Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute

Heart Health Awareness Month publication published in General Internal Medicine Journal titled “Emulation of a Target Trial of Antihypertensive Medications on Weight Change”. Led by Institute staff: Pi-I D Lin, Sheryl L Rifas-Shiman, Joshua Petimar, Han Yu, Jessica G Young, Jason P Block.

A study led by @deptpopmed.bsky.social followed 141,260 adults over two years and found small differences in weight change across blood pressure medications: lisinopril was associated with slight weight loss, while metoprolol and propranolol were linked to modest weight gain.
tinyurl.com/kxskbsbm

Heart Health Awareness Month. Publication titled “Trajectory of Cardiovascular Health Across Childhood and Adolescence” published in JAMA Cardiology. Written by HPHCI researchers: Izzuddin Aris, Sheryl Rifas-Shiman, Li Yi, Marie-France Hivert, & Emily Oken.

A study led by @deptpopmed.bsky.social found that heart health starts to decline in children at age 10, driven mostly by shifts in diet, sleep, and activity. suggesting that strengthening these habits in mid‑childhood and early adolescence could help improve heart health.
Study: lnkd.in/eU2bSsS4

Quote reads: “Nearly one quarter of parents in U.S. households with children reported that at least one of their children did not receive the mental health care they needed, underscoring persistent gaps in access.” by Alyssa Burnett, Lead Author & Project Manager at HPHCI.

A new study from @deptpopmed.bsky.social finds that 1 in 5 households reported a child needing mental health treatment, yet nearly 25% didn't receive it. Uninsured households and those with Medicaid also faced high rates of unmet need due to difficulty accessing care.
Study: tinyurl.com/yt8sa8es

JAMA Pediatrics "Research Letter" titled, "US Child Mental Health Care Need, Unmet Needs, and Difficulty Accessing Services" by Alyssa L. Burnett, MPH@1; Joshua Breslau, PhD, ScD@2; Jonathan H. Cantor, PhD@3; et al. Published Online: February 16, 2026.

Among US households with children, 1 in 5 reported a mental health treatment need; nearly 25% experienced an unmet need and over 21% cited difficulty accessing care, with higher rates among uninsured and Medicaid households.

ja.ma/4aVn1Pk

Heart Health Awareness Month. Publication titled "Estimating sex-specific population-level effects of limiting sugar-sweetened beverages or 100% fruit juices during childhood on insulin resistance, central adiposity, and glycemic outcomes in late adolescence" published in the American Journal of Epidemiology. Institute staff: Soren Harnois-Leblanc, Sheryl Rifas-Shiman, Karen Switkowski, Izzuddin Aris, Emily Oken, Jessica Young, Marie-France Hivert.

A study led by @deptpopmed.bsky.social found that limiting sugary drinks to one per week throughout childhood led to only small improvements in teen boys’ insulin resistance, belly fat, and blood sugar. It had little to no effect in girls.

Dive into the research: tinyurl.com/58fx8mcd

#hearthealth

New paper published in JAMA Pediatrics by First Author Alyssa Burnett and Senior Author Hao Yu titled “US Child Mental Health Care Need, Unmet Needs, and Difficulty Accessing Services”.

Diagnosed mental health conditions among U.S. children have risen 35% from 2016-2023. Yet there is still a large gap in care. A new study led by @deptpopmed.bsky.social finds that 1 in 5 households reported a child needing treatment, with nearly a quarter not receiving it.
tinyurl.com/yt8sa8es

Heart Health Awareness Month. Publication titled “Assessing greenspace and cardiovascular health through deep-learning analysis of street-view imagery in a cohort of US children” led by Institute researchers: Li Yi, Sheryl Rifas -Shiman, Pi-L Debby Lin, Emily Oekn, Marie-France Hivert, and Izzuddin Aris. Published in the journal of environmental research.

A study led by @deptpopmed.bsky.social examined whether street level greenery plays a role in children's heart health as they grow. The findings showed that overall street level greenery was associated with limited heart health benefits.
Read the full study: tinyurl.com/5xvccymr

📄 New survey study shows #primarycare physicians support universal #adolescent #depression screening. Health systems should design programs that match what clinicians value to boost screening uptake. #DepressionScreening #MentalHealth #Pediatrics @wrightcensored.bsky.social

Link: buff.ly/UeGAiFC

We’re hiring! Join our team as a: Junior Faculty (Instructor or Assistant Professor).

📢 We’re Hiring!
@cherpdpm.bsky.social is recruiting for a full‑time position with a proposed academic appointment as Instructor or Assistant Professor of Population Medicine at Harvard Medical School.
Full job details: tinyurl.com/233s3vjm
Questions? Contact cherp@hphci.harvard.edu.

Apply today!

We're hiring! Join our team as a: postdoctoral research fellow.

📢 We’re Hiring!
@deptpopmed.bsky.social is seeking a Postdoctoral Research Fellow to support research on LGBTQ reproductive health disparities.

View full job details: tinyurl.com/2d3uk2rm
Questions? Contact Sarah_Cohan@populationmedicine.org

Apply today!

A research letter from JAMA titled, "Interim Safety of RSVpreF Vaccination During Pregnancy". The article discusses respiratory syncytial virus(RSV) and includes a table about antenatal testing and risk of stillbirth.

#RSVpreF vaccination during late #pregnancy was not associated with increased risk of preterm birth or hypertensive disorders in interim safety analysis.

ja.ma/3LjUV6w

New publication written by HPHCI’s Mahnum Shahzad, Anita Wagner, and colleagues, in the BMJ Medicine journal titled “Costs and benefits of early access to new cancer drugs through the US Food and Drug Administration’s accelerated approval pathway: retrospective observational study and economic evaluation”.

New study by @deptpopmed.bsky.social and colleagues examined how early access to cancer drugs impacts patients and #Medicare costs. Results showed that most received treatments that provided minimal/no survival gains and accounted for about $20B in additional Medicare spending.
tinyurl.com/53b8xbpw

Quote by research scientist Ashley Michnick states “Our findings so far are reassuring: the RSV vaccine given during late pregnancy did not increase the risk of preterm birth or other evaluated pregnancy complications. These results support the vaccine’s safety profile as we continue to monitor important outcomes over time.”

Dr. Michnick expands on these results and it’s importance in a new interview with @contempobgyn.bsky.social. Watch the interview: tinyurl.com/5d89wra2
Read the full paper: tinyurl.com/y3jbcfbe

#maternalhealth #populationhealth #publichealth #RSV

These findings support continued use of, and build confidence in the vaccine’s safety. Ongoing monitoring efforts continue to track safety in larger and more diverse groups of pregnant people.

A new study led by @deptpopmed.bsky.social’s Ashley Michnick and colleagues, examined the safety of this vaccine during pregnancy. The team found no increased risk of preterm birth or high blood pressure among those who received the vaccine.

RSV remains a major cause of newborn and infant hospitalizations. To help protect infants after birth, the vaccine ABRYSVO™ is given during late pregnancy.

The Fellowship in Pharmacoepidemiology and Real-world Evidence is now accepting applications! Applications are due February 28, 2026. Questions? Contact TIDE@hphci.harvard.edu.

Applications are open for the Fellowship in Pharmacoepidemiology and Real-world Evidence. Our Division of Therapeutics Research and Infectious Disease Epidemiology (TIDE) is seeking a qualified and motivated Post-Doctoral Research Fellow to join the team.
View Full Guidelines: tinyurl.com/muvf748h

Congratulations to the Sepsis Team!

🔍 Learn more about the SEPSIS Center: www.populationmedicine.org/divisions-ce...
📚 Dive into their work: www.populationmedicine.org/research-imp...

This recognition reflects the SEPSIS Center’s growing body of rigorous, high-impact research spanning sepsis epidemiology, diagnosis, management, and prevention, including work informing national sepsis surveillance, quality measurement, and public health policy.

Drs. Rhee and Klompas were recently recognized by ScholarGPS as leading sepsis researchers worldwide, ranked #1 and #5 globally based on scholarly productivity and impact over the past five years.

In 2025, Chanu Rhee and Michael Klompas launched the Center for Sepsis Epidemiology and Prevention Studies (SEPSIS), dedicated to advancing the understanding, prevention, and management of #sepsis—a life-threatening condition caused by a dysregulated immune response to infection.

New publication published in JAMA by first author Ashley Michnick titled “Interim Safety of RSVpreF Vaccination During Pregnancy”.

Dr. Michnick and teams' findings support continued use of, and build confidence in, the RSV vaccine. Ongoing monitoring efforts continue to track safety in larger and more diverse groups of pregnant people.

Dive into the full research: tinyurl.com/y3jbcfbe

In their study of over 54,000 pregnant people in the U.S., the researchers found no increased risk of preterm birth or high blood pressure among those who received the vaccine compared with similar individuals who did not.

Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute's Ashley Michnick and colleagues published a new paper in @jama.com .com examining the safety of receiving this RSV vaccine in pregnancy.

The respiratory syncytial virus – better known as RSV - can cause severe illness in newborns and infants. The vaccine ABRYSVO™ (approved by FDA in August 2023) is given at 32-36 weeks of pregnancy to help protect infants from RSV after birth.

2026 Fletcher Prize in Population Medicine now accepting submissions. Guidelines: 1200 word maximum, up to 7 references, formatted according to JAMA Viewpoint Guidelines. Deadline: February 13, 20256 5:00PM EST. For questions, or to submit, contact fletcher_prize@hphci.harvard.edu.

📣Attention @harvardmed.bsky.social and HSDM students! Submissions for the HPHCI’s Fletcher Prize in Population Medicine are now open! Submit your paper by February 13, 2026, for a chance to receive $1000. Guidelines apply. Questions? Email fletcher_prize@hphci.harvard.edu.

🌟 Review highlights challenges &opportunities in using #genomics in #medicine. The authors call for agile, real-world data–driven evaluation strategies and a whole-system approach to integrate genomics equitably and sustainably in #healthcare. @hadleyssmith.bsky.social

Read Here: buff.ly/An6N5wn

Meet the team: The Center for Maternal Health Innovation, Research and Action (MIRA). Their mission is to support rigorous, solution-oriented research to identify effective strategies to improve outcomes for mothers and children during pregnancy, postpartum and early childhood.

Highlighting our newly created Center for Maternal Health Innovation, Research and Action (MIRA).
The Center is dedicated to improving maternal and child health outcomes through solution oriented, evidence-driven research.
Learn more about their work! tinyurl.com/2s3mjmw6

The Thomas O. Pyle Fellowship deadline is almost here!
All application materials must be submitted to Tala_Fahoum@populationmedicine.org by January 5, 2026. See fellowship details below. Don’t miss your chance to apply!

Questions? Contact Tala_Fahoum@populationmedicine.org.

This research has also been featured in U.S. News & World Report. Dive into the reading: tinyurl.com/y527mabr