Ragon Institute Initiatives
Our initiatives aim to inspire and engage students from surrounding communities with economic need, providing them with opportunities to explore careers in medical research, immunology, and STEM fields. By partnering with local schools, organizations, and community groups, we create pathways for students to gain hands-on experience, mentorship, and exposure to cutting-edge scientific research. Our commitment extends beyond education; we also focus on building strong community connections, ensuring that science becomes accessible and impactful beyond the walls of the Ragon Institute.
Ragon Institute Summer Experience (RISE)
The Ragon Institute Summer Experience (RISE) internship program engages high school and undergraduate students who are interested in learning about immunology and related fields. RISE aims to inspire young people from the Greater Boston area to consider a career in medical research and immunology by offering a paid, structured, and mentored internship with extended supports. Applications for Summer 2026 are open now.
Catherine Othieno Sempa Memorial Post Baccalaureate Scholars Program
This two-year program engages talented graduates from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Puerto Rican universities in immersive immunology research experiences. Participants work as full-time research technicians under the mentorship of Ragon Institute Principal Investigators or Post-Doctoral Research Fellows, receiving a competitive salary, benefits, and a $3,000 travel allowance. In addition to hands-on research, scholars benefit from academic and professional development activities, including scientific communication training, seminars, workshops, and graduate school preparation. This program aims to enrich the field of academic research by providing recent graduates with the skills and knowledge necessary for successful careers in scientific research.
The Program of Ragon and IMES in Science and Medicine (PRISM) Science Club
The PRISM Science Club, for high school students from surrounding communities with economic need, meets on Saturdays in March and April. PRISM is a joint effort between the Ragon Institute, MIT’s Institute for Medical Engineering and Science (IMES), and the Harvard-MIT Program in Health Sciences and Technology (HST), housed at IMES which launched in 2022.
Each week features a different program, with a talk, discussion, and an activity. The club is facilitated by graduate students from IMES/HST.
Application Opens: December 15th, 2025
Application Deadline: January 18th, 2026
Program Dates: Saturday, March 7th, 2026 – Saturday, April 25th, 2026
SPARK: Ragon Institute 3D Printing Workshop
SPARK is a new 3D printing workshop for high school students interested in STEM and innovation. Participants learn how the technology is shaping the future of biomedical research, working hands-on with design tools and building toward a final project.
The program meets once a week for six weeks, beginning in October. Sessions cover an introduction to 3D printing and design, basic CAD skills, and iterative design and problem solving, and the workshop concludes with a final presentation. Participants are paired with mentors throughout.
Application Opens: [pending]
Application Deadline: [pending]
Program Dates: [pending]
Other Programs
STEM Scholars
STEM Scholars is an after-school program in collaboration with the Cambridge Housing Authority. Ragon scientists and staff have the opportunity to volunteer by assisting students in grades 8-12 with their homework in STEM subjects and providing mentorship over two hours each week during the school year. STEM Scholars aims to foster a supportive learning environment and build strong relationships with students, giving back to the community around us and helping mold the scientists of tomorrow.
Support Our Vital Research
As a non-profit institution, the Ragon relies on the generosity of our benefactors to advance our world-changing research. Whether giving to labs at the Ragon, outreach programs in the Boston area, or research programs in South Africa, one of the greatest catalysts in going from novel ideas to treatments and cures is flexible philanthropic support from donors — and your gift could make all the difference.
Ragon News
Batista Lab Identifies Gap in Malaria Vaccines, Added Peptides Can Strengthen Response
Aug 7, 2026 Features
Malaria kills more than half a million people a year, most of them young children in Africa. Two vaccines are now recommended by the World Health Organization, RTS,S and R21. Both are helpful interventions, but neither work as well or as long as public health officials would like. A paper from the Batista Lab at the Ragon Institute of Mass General […]
Bryson Lab Receiving Funding to Bring Peru’s Genetic Diversity to TB Vaccine Research
Jul 30, 2026 Features
A gift establishing the Romero Foundation TB Research Fund will help Dr. Bryan Bryson incorporate Peruvian genetic diversity into his search for a global tuberculosis vaccine. A gift from the Romero Foundation has established the Romero Foundation TB Research Fund at the Ragon Institute, giving the Bryson Lab dedicated support to pursue a more globally […]
Immunologist and Computational Protein Designer Bingxu Liu, PhD, to Join Ragon Faculty in 2027
Jul 23, 2026 Features
The Ragon Institute is pleased to welcome its newest faculty member, Bingxu Liu, PhD. Liu will be a Core Member at the Ragon and will have a joint appointment as an Assistant Professor in the Harvard Medical School (HMS) Department of Immunology. Liu earned his bachelor’s degree in applied and biomedical sciences from Zhejiang University […]
Dang Lab Study Reveals How Immune Cells Are Guided to Sites of Lung Infection
Jul 17, 2026 Features
A new study led by the Dang Lab at the Ragon Institute, published in Science Immunology, details how immune cells can travel from the bloodstream into the lungs. Specifically, they have succeeded in identifying a macrophage-driven, metabolite-based mechanism of immunosuppressive cell positioning in inflamed lung tissue. The Dang Lab achieved this discovery by studying the […]