About Us
❝The future is already here — it’s just not very evenly distributed❞
–William Gibson
At the Harriet Joyce Foundation, we hold these words close. They are not just a reflection on technology, they are a call to action. A reminder that while science and innovation continue to advance, those advancements are not reaching everyone equally. And in that gap—in that injustice—children are suffering.
We believe that where a child is born should not determine whether they live a full and healthy life. But today, too often, it does.
When I visit hospitals, rural clinics, or sit with families in Ecuador, I am reminded why we do this work. They’re me. I could be them. That child could have been me—or yours. That mother’s fear, that father’s hope, that grandparent’s quiet resilience, they are not foreign. They are familiar. Their dreams are ours. Their future is our responsibility.
That is why we have committed ourselves to building a future where genomic medicine, environmental safety, and quality healthcare are not reserved for a privileged few—but are accessible to every child, everywhere.
Together with partners like Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston Children’s Hospital and with the unwavering support of Ecuador’s Ministry of Health, we are working to bring cutting-edge newborn screening and rare disease care to the communities that need it most.
This is not charity. This is justice. And it is how we turn empathy into action.
To everyone who supports this mission—thank you for walking alongside us. You are helping to build a world where the future truly belongs to all of us.
And to every family, every parent, every child in Ecuador, I close with this message: You are seen. You are valued. You deserve the best science can offer.
Thank you.
— Jeffrey Himmel
President, The Harriet Joyce Foundation
Jeffrey Himmel.
Founder.
The principle of “no data—no problem—no action” shows how the absence of systematic measurement obscures health and well-being in low-income settings and perpetuates invisibility across many areas of public health. Without systematic data collection, monitoring, and follow-up, critical domains of human development and well-being remain unmeasured, underfunded, and undervalued.
Our mission is to ensure that epidemiological data in public health go beyond mortality and infectious disease to capture exposures, risks, and outcomes most relevant to maternal, child, and community health.
Newborn screening demonstrates how invisible risks—genetic disorders and metabolic conditions—can become actionable knowledge when systematically measured. In many low-resource settings, the absence of universal screening means preventable disabilities remain hidden until too late.
Diabetes highlights the urgent need for data systems that enable both prevention and management. Underdiagnosis leaves many cases invisible, and fragmented health records obscure treatment outcomes. Strengthening registries, integrating electronic data, and creating community feedback loops can transform diabetes from an unseen epidemic into a manageable chronic condition.
Environmental and toxic exposures—such as lead, mercury, and arsenic—further illustrate the consequences of invisibility. Children in low-income and rural communities disproportionately bear these burdens, yet without biomonitoring systems, their developmental and cognitive harm remains uncounted. Making these exposures visible through systematic data collection is an act of public health justice.
Data are not a luxury—it is the foundation of recognition, accountability, and action. By embedding robust measurement across newborn health, chronic disease, and environmental exposures, we ensure that what matters most for human well-being is never left unseen.