datz, October 2011
  Once again distinguished long-time Channing scientist, Dr. Walter Willett steps up to the plate (pardon the pun) to help introduce Harvard's new Healthy Eating Plate in response to the USDA's MyPlate.gov. "Unfortunately, like the earlier U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) pyramids, MyPlate mixes science with the influence of powerful agricultural interests, which is not the recipe for healthy eating," said Walter Willett, professor of epidemiology and nutrition and chair of the Department of Nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health.
"We want people to use this as a model for their own healthy plate or that of their children every time they sit down to a meal--either at home or at a restaurant,"" said Dr Eric Rimm, associate professor of epidemiology and nutrition at HSPH and a member of the 2010 U.S. Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. NOTE: Dr. Rimm also hosted a live online Q&A October 4th from 2:30 to 3:30 pm ET as well as a presentation on the story behind the creation of the Healthy Eating Plate at the Kessler Library on November 30th from noon to 1pm. Click HERE to go to the Harvard site and read more about this exciting news from Harvard.
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New study by Channing researcher links long-term use of NSAIDs to risk for RCC.
Medscape Medical News by Laurie Barclay, M.D., September 14, 2011
Analyzing data from 2 prospective studies, the Nurses' Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, Dr. Eunyoung Cho, reports long-term use of nonaspirin anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may be linked to a risk for renal cell cancer (RCC). At the present time approximately 60 million people in the US use NSAIDs on a regular basis. Click HERE to view this article in full.
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Channing researcher publishes article for special edition of The Harvard Magazine
The Harvard Magazine, Special Edition, Harvard @375, August 24, 2011
Dr. Karin B. Michels, Sc.D. has published an interesting new study on Why the Finns Do Not Drink but Die and the French Drink but Do Not Die. She postulates that by measuring and eliminating the influence of confounders statistically by holding their level constant one would be able to obtain more accurate data to explain the opposing statistics in this study. Please click HERE to link to the Harvard Magazine article.
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Channing reseacher becomes Study Coordinator.
BWH Bulletin, August 5, 2011
Jessica Crowe, working with the Nurses' Health Study, was welcomed recently at a BWH ice cream social hosted by the Center for Clinical Investigation (CCI) on her appointment as a Study Coordinator. Jessica's bright cheery smile and great attitude will make a terrific addition to this group. Well done, Jessica.
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Long term weight gain factors study by Channing scientists and colleagues puts new focus on dietary changes.
Harvard School of Public Health Press Release, by Todd Datz, June 28, 2011
Medscape Heartwire, by Steve Stiles, June 27, 2011
  In the June 23rd issue of The New England Journal of Medicine, lead author Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian,senior author Frank B. Hu, and colleagues, using data from the Nurses' Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, and the Nurses' Health Study II, published a new study on factors leading to long term weight gain. Most studies focus on changing dietary and lifestyle habits after the weight is put on but this new study examines how changes in these habits may have a profound difference in future weight gain. Click HERE to read the HSPH Press Release. This study is also listed in the Medscape Heartwire section under A Guide to Managing the Drifting Midlife Midriff.
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New HSPH study published by Channing Laboratory scientist on TV watching and your health.
Harvard School of Public Health Press Release by Todd Datz, June 17, 2011
In the June 15th edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association, Dr. Frank B. Hu and colleague Anders Grøntved performed a systematic assessment of all published studies from 1970 to 2011 dealing with TV watching and increased risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and premature death with startling results. Please visit HSPH's Press Release Page for more about this important study.
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CONGRATULATIONS!!!
The Channing Laboratory administration is proud to recognize the following Channing Laboratory employees for their years of service at the Brigham and Women's Hospital:
BWH Bulletin, June 3, 2011
5 YEAR SERVICE AWARDS
- Stacey Brown
- Arindom Dam
- Patrick Dennett
- Miranda Grace
- Amy Holthaus
- Dean Katica
- Siobhan Saint Surin
- Eric Schwinder
- Michael Sirois
- Edwidge Sylvestre
- Tara Webb
- J. Brooke Wiley
10 YEAR SERVICE AWARDS
- Paul Guttry
- Eileen Hibert
- Carrie Little
- Winnie Mitchell
- Kevin Mulkerrins
- Ana Munoz
- Elizabeth Riley
15 YEAR SERVICE AWARDS
20 YEAR SERVICE AWARDS
- Gerardo Arevalo
- Andrea Dubois
25 YEAR SERVICE AWARDS
30 YEAR SERVICE AWARDS
35 YEAR SERVICE AWARDS
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Channing faculty member and colleagues receive national recognition for a new Harvard study on coffee and prostate cancer.
The Harvard Gazette, by Marge Dwyer, HSPH Communications, May 17, 2011
www.bloomberg.com, by Nicole Ostrow, May 17, 2011
NBC News, by Robert Bazell, Chief Science and Health Correspondent, May 17, 2011
www.npr.com, by Richard Knox, May 18, 2011
Metro Newspaper, by Linda Clarke, May 25, 2011
 Dr. Lorelei Mucci and colleagues at the Harvard School of Public Health have published a new study on the effects of drinking coffee and the risk of prostate cancer. After much uncertainty about the role of coffee in the daily diet, the study has settled many questions on coffee and certain health risks. The study concluded that men who drank six cups of coffee daily had a 60 percent lower risk of developing prostate cancer. The study has received national attention by the media. Please see below for links to the different media coverages of the study.
The Harvard Gazette, www.msnbc.com, www.bloomberg.com, www.npr.org, and Today in Medicine Column, Metro News.
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Two new autoimmune papers published by Channing scientist
The Harvard Focus, by Mary Bates, May, 2011
 In two papers published in the May 2011 issue of the American Journal of Pathology, Dr. Julia Wang and colleagues have offered a new unifying theory on autoimmune disease outlining the process by which dermantin sulfate, a carbohydrate in skin and connective tissue, turns bad and may cause systemic or localized disease. "We used immunological, biochemical and proteomic tactics to isolate a common denominator among autoantigens," said Dr. Wang. Her research is focusing on a more molecular level to disrupt the start of a B-1a activation. Click HERE to read more on this new mechanism for B-1a cell activation.
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Dr. JoAnn Manson and Dr. Walter Willett share differing viewpoints on the question of Vitamin D dosage.
Harvard Gazette, by Harvard Staff Writer Corydon Ireland, March 30, 2011
In the March 29th webcast at Harvard University a report published by the IOM regarding vitamin D dosage was discussed in a panel sponsored by The Forum at Harvard School of Public Health and moderated by Reuters Health editor Ivan Oransky. Two of the four panelists were Channing Lab associate scientists, Dr. JoAnn Manson and Dr. Walter Willett. Dr. Manson and Dr. Willett were on opposite ends of the dosage controversy. Dr. Willett felt that higher dosages would be better but Dr. Manson felt the present levels were adequate to maintain good bone health. Click HERE to read the entire article.
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Channing scientist studies the risk of heart disease and mercury content in fish.
The Harvard Gazette, by Todd Datz, HSPH Communications, March 24, 2011
In the March 24th issue of The New England Journal of Medicine, lead author Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian and colleagues from BWH and HSPH studied stored toenail clippings from over 121,700 women and 51,529 men from the Nurses' Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, respectively, for evidence that mercury exposures were associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular diseases. "These findings suggest that people need not worry about cardiovascular harm from mercury exposure when deciding whether or not to consume fish," said Mozaffarian. "Public health efforts to reduce mercury in the environment should continue, as mercury exposure can have other harmful effects, for example on neurodevelopment during infancy. Click HERE to the entire HSPH article.
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New NSAID and risk of Parkinson's Disease study published by two Channing associate scientists.
The Harvard Gazette, by Marge Dwyer, March 2, 2011
 In a published study in Neurology, in print and online, Dr. Alberto Ascherio, senior author, and Dr. Xiang Gao, both also from HSPH, analyzed data from over 99,000 women and 37,000 men from the Nurses' Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, respectively,to determine if the use of ibuprofen has any effect on the development of Parkinson's disease. "We observed that men and women who used ibuprofen two or more times per week were about 38 percent less likely to develop Parkinson's disease than those who regularly used aspirin, acetaminophen, or other NSAIDs," Gao said. "Our findings suggest that ibuprofen could be a potential neuroprotective agent against Parkinson's disease, however, the exact mechanism is unknown." Click HERE to go to the Harvard Gazette article.
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Channing scientist and HSPH colleagues publish new study on alcohol intake of middle-aged men and Type 2 diabetes.
News at HSPH, by Marge Dwyer, February 15, 2011
In a study published in the January, 2011 issue of the American Diabetes Association Journal Diabetes, Dr. Eric Rimm,colleagues at HSPH, and scientists in The Netherlands have completed a new study on the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes and the change in alcohol consumption in middle-aged men using data obtained from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. Dr. Rimm comments, "The growing body of evidence is strong enough to suggest that an individual who is at risk of type 2 diabetes should change their lifestyle to lose weight, increase their exercise and eat a healthy diet. Our results strongly suggest that a healthy diet can include moderate alcohol consumption." Please click HERE to go to the Harvard School of Public Health Web Page to read more about this study.
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Channing Laboratory scientist has leading role in helping colleagues stop the spread of cholera in Haiti.
NPR Radio, Morning Edition, Renee Montagne, host
The Harvard Focus magazine, November/December 2010, by Robert Neal
The Harvard Gazette, January 4, 2011
Dr. Matthew Waldor, respected Channing scientist, a Howard Hughes investigator, and the Edward H. Kass Professor of Medicine at HMS and BWH, with colleagues from Harvard, MGH, and Pacific Biosciences, has matched the Haiti cholera strain to samples from South Asia. Trying to head off a pandemic of cholera in the Southern Hemisphere has become a major area of research for many world scientists and the danger of a new virulent strain is very real. In a perspective published in NEJM on November 24, 2010, Dr. Waldor advocates a stockpile of vaccines here in the US for future use against this killer disease. Waldor and his colleagues have published the entire genetic code of the Haitian cholera strain, Vibrio cholarae, enabling the production of life-saving vaccines for the Haitian people and neighboring populations.
Click HERE to go to the NPR site and read the transcript or listen to the entire broadcast.
Click HERE to go to the Harvard Focus article.
Click HERE to go to the Harvard Gazette article.
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Huge new African epidemiological study begun by Channing Laboratory researcher and Harvard colleagues.
The Harvard University Gazette, by Alvin Powell, Harvard Staff Writer, December 16, 2010 to February 2011
 Dr. Michelle Holmes and colleagues have worked for over 3 years to lay the groundwork for this enormous undertaking. The study will be called The Africa/Harvard School of Public Health Partnership for Cohort Research and Training and will attempt to track the development of chronic ailments in Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, and Tanzania. Chronic ailments are beginning to appear much more frequently as the population ages in Africa and is not being studied with an eye to tracking chronic health trends in the emerging and changing demographics of these newly industrializing nations. "This is what we call an epidemiological transition," Holmes said. "You have to live long enough to get a chronic disease." Click HERE to download a PDF version of this Gazette issue containing more about this massive new undertaking.
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New Pediatrics study of vitamin D in newborns published by Channing Laboratory associate scientist.
The Harvard University Gazette, by Marty Ray, MGH Communications, December 27, 2010
Dr. Carlos Camargo has published a new study in the January 2011 issue of Pediatrics supporting the theory that widespread vitamin D deficiency in newborns contributes to the risk of infections later in life. The New Zealand Asthma and Allergy Cohort Study gathered data from over 1,000 children in the cities of Wellington and Christchurch to analyze the 25OHD levels over a five year period. Click HERE to go to read the entire article about this important new Vitamin D study.
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CHANNING LABORATORY NEWS ARCHIVES
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