November 1, 2000 - According to a report in today's Journal of the National Cancer Institute, a study led by Dr. Karin Michels suggests that there is little association between intake of fruits and vegetables and lowered risk of developing colorectal cancer.

October 18, 2000 - The Journal of the American Medical Association reports the findings of a study led by Dr. A. Lindsay Frazier suggesting that regular screenings for colorectal cancer could reduce deaths by up to 80 percent.

October 1, 2000 - Dr. Frank Speizer was elected to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences. Members are elected on the basis of professional achievement and of demonstrated interest, concern and involvement with problems and critical issues which affect the health of the public. The Institute was established in 1970 as a unit of the National Academy of Sciences and is concerned with the protection and advancement of the health professions and sciences, the promotion of research and development pertinent to health, and the improvement of health care.

September 2, 2000 - Dr. Frank Speizer received the American Thoracic Society's first-ever World Lung Health Award at the World Congress on Lung Health in Florence, Italy. The award was created by the European Respiratory Society and was presented to Dr. Speizer for his world-wide commitment to promoted lung health. Dr. Speizer was selected from more than 70 nominees across the nation.

July 6, 2000 - In a study published in today's New England Journal of Medicine, Dr. Meir Stampfer and his research team report that a combination of diet and lifestyle habits can dramatically reduce the risk of heart disease, the leading cause of death in the US. Researchers tracked the diet and lifestyle habits of 84,000 women for 14 years. Those with the lowest heart disease risk did not smoke, were not overweight, maintained a healthy diet, exercised for at least 30 minutes a day, and drank alcohol in in moderation. While previous studies have focused on just one risk factor, the study of this combination of factors found that 82 percent of heart attacks could be attributed to an unhealthy lifestyle.

May 23, 2000 - It is with sadness that we note the loss of an esteemed member of our community. Dr. Jonathan Freeman, Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Lecturer on Epidemiology at Harvard School of Public Health, passed away today at the age of 60.

Dr. Freeman had his first academic appointment at Harvard Medical School in 1972 and joined HSPH in 1990. His research at HSPH focused on infections occurring in hospitalized patients. He was dedicated to enhancing HSPH's programs in infectious disease epidemiology, leading the Interdisciplinary Program in Infectious Disease in recent years.

While he had a passion for public health, Dr. Freeman always valued the importance and rewards of practicing medicine. He continued to treat infectious disease patients at the VA Medical Center in West Roxbury until just recently.

May 1, 2000 - The Nurses' Health Study and Nurses' Health Study II officially launched their website, comprising a brief history, newsletter archives, and publications listings.

February 1, 2000 - A report by Dr. Beverly Rockhill and Dr. Meir Stampfer of the Nurses' Health Study in this month's Journal of the American College of Cardiology shows that snoring, a cause of hypertension, may signal an increased risk of cardiovascular disease in women.

January 24, 2000 - Dr. Walter Willett appeared in today's Boston Globe article entitled "When good people eat bad food." Dr. Willett, Chairman of the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health, has called on the US Food and Drug Administration to require transfat labelling on fast foods as part of the agency's new transfat labelling regulations.