Ragon Institute
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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. […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Jul 31, 2013 Features
On the evening of July 18, 2013, a benefit show was held in Boulder, Colorado to benefit the FRESH Study, an HIV prevention and education program in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The musical evening, held at Nissi’s, an award-winning restaurant and music venue, raised nearly $1,500 in support of FRESH! With this gift, FRESH will […]
Jul 23, 2013 Awards
Terry and Susan Ragon and Peter Slavin have been selected by Boston Magazine for their list of Boston’s 25 most powerful philanthropists. Dr. Peter Slavin, Massachusetts General Hospital President, is recognized at number 18 for establishing the Campaign for the Third Century of MGH Medicine to raise money for research and patient care. […]