Nurses’ Health Study

Nurses' Health Study logo

Meir Stampfer, MD, DrPH, Harvard Medical School and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

The Nurses’ Health Study (NHS) and Nurses’ Health Study II are among the largest prospective investigations into the risk factors for major chronic diseases in women. NHS was established in 1976 to investigate the potential long-term consequences of oral contraceptives. The studies are now in their third generation with Nurses’ Health Study 3 and count more than 275,000 participants. The studies are run by a group of investigators from the Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

The NHS logo needed to convey:
• The dedication and commitment of NHS nurses to improving public health
• The link between NHS’ history and future innovation in research and health promotion

The shield in the logo was used to reflect the long history of the studies and to mirror the shields in the accompanying logos of Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The logo’s teal color references nurses’ scrubs to evoke the professional identity and pride of the study’s participants.