Harvard Global Health Institute

New in global health this week: as the Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo continues to spread, health workers are confronting not only a dangerous virus, but also armed conflict, displacement, limited supplies, and growing community distrust.

The outbreak highlights how public health emergencies are shaped by far more than biology alone. Health system capacity, political instability, local trust, and international coordination all influence whether outbreaks can be contained effectively and equitably.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus traveled to Kinshasa this week to support response efforts and emphasize the importance of community engagement during public health crises.

📌 Read more via PBS NewsHour: https://to.pbs.org/3PVSZmK

Ebola outbreak 'can be stopped,' WHO chief says as he arrives in Congo “To come here is to really show to the community that they’re not alone," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters at the airport late Thursday.

We are excited to welcome the 2026–2027 cohort of the Harvard Global Health Institute Student Advisory Committee (SAC)!

Representing nine concentrations across Harvard College, this 13-member undergraduate leadership group brings together students passionate about health equity, immigrant and refugee health, mental health, maternal health, biotechnology, education, policy, and community-based care.

Throughout the academic year, SAC members will help foster interdisciplinary dialogue, strengthen peer mentorship, expand student engagement, and connect undergraduates to global health opportunities across Harvard and beyond.

We are also pleased to welcome Co-Presidents Divangel Guerrero ’27 and Alif Sheikh ’27, who will lead the committee during the 2026–2027 academic year.

Congratulations to the entire cohort, we look forward to all they will contribute to the HGHI community.

📌 Learn more:

HGHI Welcomes New Student Advisory Committee Cohort for 2026–2027 - Harvard Global Health Institute The Harvard Global Health Institute is pleased to announce the 2026–2027 cohort of the Student Advisory Committee (SAC), a 13-member undergraduate leadership group that will serve from Fall 2026 through Spring 2027.

The Harvard Global Health Institute is pleased to welcome Dr. Bartholomew Ondigo as the 2025–2026 Visiting Research Scholar to Cambridge, MA!

Through HGHI’s Visiting Research Scholars Program, international researchers and Harvard faculty collaborate to advance innovative global health research and strengthen long-term academic partnerships.

Dr. Ondigo, a Senior Lecturer and Principal Investigator at Egerton University in Kenya, will collaborate with Dr. Azza Hussein Idris, MD, PhD of the Ragon Institute of Mass General Brigham, MIT, and Harvard on research focused on placental malaria immunity and maternal health. Together, their work aims to advance understanding of protective immune responses that could inform next-generation malaria interventions and vaccines.

We look forward to sharing more from this collaboration in the months ahead. Stay tuned for updates on their work and research impact.

📌 Read more: https://bit.ly/4nUkNo4

Join us for the next session of the Research and Innovation Speaker Series featuring Dr. Goodarz Danaei, MD, Bernard Lown Professor of Cardiovascular Health at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

On June 9 (12:00–12:45 PM ET), Dr. Danaei will discuss how combining evidence from observational studies and population surveys can improve cardiovascular disease risk prediction and strengthen population-level prevention strategies.

This webinar is free and open to the public and will include time for audience Q&A.

📌 Register here:

Combining Evidence from Observational Studies and Population Surveys to Better Predict Cardiovascular Disease Risk - Harvard Global Health Institute In this presentation, Dr. Goodarz Danaei will discuss emerging approaches to cardiovascular risk prediction and prevention, including the use of causal inference methods and nationally representative data to develop more accurate risk models. He will explore the limitations of existing prediction to...

Celebrating graduating senior Alae Aboussad, one of this year’s Harvard Global Health Institute Student Spotlights! 🎓

Throughout her time at Harvard, Alae has contributed meaningfully to the HGHI community through her work on the Student Advisory Committee and her commitment to public health, advocacy, and community-centered research.

Reflecting on her experience with HGHI, Alae shared:

“One of the biggest things I will carry forward is hope. Working in global health can sometimes feel overwhelming because the challenges are so large and deeply rooted, but HGHI constantly reminded me that meaningful change is possible through community, collaboration, and care.”

We are grateful for Alae’s leadership, compassion, and commitment to advancing health equity, and we cannot wait to see all that she accomplishes next. Join us in congratulating Alae!

📌 Read more:

Class of 2026 Global Health Student Spotlight: Alae Aboussad - Harvard Global Health Institute Alae Aboussad spent her undergraduate years exploring how structural and social factors shape health outcomes across communities and countries. Concentrating in Applied Mathematics on the Psychology track with a secondary in Global Health and Health Policy, she combined interests in public health, h...

Celebrating graduating senior Hugh Hankenson, one of this year’s Harvard Global Health Institute Student Spotlights! 🎓

Over the past several years, Hugh has been an engaged and thoughtful member of the HGHI community, serving as a global health mentor, contributing to the Student Advisory Committee for three semesters, and participating in the HGHI Summer Internship Program with NHS England.

Reflecting on his experience with HGHI, Hugh shared:

“As I reflect on my time with HGHI, the lesson I will carry with me most is that global health is a collective endeavor, reliant on people from many different fields and backgrounds to advance change.”

We are grateful for Hugh’s leadership, curiosity, and commitment to advancing health equity, and we cannot wait to see all that he accomplishes next. Join us in congratulating Hugh!

📌 Read more:

Class of 2026 Global Health Student Spotlight: Hugh Hankenson - Harvard Global Health Institute Hugh Hankenson spent his undergraduate years exploring how policy, law, and social systems shape access to health care worldwide. Through leadership roles with the Harvard Global Health Institute and an internship with NHS England, he developed a multidisciplinary perspective on health equity ground...

What is happening in global health around Harvard this week?
1) What to know about Ebola and the latest major outbreak
2) When stress is a punch to the gut
3) Millions Already Turn to AI for Therapy. Is It Safe?
4) Diving into the data of wearable tech

Read more: https://bit.ly/m/HarvardGH_post_links

AI is rapidly reshaping global health, but where is it delivering real impact, and where does the evidence still fall short?

Join us on May 29 for a timely conversation on the promise, progress, and practical realities of AI in global health. Speakers will explore how governments, donors, researchers, and frontline health systems are navigating the fast pace of AI deployment amid persistent challenges in workforce capacity, diagnostics, data systems, and outbreak preparedness.

Co-organized by the Harvard Medical School Center for Bioethics, this virtual webinar will feature:

• Rose Nakasi, PhD — Makerere University Centre for Artificial Intelligence (Mak-AI) Health Lab
• Sameer Pujari — World Health Organization
• Moderator: Matthew Bonds, PhD — Harvard Medical School & Pivot Works, Inc.

📅 May 29, 2026 | 9:00–10:00 AM

💻 Virtual & free and open to the public

🎤 Live Q&A included

Register here:

globalhealth.harvard.edu