GENE EDITING: Promises and Challenges Presented jointly with NBC News Digital May 19, 2017 In labs and in clinical trials, scientists are seeking ways to rewrite DNA, a building block of life. Tools such as zinc-finger nucleases (ZFNs), TAL effector nucleases (TALENs) and, more recently, CRISPR/Cas9 have the power to seek out and replace faulty Read More…
SUPPLEMENTS AND HEALTH: Sorting the Facts Presented jointly with PRI’s The World & WGBH Thursday, May 11, 2017 “Lose belly fat”. “Build muscle.” “Lower your cholesterol.” “Improve your sex drive.” Browse the shelves of any supermarket or pharmacy, and you will find dietary supplements that promise to do all this, and more. Supplements are a Read More…
THE OPIOID CRISIS: A Governors Roundtable Presented jointly with PRI’s The World & WGBH News Friday, May 5, 2017 Opioid overdoses claim the lives of 91 Americans every day, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In this Forum event, four former governors offered candid insights into how government policy can help, exploring Read More…
LEAD CONTAMINATION BEYOND FLINT: Drinking Water and Children’s Health Thursday, April 20, 2017 On the whole, American drinking water is safe. However, more than a year after toxic lead levels forced a federal state of emergency in Flint, MI, 63 percent of Americans report that they worry a great deal about polluted drinking water. This Read More…
RACE AND POLICING: State and Local Perspectives Monday, March 27, 2017 Building on two previous Forums about race, criminal justice and health (from February 2015 and October 2015), this event examined specific approaches and models to address the complexities of race and policing. Experts in law enforcement, public health, community relations and the law will speak. Subjects will include Read More…
THE DR. LAWRENCE H. AND ROBERTA COHN FORUMS MARIJUANA: The Latest Scientific Findings and Legalization Presented jointly with The Huffington Post Friday, March 24, 2017 California, Massachusetts, Maine, and Nevada became the latest states to legalize recreational marijuana, bringing to 28 the number of states that have okayed the drug for medicinal use, recreational use, Read More…
THE 21st CENTURY CURES ACT: Implications for Research and Drug Development Presented jointly with STAT Monday, February 27, 2017 The passage of the 21st Century Cures Act has drawn both applause and criticism. A sweeping bipartisan effort with multiple components, the law dramatically boosts funding for medical research, particularly in areas such as cancer and Read More…
HORMONE-ALTERING CHEMICALS: Fertility and Health Implications Tuesday, January 31, 2017 Many of the products we use every day — drinking bottles, cosmetics, furniture, toys — can contain endocrine disruptors, chemicals that affect human health by altering the body’s natural hormones. Pregnancy and fetal development represent an especially sensitive life stage that may be uniquely vulnerable Read More…
Brief Video Highlight THE FUTURE OF FOOD: Feeding the Planet During Climate Change The Forum at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health presented jointly with PRI’s The World & WGBH Tuesday, December 13, 2016 By 2050, a projected 9.7 billion people will inhabit the planet. How will we produce enough nutritious food to Read More…
Brief Video Highlight The Dr. Lawrence H. and Roberta Cohn Forums THE CHRONIC PAIN EPIDEMIC: What’s to Be Done? Presented by The Forum at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health jointly with The Huffington Post Thursday, November 10, 2016 In association with Harvard Health Publications More than 100 million Americans struggle with chronic Read More…
