Harvard Chan is a community of global leaders and renowned experts in virtually every aspect of public health. As a sought-after resource for what works in health policy and practice, the School produces visionary ideas and cost-effective solutions for large-scale, long-term impact. Faculty and alumni have held influential public health positions in countries worldwide and have earned recognition for their research and activities in the field. Below is a sampling:
- Gro Harlem Brundtland, MPH ’65, served as prime minister of Norway (1981, 1986–89, 1990–96) and as director-general of the World Health Organization (1998–2003).
- Thomas Davis, MPH ’54, served twice as prime minister of the Cook Islands (1978-1983, 1983-1987).
- Since 1962, seven directors of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have been graduates of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
- Harvard Chan graduates have served as minister or secretary of health for Afghanistan, Argentina, Colombia, India, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and Taiwan.
- Two scientists affiliated with the School have been awarded the Nobel Prize. In 1954, Thomas Weller received the Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine. Amartya Sen received the Nobel Prize for Economics in 1998. Another faculty member, Bernard Lown, co-founded the Nobel Prize–winning group International Physicians for Prevention of Nuclear War.
- Numerous Harvard Chan faculty and alumni have received other prestigious awards and honors, including MacArthur Foundation “genius grants” and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
- Since 2012, programs for ministerial-level world leaders have drawn more than 100 ministers of health and finance from over 50 countries to the School for intensive training programs with senior faculty.
- Numerous Harvard Chan faculty members are elected members of prestigious national and international organizations, including the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Medicine, and American Association for the Advancement of Science.