Those who HarborLAB seeks to serve above all are the youth of New York City. Our core mission is to instill in them a love of socially responsible science. No young person should lose his or her mother, or one day her own life, to a preventable killer like cervical cancer. Sadly, millions of women worldwide die from this disease each decade, and many millions more are left in pain and unable to have children. Men suffer from similar cancers.

The cause is the human papillomavirus, which infects most sexually active adults in the U.S. at some point in their lives, and is preventable with a safe vaccine. This shot, which can be given along with other routine vaccinations, is most effective when administered before the patient becomes sexually active. Some express worry that taking this measure cautiously early — with preteens and early teens — will encourage promiscuous behavior, but only doctors and parents need know the purpose of this one vaccine among several. This is a life-saving, moral application of science and it’s available to all families in New York City. Click here to learn more. Tragically the HPV vaccine not as available globally.

Stand up paddleboard athlete, kayak guide, and mother Michele Frazier Baldwin dedicated the last months of her life to a record-setting 700-mile voyage down the Ganges River to raise awareness and funds so that girls raised in poverty can be vaccinated. She asked that donations be made to the Global Initiative Against HPV and Cervical Cancer. A film is being made from raw footage of that meaningful adventure, with all profits going to the cause she championed. You can help by contributing to the Kickstarter campaign for the film, “Lady Ganga,” by Frederic Lumiere.

We honor Michele Frazier Baldwin’s life, paddling accomplishment, and great cause. We also respect, and advocate for, the moral application of medical science to save the lives of young people just as we respect, and advocate for, environmental science to save the lives of humans and other species with whom we share the Earth.