About

Jorge E. Chavarro is a Professor of Nutrition and Epidemiology at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, with additional roles as a Faculty Affiliate in the Department of Epidemiology and Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. His research focuses on understanding how nutritional and lifestyle factors influence human reproduction and reproductive milestones throughout the life course, with a primary emphasis on human fertility. Over the last decade, his work has expanded to explore how reproductive events impact health throughout life, including long-term health consequences of exposures and events before and during pregnancy. Chavarro has developed and utilized population-based and hospital-based epidemiologic studies to examine the relationship between nutrition and fertility, identifying nutritional risk factors for infertility and related conditions such as endometriosis, spontaneous abortion, and ectopic pregnancy. His research also investigates how pre-treatment diet influences success rates in infertility treatments. Additionally, his work includes studying the long-term health effects of reproductive traits, fertility, and pregnancy complications on women’s health after pregnancy, especially during menopause. To support his research, he has established infrastructure platforms like the Nurses’ Health Study 3, a prospective cohort study of over 50,000 young women, and has contributed to modifying related cohort studies to facilitate life course epidemiologic research.

Research topics

• Medicine
• Environmental health
• Demography
• Internal medicine
• Family medicine
• Gerontology
• Biology
• Genetics

Selected publications

• Fathers & Families study protocol

  Figshare · 2026-04-13 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access

  <b>Purpose:</b> The Fathers &amp; Families (F&amp;F) Study was established to address critical gaps in understanding fathers’ roles in shaping young children’s health-related behaviors and family health. F&amp;F integrates a family systems perspective with a life course framework to examine determinants and consequences of fathers’ weight-related parenting practices. <b>Participants:</b> F&amp;F is a longitudinal cohort of 1,272 fathers of children aged 1–6 years and 582 co-parents recruited between 2021 and 2023 through two phases: re-contact of male participants from the Growing Up Today Study (GUTS) and targeted recruitment through Michigan Medicine to enhance racial and ethnic diversity. Fathers complete surveys annually for up to three years (T1–T3), with parallel data collected from co-parents across many domains. A unique feature of the cohort is linkage to prospectively collected preconception data from GUTS spanning adolescence through adulthood (1996–2021). <b>Findings to date:</b> Results demonstrate links between boys’ diet and physical activity trajectories during adolescence and their food and physical activity parenting practices as fathers. In particular, more positive health behavior trajectories across the adolescent period (i.e., consistently healthy behaviors or improving health behaviors) were associated with more supportive food and physical activity parenting practices as fathers. Other findings include bidirectional associations between fathers’ food parenting and children’s dietary behaviors and that children’s diets were healthiest when both parents (fathers and their co-parents) use structure-based food practices. <b>Conclusion:</b> The F&amp;F study addresses critical gaps in understanding fathers’ roles in shaping child health and family well-being. With multi-informant assessments of parenting, co-parenting, and child behaviors, and prospective linkage to preconception data, F&amp;F provides a unique life-course resource to inform father-inclusive research and family-centered interventions.

  PublisherDOI

• Fathers &amp; Families study protocol

  Figshare · 2026-04-13

  articleOpen access

  <b>Purpose:</b> The Fathers &amp; Families (F&amp;F) Study was established to address critical gaps in understanding fathers’ roles in shaping young children’s health-related behaviors and family health. F&amp;F integrates a family systems perspective with a life course framework to examine determinants and consequences of fathers’ weight-related parenting practices. <b>Participants:</b> F&amp;F is a longitudinal cohort of 1,272 fathers of children aged 1–6 years and 582 co-parents recruited between 2021 and 2023 through two phases: re-contact of male participants from the Growing Up Today Study (GUTS) and targeted recruitment through Michigan Medicine to enhance racial and ethnic diversity. Fathers complete surveys annually for up to three years (T1–T3), with parallel data collected from co-parents across many domains. A unique feature of the cohort is linkage to prospectively collected preconception data from GUTS spanning adolescence through adulthood (1996–2021). <b>Findings to date:</b> Results demonstrate links between boys’ diet and physical activity trajectories during adolescence and their food and physical activity parenting practices as fathers. In particular, more positive health behavior trajectories across the adolescent period (i.e., consistently healthy behaviors or improving health behaviors) were associated with more supportive food and physical activity parenting practices as fathers. Other findings include bidirectional associations between fathers’ food parenting and children’s dietary behaviors and that children’s diets were healthiest when both parents (fathers and their co-parents) use structure-based food practices. <b>Conclusion:</b> The F&amp;F study addresses critical gaps in understanding fathers’ roles in shaping child health and family well-being. With multi-informant assessments of parenting, co-parenting, and child behaviors, and prospective linkage to preconception data, F&amp;F provides a unique life-course resource to inform father-inclusive research and family-centered interventions.

  PublisherDOI

• Early-life light exposure and mental health and substance use outcomes in adolescence and young adulthood

  Journal of Affective Disorders · 2026-01-31

  articleOpen access

  Experimental models suggest that in utero photoperiod influences circadian regulation and systems tied to later-life anxiety, depression, and addiction. Whether in utero photoperiod is associated with mental health and substance use in adolescents and young adults remains unknown. 10,721 full term born children from the GUTS cohort contributed to these analyses. Total photoperiod was calculated by summing daily light hours across 280 gestational days using each offspring's exact birth date and state. We used multivariable adjusted generalized estimating equations, logistic regression, and linear regression to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and mean differences (MDs) for self-reported mental health and substance use outcomes across quintiles of in utero photoperiod. We observed no association between in utero photoperiod and mental health outcomes. Marijuana, opioids, stimulants, and alcohol use also did not differ by photoperiod. However, offspring in the top versus bottom photoperiod had lower odds of ever smoking [MV-OR Q5vsQ1 , 0.89; 95% CI: 0.80,0.99; P = 0.08], smoked fewer cigarettes per day [MV-MD Q5vsQ1 , −0,16; 95%CI: −0.29,-0.04; P = 0.02], and showed lower nicotine dependence [MV-MD Q5vsQ1 , −0,46; 95%CI: −0.8,-0.12; P = 0.007]. No sex interactions were observed for mental health; for smoking and marijuana, males had lower odds of use. In utero photoperiod was not associated with mental health. Greater prenatal light exposure was linked to reduced smoking, but not alcohol or marijuana use, in offspring. Further research should examine cumulative prenatal and postnatal photoperiod effects on these outcomes. • In utero photoperiod showed no link with offspring mental health • Greater in utero light exposure was associated with lower odds of smoking • Longer in utero photoperiod was linked to fewer cigarettes and less dependence • No association found with alcohol, marijuana, or stimulant use

  PublisherDOI

• Associations Between Perceived Stress and Sperm DNA Methylation Among Men Attending a Fertility Center

  Andrology · 2026-04-21

  articleOpen access

  BACKGROUND: Stress has been negatively associated with reproductive outcomes, including poor semen quality in men; however, the molecular mechanisms underlying these associations remain poorly understood. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate the association between perceived stress and sperm DNA methylation patterns in men undergoing infertility treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was conducted on 169 men attending the Massachusetts General Hospital Fertility Clinic who provided a semen sample and completed the short version of the Cohen Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-4) to quantify perceived psychological stress. Sperm DNA methylation was measured using the Illumina EPIC Array (v1). Associations between stress and DNA methylation were investigated using a linear regression model (CpGassoc) and eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), a decision tree-based machine learning approach. The biological relevance of the identified regions was assessed using Metascape. RESULTS: Median (IQR) level of perceived stress reported by the Environment and Reproductive Health (EARTH) Study participants was 4 (3, 6) on the 14-point PSS scale. Perceived stress was associated with 811 differentially methylated CpGs (DMCs; p < 0.001) in the regression model and 782 CpGs predictive of perceived stress identified by XGBoost. Stress-associated genes were enriched in pathways related to cell morphogenesis, behavior, and neurodevelopment. CONCLUSION: Despite not achieving statistical significance after correction for multiple comparisons, our findings nevertheless provide novel insights into reduced fertility potential among men with high levels of perceived stress and highlight DNA methylation as a potential mechanism underlying of paternal epigenetic inheritance of stress-related phenotypes.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Associations between women’s childhood maltreatment and thyroid function before and during pregnancy

  Scientific Reports · 2026-04-25

  articleOpen access

  Maternal childhood maltreatment has been associated with complications during pregnancy and neurodevelopmental disorders in offspring. Thyroid dysfunction could be a mechanistic pathway underlying this relationship. The thyroid is vital for reproductive health in women, maintaining menstrual cycles, fertility, and pregnancy. However, little is known how childhood maltreatment affects thyroid function in women contemplating pregnancy and those who are pregnant. Participants were from the Nurses' Health Study 3, including 217 women contemplating pregnancy and 156 pregnant women, all reporting childhood maltreatment using a validated 28-item Childhood Trauma Questionnaire. Thyroid function tests were plasma thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), free triiodothyronine (FT3), free thyroxine (FT4), and anti-thyroperoxidase antibody (TPOAb). Regression analyses were conducted. Among women contemplating pregnancy (n = 217), childhood maltreatment was consistently associated with lower FT3 levels, but not with FT4, TSH, or TPOAb levels. FT3 levels were 5% to 7% lower in those with mild to severe childhood maltreatment compared to those without. Among pregnant women (n = 156), no significant associations were observed between childhood maltreatment and thyroid function. In conclusion, childhood maltreatment was associated with low thyroid function (e.g., FT3) among women contemplating pregnancy, but not among pregnant women. Future large, prospective, racially and ethnically diverse studies are needed to confirm our findings.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Diet, lifestyle factors, and human fertility: what we know, what we wish we knew, and what we may never know

  Fertility and Sterility · 2026-03-01

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• History of Infertility and Plasma Markers of Inflammation, Cholesterol, and Adipokines Among Participants in the Nurses’ Health Study II

  Journal of Women s Health · 2026-01-12

  article

  Introduction: There is increasing evidence that women who have experienced infertility are at greater risk for several chronic conditions. However, the mechanisms underlying these associations are not clear. Pathophysiology may be illuminated through observation of aberrant systemic biomarkers. However, there are limited data on infertility history and midlife biomarkers of inflammation, lipids, and adipokines. Materials and Methods: Among participants with biomarker measurements in the Nurses’ Health Study II, we used generalized linear models to assess history of infertility and plasma C-reactive protein (CRP, n = 3,518), interleukin-6 (IL-6, n = 3,145), soluble tumor necrosis factor-alpha receptor 2 (sTNFR2, n = 2,648), high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C, n = 1,387), low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C, n = 1,193), total cholesterol ( n = 4,427), leptin ( n = 2,228), and adiponectin ( n = 3,810). We investigated specific infertility diagnoses separately, as well as heterogeneity by body mass index (&lt;25 kg/m 2 versus ≥25 kg/m 2 ), age at first infertility report, and primary versus secondary infertility. Results: On average, participants were 44 years at blood draw (range: 32–54 years). We observed no difference by infertility history in levels of CRP (% difference: 6.9, 95% confidence interval [−1.4,16.0]), sTNFR2 (−0.6% [−2.4,1.2]), HDL-C (0.2% [−3.1,3.6]), total cholesterol (0.6% [−0.5,1.8]), or adiponectin (−1.7% [−5.0,1.8]). Women who had experienced infertility had higher IL-6 (5.0% [0.1,10.1]) and leptin (6.5% [1.7,11.6]) and lower LDL-C (−3.7% [−7.0, −0.3]). Discussion: There was little evidence that women with a history of overall infertility have altered levels of inflammatory markers, total and HDL-C, or adiponectin compared with gravid women without infertility. In fully adjusted models, history of infertility was associated with higher IL-6 and leptin, as well as lower LDL-C levels.

  PublisherDOI

• Associations between father-mother food parenting practices and children’s dietary intake

  Public Health Nutrition · 2026-05-15

  articleOpen access

  OBJECTIVE: To examine whether the number of parents using high levels of structure or coercive control food parenting practices is associated with children's dietary intake. DESIGN: Cross-sectional analysis of father-mother dyads from the Fathers & Families cohort study. Fathers and mothers independently reported their food parenting practices and child's dietary intake. Multivariate logistic regression models estimated associations between the number of parents (0, 1, or 2) using high structure or coercive control practices and children's intake of fruit, vegetables, fast food, and sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), adjusting for demographics and recruitment site. SETTING: United States. PARTICIPANTS: 474 father-mother dyads with a child aged 2-6 years. RESULTS: Structure, but not coercive control, was positively associated with vegetable intake. Compared with none, having one parent report high structure increased the odds of children consuming vegetables >once/day (aOR=2.09; 95%CI:[1.06, 4.54]); associations were stronger when both parents reported high structure. Structure was also associated with lower fast food and SSB intake frequency. Compared with none, having one parent report high structure increased the odds of children consuming fast food <once/week (aOR=1.79; 95%CI:[1.23, 2.62]) and limiting SSBs to <once/week (aOR=1.52; 95%CI:[1.03, 2.23]); associations were stronger when both parents reported high structure. Compared with none, high coercive control by one (aOR=0.69; 95%CI:[0.49, 0.96]) or both parents (aOR=0.57; 95%CI:[0.33, 1.00]) was associated with lower odds of limiting SSB to <once/week. CONCLUSIONS: Children's dietary patterns were healthiest when both parents used structure-based food parenting practices. Coercive control from one or both parents was associated with greater SSB intake frequency.

  PublisherDOI

• Disordered eating behaviors during adolescence and risk of endometriosis: a prospective cohort study

  Fertility and Sterility · 2026-01-08

  articleOpen access
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• The relation between household dogs and cats during childhood/adolescence with social role outcomes and loneliness among youth with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

  European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry · 2026-05-11

  article
  PublisherDOI

Recent grants

• A lifecourse approach to women's cardiometabolic and bone health: from fertility to perimenopause

  NIH · $80k · 2019–2024

• Integrating lifecourse approaches, biologic and digital phenotypes in support of heart and lung disease epidemiologic research

  NIH · $2.3M · 2019–2026

• A lifecourse approach to women's cardiometabolic and bone health: from fertility to perimenopause

  NIH · $3.6M · 2019–2025

• Integrating lifecourse approaches, biologic and digital phenotypes in support of heart and lung disease epidemiologic research

  NIH · $15.5M · 2019–2027

• Nurses Health Study 3: A multiple exposure environmental epidemiology cohort of young adults

  NIH · $2.1M · 2018–2025

Frequent coauthors

• Russ Hauser

  415 shared

• Audrey J. Gaskins

  Emory University

  404 shared

• Janet W. Rich‐Edwards

  Brigham and Women's Hospital

  343 shared

• Stacey A. Missmer

  Brigham and Women's Hospital

  291 shared

• Irene Souter

  Massachusetts General Hospital

  271 shared

• Lidia Mínguez‐Alarcón

  Harvard University

  259 shared

• Frank B. Hu

  Brigham and Women's Hospital

  226 shared

• Cuilin Zhang

  213 shared

Education

• ScD - Nutrition and Epidemiology

  Harvard School of Public Health

  2006

• ScM - Epidemiology

  Harvard School of Public Health

  2003

• MD

  Universidad Nacional de Colombia

  2002