Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health

The overarching mission of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health is to advance the public’s health through learning, discovery, and communication.

To pursue this mission, the School produces knowledge through research, reproduces knowledge through higher education, and translates knowledge into evidence that can be communicated to the public, policymakers, and practitioners to advance the health of populations.

Our goals are:

• Deliver an evidence-based educational experience to prepare students, through study, research, and practice, to address public health challenges of the twenty-first century.
• Create and sustain a vibrant and inclusive intellectual community with an environment that fosters the acquisition of knowledge and skills about diversity, equity, cultural competence, and advocacy to improve public health locally, nationally, and globally.
• Create and advance knowledge and its translation into discoveries that lead to actions that improve health of people and populations.
• Engage in service activities that expand the capacity of communities to improve health.
• Employ innovative communication strategies that increase public awareness of public health problems and solutions.

The field of public health is inherently multidisciplinary. So, too, are the interests and expertise of the School’s faculty and students, which extend across the biological, quantitative, and social sciences. With our roots in the basic sciences, we are able to confront the most pressing diseases of our time—AIDS, cancer, and heart disease—by adding to our knowledge of the biological, chemical, genetic, and societal forces underlying disease. Core quantitative disciplines like epidemiology and biostatistics are fundamental to analyzing the broad impact of health problems, allowing us to look beyond individuals to entire populations. And, because preventing disease is at the heart of public health, we also pursue the social sciences to better understand societal influences of health-related behaviors and to inform public policy—both of which are critical elements to educating and empowering people to lead healthier lives.

From advancing scientific discovery to educating national and international leaders, the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health has been at the forefront of efforts to benefit the health of populations worldwide. Shaping new ideas in our field and communicating them effectively will continue to be priorities in the years ahead as we serve society’s changing health needs.