Harvard Medicine Magazine
From the rhythms of proteins in cells to the electrical waves of the brain, life runs on patterns of activity that scientists are just beginning to understand
How Cancer Cells Decide Their Fate
In studying a key cancer protein, Galit Lahav is revealing the importance of rhythm and timing in biology
What Happens to the Brain Under Anesthesia
When nobody could explain exactly how anesthesia renders a person unconscious, Emery Brown went looking for answers
Health, Disease, and Chronobiology
Scientists are uncovering the ways circadian rhythms influence our well-being
Recent stories
The Local Lessons Behind a National Vaccination Campaign
When Raj Panjabi was asked to help lead the national response to the COVID-19 pandemic, he drew on his experience working in the community of Chelsea, Massachusetts
The Partnership at the Heart of Primary Care
Lucy McBride talks about the importance of strong physician-patient relationships
Xenotransplantation Enters a New Era
As the waitlist for donor organs grows, Leonardo Riella sees animal-to-human kidney transplants getting closer to the clinic
The Covert Consciousness Dilemma
The discovery of hidden awareness in seemingly unresponsive patients is raising pressing questions in brain injury care
Thinking About Thinking
By Studying Fruit Flies, Rachel Wilson Is Changing How We Understand the Brain
Research on navigation in Drosophila melanogaster reveals fundamental principles about how nervous systems operate
Millions Already Turn to AI for Therapy. Is It Safe?
Researchers are working to make AI tools used for mental health support safer, smarter, and grounded in the full picture of a person’s life
Reconsidering the Causes of Schizophrenia
Discovering a sensory quirk in patients sent Robert Freedman on a decades-long quest for genetic and biological clues
The Connectome 2.0 Scanner Captures the Brain in Unprecedented Detail
A one-of-a-kind MRI machine helps researchers see the relationship between the structure of the brain and how it functions
Fact and Fiction
Pediatricians Adapt to Changing Attitudes Toward Vaccines
In a new era of parental vaccine hesitancy, how can physicians rebuild trust?
Is There a Crisis of Trust in Science and Medicine?
Surveys of shifting U.S. attitudes reveal concerning trends — and some surprises
Confronting a Rising Tide of Cancer Misinformation
As patients take to social media for medical advice, doctors’ empathy and trust-building skills are more important than ever, says oncologist Samyukta Mullangi
The Surprising Demographics of Physician Mortality
Women outlive men — but not in medicine