Ragon Institute
Sep 17, 2024 Features
We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of Ragon Institute faculty member Todd M. Allen, PhD, a pioneering researcher in T cell immunotherapy and HIV evolution and transmission. His groundbreaking work on HIV cure research has left an indelible mark on the field and has been an inspiration to many. In addition to his position at the Ragon, […]
Sep 3, 2024 Features
Researchers at the University of Amsterdam, in collaboration with the Batista Lab at the Ragon Institute, have developed a potential new approach for an HIV vaccine. The study, published in Science Immunology, focuses on creating a vaccine component that can stimulate the immune system to produce powerful antibodies against HIV. Titled “Germline-targeting HIV vaccination induces neutralizing antibodies to the CD4 […]
Aug 28, 2024 Features
Researchers at the Ndhlovu Lab, part of the Ragon Institute and the Africa Health Research Institute (AHRI), have completed a significant study on the safety and practicality of lymph node excisions for HIV cure research in South Africa. The study — led by Ragon faculty member Zaza Ndhlovu, PhD, and published in Frontiers in Immunology — provides […]
Aug 20, 2024 Features
Kim discusses her journey to the Ragon Institute and her aspirations for the future Exchange programs and global collaboration play a vital role in advancing scientific research, allowing researchers to share knowledge, resources, and expertise across borders — a philosophy the Ragon Institute is deeply committed to. For Youry Kim, PhD, the Ragon offered an […]
Aug 19, 2024 Features
Treatments using oleic acid, a naturally occurring oil used in cells, could improve treatment of recurrent bacterial vaginosis infections. More than half of women globally experience bacterial vaginosis (BV) — an imbalance of naturally occurring microbes in the female genital tract — at least once in their life. The condition can cause painful symptoms and […]
Aug 8, 2024 Features
The Ragon Institute is delighted to have been featured in this Forbes profile of Phillip Ragon, who helped create the Ragon Institute and whose commitment to advancing medical research drives our mission forward. We are proud to share his story and the impact of his legacy on global health (Subscription required): https://www.forbes.com/sites/katiejennings/2024/08/07/this-secretive-billionaire-thinks-he-can-cure-hiv-heres-why/
Aug 6, 2024 Features
The Future African Scientist organization was sparked by a connection between two students from different walks of life during an MIT program in South Africa. Read the full MIT News Article here.
Jul 30, 2024 Features
We are thrilled to announce that Ragon faculty member Alex Shalek, PhD, has been appointed as the new Director of the Institute for Medical Engineering and Science (IMES) at MIT, effective August 1, 2024. Shalek joined the Ragon Institute a decade ago, playing a pivotal role in advancing our mission. His innovative work spans genomics, […]
Jul 30, 2024 Features
Moodley with Ndhlovu at the award ceremony The Ragon Institute is proud to recognize Merantha Moodley, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow in the lab of Ragon faculty Zaza Ndhlovu, PhD, who has been selected as one of six recipients of the IAS/ANRS Lange/van Tongeren Prize for Young Investigators. Her exceptional work on the abstract titled “Spatial […]
Jul 23, 2024 Features
In January 2020, two students from across the world met on the “Evolution of an Epidemic” course. Their friendship inspired the creation of a program they hope will benefit African science for years to come. Martin Lubowa was a high school student at the prestigious African Leadership Academy (ALA) when he got an opportunity–the chance […]
Jul 16, 2024 Features
On July 9, Ragon faculty member and Early Independence Fellow Charles Evavold, PhD, participated in a special seminar as part of the Science Seminar Series @RCCHU titled “Synthetic Biology Strategies for Human Health: From Yeasts to Immune Cells.” Hosted by the Real Colegio Complutense at Harvard (RCCHU) and Harvard Medical School, this seminar explored innovative […]
Jul 9, 2024 Features
González Rubio discusses the circumstances that brought her to the Ragon and how she hopes to grow from it The years immediately after completing a doctorate are one of the most pivotal times in any researcher’s career — a period where they set the course of their research and grow beyond their time as a […]
Jun 27, 2024 Features
Researchers at the Ragon Institute’s System Serology Lab have conducted a comprehensive study on how infants develop immunity to Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV). Postdoctoral fellow Nadège Nziza was the first author of the study, published in Immunity, which explores how the immune responses of infants to RSV change over time. The paper, titled “Longitudinal humoral […]
Jun 25, 2024 Features
Ragon faculty member and Early Independence Fellow Charles Evavold, PhD, has been selected as the recipient of the prestigious 2024-2025 Karin Grunebaum Cancer Research Foundation Faculty Research Fellowship at Harvard Medical School. The fellowship selection committee was deeply impressed by Evavold’s accomplishments and his potential for leadership in cancer research. Evavold was also invited to […]
Jun 10, 2024 Features
New research published today by scientists at the Ragon Institute of Mass General Brigham, MIT and Harvard, the University of Oxford, the University of KwaZulu-Natal and the African Health Research Institute in South Africa, shows that male infants are more likely to achieve HIV cure/remission than females. The peer-reviewed study, published by Nature Medicine, assessed […]
May 30, 2024 Features
Batista Lab postdoctoral fellow Rashmi Ray, PhD, was the first author of the paper published in Nature. Decades into the HIV epidemic, there is as yet no effective vaccine to prevent new cases. In a recent Nature Immunology article (Ray et al.), the Batista lab of the Ragon Institute has preclinically validated a new HIV […]