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New Study Offers Hope in Reducing HIV Risk for Young Women in South Africa

Apr 4, 2025 Features

A healthy vaginal environment dominated by Lactobacillus crispatus is associated with a lower risk of HIV acquisition among women. However, only a fraction of women worldwide, and even fewer in Africa, have vaginal microbiomes dominated by Lactobacillus crispatus. Now, a groundbreaking study led by Drs. Anke Hemmerling and Craig Cohen from UCSF’s Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive […]

Lingwood Honored with MGH Research Scholar Award

Apr 3, 2025 Features

The Ragon Institute is proud to announce that faculty member Daniel Lingwood, PhD, has been selected as a 2025 MGH Research Scholar. The MGH Research Scholars program provides exceptional scientists at Massachusetts General Hospital with unrestricted funding, enabling visionary research into new scientific frontiers that traditional funding avenues might not readily support. Funds can be used […]

Biohaven Leadership Visits Ragon Institute

Mar 17, 2025 Features

Earlier this month, the Ragon Institute welcomed leadership from Biohaven for an insightful visit and discussion with our team. Biohaven CEO Vlad Coric, MD, and board member John Childs toured the Institute and met with Bruce Walker, MD, the Ragon Institute’s founding director, to explore mutual interests and opportunities in the fields of immunology, infectious […]

Ragon Institute Launches Scientific Editing Platform

Mar 14, 2025 Features

The Ragon Institute is pleased to announce the launch of our internal Scientific Editing Platform. Created with the support of the scientific director Facundo Batista, PhD, the platform aims to assist our research community in developing impactful and compelling grant applications. The platform provides scientific editing to enhance our Institute’s grant submissions. The services are […]

Yu to Speak at IAS 2025: Advancing HIV Science on the Global Stage

Feb 13, 2025 Features

Xu Yu, MD, a faculty member at the Ragon Institute of Mass General Brigham, MIT, and Harvard, and Harvard Medical School, has been selected as a Featured Speaker at IAS 2025, the 13th IAS Conference on HIV Science.  This prestigious international event, taking place from July 13–17 in Kigali, Rwanda, brings together leading HIV scientists […]

DeKosky Honored with AAI ASPIRE Award for Excellence in Immunology Research

Feb 11, 2025 Awards

The Ragon Institute is proud to announce that faculty member and Early Independence Fellow Brandon DeKosky, PhD, has been awarded a prestigious AAI ASPIRE Award by the American Association of Immunologists (AAI). This award recognizes outstanding early-career investigators who have made significant contributions to immunology research and demonstrate exceptional promise in the field. The AAI […]

HHMI News —Witness to a Pandemic: Bruce D. Walker

Dec 26, 2024 Features

Bruce Walker, MD, the founding director of the Ragon Institute, has dedicated his career to advancing our understanding of HIV and harnessing the immune system to combat infectious diseases. His impactful work has shaped the field of immunology and global health, and his leadership continues to drive scientific innovation. In a compelling profile by the […]

Governor Maura Healey Signs Mass Leads Act at Ragon Institute

Dec 10, 2024 Features

This morning, the Ragon Institute had the privilege of hosting Governor Maura Healey and Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll for the ceremonial signing of the Mass Leads Act (H.5100). This landmark legislation is designed to solidify Massachusetts’ position as a global leader in emerging industries like climatetech, applied artificial intelligence (AI), and life sciences while promoting […]

Todd Allen

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, […]

New HIV Vaccine Design Shows Promise in Creating Protective Antibodies

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 […]

Groundbreaking Study on Lymph Node Excision Advances HIV Cure Research

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 […]

“A Two-Way Opportunity” — An Interview with Youry Kim, A Visiting Doherty Institute Exchange Fellow from Australia

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 […]

A common fatty acid may help restore healthy vaginal bacteria after infection

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 […]