Our mission is to foster a new generation of epidemiologists and engage in cutting-edge research to inform public health policies, preventive medicine strategies, clinical interventions, and communities around the world. Our overarching goal is to improve and protect reproductive health for generations to come.
Who We Are
Based out of the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, the Scientific Early Life Environmental Health & Development (SEED) Program aims to investigate the relationship between environmental exposures—in built, natural, and social settings—and adverse reproductive health outcomes during the earliest stages of life to the birth of infants, and throughout child development. We aspire to exemplify the core values that are foundational to our mission: kindness, collaboration, scientific excellence, meticulous research, community service, and education. The SEED Program strives to be a leader in reproductive health and epidemiology education in hopes of broadening the impact of our research and informing populations around the world. Scientists and fellows in the SEED Program empower graduate students to think beyond their research as they navigate and discuss potential solutions to address challenging public health topics. Through mentorship and leadership, we encourage all members of the SEED Program to engage in community outreach projects and take action to safeguard global reproductive health.
Our Background
Carmen Messerlian, PhD developed the SEED Program as an Assistant Professor at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health. Throughout her career, Dr. Messerlian has built an extensive network of scholars, health professionals, and individuals to cultivate passion for producing impactful reproductive health research and meaningful scientific evidence. The SEED Program has expanded through collaborations with Massachusetts General Hospital, Silent Spring, Boston IVF Fertility Clinic, and others. The research conducted at the SEED Program has been graciously funded by the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS).
As the SEED Program continues to blossom, our research and educational materials will continue to provide researchers, clinicians, couples, children, and other community members with innovative and valuable information to improve their reproductive health. Our team of multidisciplinary scholars pursues public health research to bring awareness to common environmental health exposures (e.g., climate change and endocrine-disrupting chemicals) that can impair fertility and other markers of reproductive health.
Our roots in public health inspire a commitment to increased diversity in reproductive health research.
Our Team
Our lead scientists, research fellows, clinicians, graduate students, and staff are the foundation of the SEED Program. The passion and determination of the SEED Program elevates the scope, understanding, and impact that our team has on the direction of future research and clinical care. By continuously evaluating the influence and accessibility of our evidence, the SEED Program has developed a holistic outlook on reproducible science. SEED Program affiliates and collaborators support our growth by providing access to diverse populations and clinical input for preventive medicine and clinical intervention strategies.
Our philosophy of kindness, collaboration, scientific excellence, meticulous research, community service, and education have created an inclusive atmosphere for environmental health and epidemiological research.
Collaboration and Innovation
The SEED Program continues to grow through its relationships with academic institutions and healthcare organizations. The SEED program has been awarded prestigious grants from the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS). Some of our collaborators include Massachusetts General Hospital Fertility Center, Boston IVF Fertility Clinic, and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center—allowing the SEED Program to interact with a wide range of clinicians and patients from different backgrounds. Through critical discussion with these organizations, the SEED Program is able to formulate important and influential research questions to address environmental health issues that affect diverse communities.
