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5 South African Traditional Healers honored in the USA

May 16, 2019 Features

Five Traditional Healers from KwaZulu-Natal – who are central to an innovative program run in partnership with a local South African NGO and the KZN Department of Health – traveled to Cambridge, Massachusetts, where they were hosted for five days and honored for their work by the prestigious Ragon Institute of Mass General, MIT, and […]

Ragon Institute study identifies viral peptides critical to natural HIV control

May 2, 2019 Features

T-cell targeting of essential amino acids may underlie spontaneous HIV suppression, define path to a vaccine CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Investigators at the Ragon Institute of Mass General, MIT, and Harvard have used a novel approach to identify specific amino acids in the protein structure of HIV that appear critical to the ability of the virus […]

MGH receives $200 million to advance research into complex diseases

May 2, 2019

Largest gift in hospital history will bolster the Ragon Institute of Mass General, MIT, and Harvard BOSTON – Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) announced it has received the largest gift in the hospital’s history – $200 million – to endow the Ragon Institute of Mass General, MIT, and Harvard. This landmark contribution from philanthropists and longtime […]

Announcement of Record Gift to MGH to Endow the Ragon Institute

Apr 26, 2019

We are thrilled to let you know that the MGH has received the largest philanthropic gift in its history – a $200 million contribution to support the Ragon Institute of Mass General, MIT, and Harvard. This extraordinary gift comes from Phillip (Terry) and Susan Ragon, long-time supporters of the hospital, whose transformational contribution will ensure […]

Biostatistics Course Strengthens Statistics Skills in Research Community

Apr 3, 2019

The availability of a variety of free, user-friendly statistical software packages has enabled many scientists to perform their own analyses and generate results without a formal knowledge of programming languages. This democratization of data science can be hugely important to researchers wishing to analyze and interpret their research data, but can be risky without sufficient […]

Songs of KwaZulu-Natal: Reflections from HST.434

Feb 28, 2019

Sri Gowtham Thakku and Avilash Cramer | Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology   This past January, we traveled to South Africa as part of the IAP class HST.434: Evolution of an Epidemic. The class, taught by Ragon Institute Director Dr. Bruce Walker and Dr. Howard Heller and offered to MIT undergraduates, examines the medical, scientific, […]

Clinical Research Coordinators Volunteer at the Celebration of Life

Nov 27, 2018

At the Ragon Institute, the communities and individuals affected by HIV and AIDS are the driving force behind the science. While much of our work focuses on the epicenter of the epidemic in Durban, South Africa, we know the importance of engaging communities in Boston as well. On Tuesday, November 20th, 2018 a team of […]

FRESH program combines basic science with social benefits for women at risk of HIV

Sep 17, 2018 Features

Ragon Institute initiative addresses socioeconomic factors affecting HIV risk in young women in South Africa A program established by investigators from the Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), MIT and Harvard is addressing the persistently elevated risk of HIV infection among young women in South Africa from two angles – first, investigating biological factors […]

Novel insights into antibody protection mechanisms mark a step forward in the search for an HIV vaccine

Sep 7, 2018

Vivian Chou | Harvard University   The search for a safe and effective HIV vaccine is a major scientific and clinical challenge. In an exciting new Nature Medicine paper published earlier this week, researchers at the Ragon Institute and their collaborators uncover important insights into how antibodies provide protection following vaccination. These findings bring researchers […]

Ebola virus experts discover a powerful approach for stopping outbreaks

Aug 31, 2018

Bronwyn Gunn and Galit Alter | Ragon Institute of Mass General, MIT, and Harvard   From 2013–2016, West Africa faced the deadliest Ebola outbreak the world has ever seen. By the time the outbreak was declared over, 11,325 people had died. Antibody therapy is considered among the most promising treatments for the Ebola virus infection, […]

Study: Cellular changes lead to chronic allergic inflammation in the sinus

Aug 23, 2018

Findings suggest mechanisms for the persistence of nasal polyps and possible new treatment strategies. Anne Trafton | MIT News Office   Chronic rhinosinusitis is distinct from your average case of seasonal allergies. It causes the sinuses to become inflamed and swollen for months to years at a time, leading to difficulty breathing and other symptoms […]

New Evidence for the Role of PKCβ in B Cell Fate Decision

Jul 13, 2018

Vivian Chou | Harvard University   The immune system plays the crucial role of defending the body against pathogens that can cause dangerous and deadly infections. How the immune system performs this incredible function has spurred numerous research questions, many still unanswered. In a recent study published in Immunity, researchers at the Ragon Institute in […]

Team Ragon Raises Funds for 2018 AIDS Walk & 5K Run

Jun 8, 2018

Bright and early on Sunday, June 3rd, 2018, the members of Team Ragon arrived on the Boston Common for the 33rd Annual AIDS Walk and 5K Run. Representing the Ragon Institute with more than 30 walkers and runners and a combined team fundraising total of $66,145.66, Team Ragon secured its place as the event’s top […]

Ragon Employee Recognized for Suggestion of the Month

Mar 20, 2018 Awards

Alex Cusson, Administrative Manager at the Ragon Institute of Mass General, MIT, and Harvard, was nominated for the March 2018 Suggestion of the Month in recognition of a comment he submitted via Isuggest, a platform which aims to implement changes to operational processes across Massachussets General Hospital, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and Partners HealthCare based […]

MIT Students Gain Global Perspective on the HIV Epidemic

Feb 23, 2018 Ragon Culture

From January 19th to 29th, 2018, MIT undergraduates traveled to Durban, South Africa, to study the evolution of the AIDS epidemic. The class, a Health Sciences and Technology (HST) course taught by Dr. Bruce Walker (Ragon Institute) and Dr. Howard Heller (MIT Medical), is in its second year, and aims to examine the AIDS epidemic […]

Ragon Institute Hosts Cellular Immunity Workshop

Feb 2, 2018 Ragon Culture

On January 4th and 5th, 2018, leading researchers in the field of cellular immunology participated in an interactive workshop entitled “Prospects for designing and testing vaccines to elicit cellular immunity against HIV”, hosted by the Ragon Institute of Mass General, MIT, and Harvard.   The meeting focused on how cell-mediated immunity can be incorporated into […]