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Ndhlovu Recognized by CAVD as Early Career Investigator

Mar 31, 2014

This month, Ragon Institute Instructor Zaza Ndhlovu, PhD was recognized by the Collaboration for AIDS Vaccine Discovery (CAVD) for significant contributions to research conducted within the CAVD.   The Collaboration for AIDS Vaccine Discovery (CAVD) is an international network of scientists and experts dedicated to designing a variety of novel HIV vaccine candidates and advancing […]

The Ragon Institute 2013 Annual Report

Mar 24, 2014 Ragon Culture

The 2013 Ragon Institute Annual Report is now available to view online or download! Learn about the Institute accomplishments during its fifth year!   2013 Ragon Institute Annual Report   [With the interactive plugin above, you can use the menu bar to share, download as a PDF, or expand to full screen.]   If you […]

Ragon Study Hones In On Mystery of HIV-Eliminating Vaccine Antibodies

Mar 20, 2014

NIH Grantees Sharpen Understanding of Antibodies that May Cut Risk of HIV Infection   What immune response should a vaccine elicit to prevent HIV infection? Two studies bring scientists closer to answering this question by identifying previously unrecognized attributes of antibodies that appear to have reduced the risk of HIV infection in the clinical trial […]

Boucau Recieves Postdoc Recognition Award

Feb 20, 2014

Dr. Julie Boucau, postdoctoral fellow at Ragon, has been selected as a winner of the Postdoc Recognition Award by the Mass General Postdoc Association (MGPA).   The MGPA is an association which serves the MGH postdoctoral community, providing support for research and career related matters, and provides a platform for interaction of postdoctoral research fellows […]

Study identifies new stem cell-like population where HIV persists in spite of treatment

Jan 13, 2014

Recently discovered T memory stem cells may be a long-term viral reservoir, and potential targets for future treatment   Although antiviral therapy against HIV suppresses viral replication and allows infected individuals to live relatively healthy lives for many years, the virus persists in the body, and replication resumes if treatment is interrupted.  Now investigators from […]

Thobakgale Recognized by Wellcome and South African Academy of Science

Jan 6, 2014 Ragon Culture

Dr. Christina Thobakgale, senior lecturer and researcher at the Ragon-affiliated HIV Pathogenesis Programme (HPP) at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, was recently recognized for two prestigious awards.   In November, Dr. Thobakgale was nominated into the South African Young Academy of Science (SAYAS). Every year, only 10 new members are selected from across South […]

Alter Receives Grant to Research New Strategies for Curing HIV Infection

Jan 2, 2014

Dr. Galit Alter, Assistant Professor at the Ragon Institute, was awarded an NIH grant to identify new strategies to eliminate reservoir cells by a “shock and kill” approach.   In her grant application for which she was awarded $2 million in research funds, Dr. Alter proposes to test whether a class of monoclonal antibodies specific […]

Tully Awarded amfAR Fellowship

Dec 4, 2013 Awards

Ragon Institute Research Fellow Dr. Damien Tully has been awarded the amfAR Mathilde Krim Fellowships in Basic Biomedical Research.   The Krim Fellowship program is an annual research initiative which supports young scientists seeking innovative solutions to HIV/AIDS.  This years six recipients, will each be awarded $150,000 over two years to support their research.   Dr. […]

Byrne Awarded Rhodes Scholarship

Nov 26, 2013 Awards

Ragon Institute undergraduate Elizabeth Hockfield Byrne is one of 32 American men and women chosen as Rhodes Scholars this year.   The Rhodes Scholarship, created in 1903 by the will of British philanthropist Cecil Rhodes, is the oldest and most prestigious international graduate scholarship program in the world.  Each year, a class of 83 students […]

Ragon Volunteers at BLC Celebration of Life

Nov 26, 2013 Ragon Culture

Every November, the Ragon Institute looks forward to volunteering at the Boston Living Center’s Celebration of Life, which provides a full Thanksgiving dinner and entertainment for anyone living with HIV/AIDS, their family and loved ones, as well as raising money for Boston’s HIV positive community.   The Boston Living Center (BLC) is a non-profit community […]

Ragon Hosts Section of AIDS Memorial Quilt

Nov 13, 2013 Ragon Culture

For the month of November, the Ragon Institute is proud to host a section of the internationally celebrated AIDS Memorial Quilt, the 54-ton, handmade tapestry that memorializes more than 94,000 individuals lost to AIDS.   The AIDS Memorial Quilt was conceived of in November 1985 by long-time San Francisco gay rights activist Cleve Jones, and […]

Monoclonal Antibodies Show Promise As Effective HIV Therapy

Oct 30, 2013

BOSTON – A research team led by investigators at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) has demonstrated that a group of recently discovered antibodies may be a highly effective therapy for the treatment of HIV. Published on-line today in the journal Nature, the findings encourage the development of these monoclonal antibodies as a novel therapy […]

Targeting Reactivated HIV

Oct 16, 2013

Dr. Eileen Sully discusses her research strategy to use Natural Killer (NK) cells to to recognize and eliminate reactivated HIV viruses. Watch her interview with Fred Schaich of the International Foundation for Alternative Research in AIDS (IFARA) via The Body Pro: The HIV Resource for Health Professionals.       Video:  The Body Pro’s interview […]

Nanoparticle vaccine offers better protection

Oct 1, 2013

Ragon Program Leader for Technology Development, Dr. Darrell Irvine discusses a new type of nanoparticle vaccine delivery system which is being researched in his lab.   The nanoparticle system protects the vaccine long enough to generate a strong immune response  in mucosal surfaces far from the vaccination site.   “This is a good example of […]

Thobakgale Recognized as Top African Female Scientist

Sep 12, 2013 Awards

South African newspaper The Mail & Guardian, recently named Dr. Christina Thobakgale second runner up in the field of distinguished young women in the life sciences for 2013.   Dr. Thobakgale graduated with a PhD from the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) in 2012 and was a post-doctoral fellow at the Ragon Institute and at UKZN […]

Porichis Named Director of International Programs

Aug 27, 2013 Awards

The Ragon Institute is happy to announce that Dr. Filippos Porichis has been appointed the new Director of International Programs at Ragon.  This position was previously held by Dr. Marylyn Addo who vacated the position this summer to accept a position as  Director of the Division of Emerging Infections, Department of Medicine, at the University […]