Harvard Researchers Honored by TIME Magazine for Their Groundbreaking Work on Air Pollution and Lead Exposure

Francesca Dominici and Ronnie Levin, two members of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health’s Department of Environmental Health, have been named among the 100 individuals who most influenced global health in 2024 by TIME magazine. The inaugural TIME 100 Health list, published on May 2, recognized the impact, innovation, and achievement of the world’s most influential individuals in health.

Dominici was cited for her work fighting air pollution and her role in driving the Environmental Protection Agency’s recent decision to reduce permissible concentrations of fine particulate (PM2.5) pollution from 12 micrograms per cubic meter of air to 9 micrograms. Her research has shown that PM2.5 pollution is a serious health risk, produced by vehicle exhaust, power plants, wildfires, and other sources. In an interview with TIME, Dominici said that lowering from 12 to 9 micrograms means breathing cleaner air for everyone and is a huge public health victory.

Levin was recognized for her research on lead and its role in an EPA proposal requiring that all lead pipes in the U.S. be replaced within a decade. A cost-benefit analysis by Levin and Joel Schwartz showed that cutting lead in drinking water could save the U.S more than $8 billion a year in health benefits and at least $2 billion in infrastructure costs – far more than previously calculated by the EPA. Levin told TIME that she’s thrilled about the proposed rule but emphasized that without good implementation and enforcement, not much will happen.

Overall, Dominici and Levin were recognized for their contributions to public health through their groundbreaking research and advocacy efforts that have had significant impacts on air pollution regulations and lead pipe replacement proposals in the United States.