Stories

Alejandra Casillas AB ’01, MD ’05, a physician and nationally recognized champion of health equity in medicine, will be chief marshal at this spring’s Harvard Alumni Day celebration.

Supported by the Harvard Culture Lab Innovation Fund, a new wave of pilot projects uses listening, dialogue, art, and representation to strengthen connection and mutual respect across campus — fostering spaces where civil engagement and deeper understanding can grow.

At Harvard’s inaugural “Across This Table” interfaith dinner, students, faculty, and staff shared personal stories about faith, identity, and spirituality — fostering honest dialogue, deep listening, and connection across differences as part of the University’s commitment to inclusive conversation. 

Since the first modern games in 1896, Harvard athletes have taken part in the Olympics, winning more than 150 medals for countries across the globe.

Planning for Harvard Alumni Day on June 5? Explore special room blocks at nearby hotels and secure your stay early before registration opens in March—availability is limited.

Two Harvard PhD students are studying how people across campus disagree about DNA and genetics, creating tools to better understand differing viewpoints and support more informed, open dialogue. 

Harvard researchers are redesigning robotic joints to improve efficiency and performance, paving the way for safer medical devices and more accessible assistive technologies.

For Maria Perez-Matos PhD ’25, the question of aging is not just about adding years to life, but about adding healthy years. She hopes her research on longevity will help ensure that individuals can experience a good quality of life until their final day.

Harvard researchers, students, and scientists are pushing the boundaries of quantum physics — from powering next-generation computing and secure networks to reimagining materials, communications, and the future of technology.

Inspired by her own health journey, Harvard PhD student Swathi Srinivasan is driving grassroots and policy action to expand Narcan access, address health inequities, and confront the opioid overdose crisis in Boston and beyond. 

Researchers at the Broad Institute, Harvard Medical School, Mass General Brigham, and Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine have developed small-molecule drug candidates that could potentially treat Crohn’s disease and other inflammatory bowel diseases.

Joshua D. Greene AB ’97—an experimental psychologist, neuroscientist, and philosopher known for creative approaches to easing intergroup conflict—has been named the inaugural Alfred and Rebecca Lin Professor of Civil Discourse in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences.

Students in the course “Engineering Problem Solving and Design Project” worked with the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative to develop a rugged programmable box that helps humanitarian workers with data collection.

Harvard Divinity School students received a grant from the University for their Black-Jewish Pluralism Project—a new dialogue series designed to build bridges across Harvard's Black and Jewish communities.

Connecting physicists across the United States, the new Leinweber Institute for Theoretical Physics is made possible by a $20 million gift from the Leinweber Foundation.

Harvard’s new interfaith engagement initiative is bringing students together across different religious and spiritual backgrounds to foster meaningful conversations, connections, and programming on campus. 

In a first-in-human trial, a Harvard-developed biomaterial-based cancer vaccine proved safe and activated patients’ immune responses, marking a step forward for personalized cancer treatment.

As the new A.R.T. musical based on Wonder premieres, its director acknowledges skepticism but champions the transformative power of kindness in a divided world.

A new study reveals five genetic patterns common to 14 major psychiatric conditions, offering fresh insights that could help improve precision in diagnosis and treatment.

Harvard scientists published thousands of studies in 2025, advancing knowledge and discovering solutions in a time when research funding is uncertain.