Ragon Institute
May 20, 2024 Features
HIV has proven a hard target for vaccine design. The most promising approach, germline-targeting (GT), proposes a series of immunizations: a first shot to activate inexperienced B cells—antibody-producing white blood cells—followed by a sequence of immunogens that are more and more like the HIV Envelope (Env) protein. The ultimate goal of GT immunization is to […]
May 10, 2024 Features
The second installment of the event aimed to create new guidelines for ATIs, including pediatric ATIs In a significant follow-up to the groundbreaking 2018 Consensus Symposium on HIV Analytical Treatment Interruption (ATI) hosted at the Ragon Institute, several faculty members helped organize and participated in the 2024 ATI Consensus Workshop held this week in Nairobi, […]
Apr 29, 2024 Features
Researchers at the Ragon Institute have developed a novel immunization strategy that shows promise for protecting against both group 1 and group 2 influenza A viruses. The strategy, detailed in their recent study, relies on eliciting a single amino acid change in antibodies to generate broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs). Ragon faculty members Daniel Lingwood, PhD, […]
Apr 23, 2024 Features
A collaborative research study led by Ragon Institute faculty member and Early Independence fellow Wilfredo F. Garcia-Beltran, MD, PhD, and Ragon Biosafety Level 3 Core co-director Julie Boucau, PhD, has uncovered a critical mechanism by which SARS-CoV-2 evades one of the body’s key immune responses, providing new insights that could lead to novel treatments. Their […]
Apr 15, 2024 Features
The lab of the Ragon Institute faculty member Hernandez Moura Silva, PhD, recently published a review in Science Immunology regarding resident tissue macrophages (RTMs), shedding light on their multifaceted roles in organ health. RTMs, integral components found abundantly across various organs, have traditionally been recognized for their immune defense functions. However, this review highlights their contributions extend […]
Apr 1, 2024 Features
After three years off due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ragon-MIT course HST.434 returned this January to provide 24 students a once in a lifetime learning experience Education is a crucial element of the Ragon Institute’s global mission, a vital asset in giving the next generation of researchers the tools to combat diseases like HIV, […]
Mar 29, 2024 Features
The team will receive $25 million to work towards treatments for cancer Ragon core member and MIT associate professor of chemical engineering Brandon DeKosky, PhD, was one of five MIT faculty members recently awarded $25 million to take on Cancer Grand Challenges. Cancer Grand Challenges announced five winning teams for 2024, which included DeKosky and […]
Mar 26, 2024 Features
Ragon postdoctoral fellow Matheus Oliveira De Souza volunteers his time to help the next generation of researchers Whether it is a DIY circuit board, a solar-powered robot, or a study of bacterial growth on household surfaces — experiments and science fairs are often the first step taken by budding researchers into the world of science. […]
Mar 20, 2024 Features
Boris Juelg, MD, PhD, and Toong Seng Tan, PhD, each presented papers at the event. Research from other faculty was also represented. Earlier this month, Ragon faculty member Boris Juelg, MD, PhD, spoke at the 2024 Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) held in Denver, Colorado from March 3 – March 6. Juelg, pictured […]
Mar 13, 2024
A two-year opportunity in medical science research and career development for underrepresented students About the Program The Catherine Othieno Sempa* Memorial Post Baccalaureate Scholars Program engages talented college graduates from HBCUs and Puerto Rican universities in a comprehensive and immersive two-year program in immunology research. The program is designed to diversify the field of academic […]
Mar 5, 2024 Features
Ragon faculty member Hernandez Moura Silva, PhD, was recently awarded the MIT 2024 Martin Luther King Jr. Leadership Award for faculty. MLK Leadership Awards are given annually to students, alumni, staff, groups, and faculty members who embody the spirit of Dr. King’s work. “Service to the community” is defined in the broadest sense and includes […]
Feb 29, 2024 Features
Ragon faculty Mathias Lichterfeld, MD, PhD, and Xu Yu, MD, have co-authored a paper published in Cell which found evidence that a combination of two drugs increases the vulnerability of HIV-1 reservoir cells to the immune system — which shows promising results in targeting and reducing the HIV-1 reservoir in people living with HIV. Using […]
Feb 5, 2024 Features
Novel HIV vaccine candidate based on Gorilla adenoviral vector (GRAd-HIV) funded by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to alleviate the disease burden and improve the lives of the millions who lack access to prevention options ReiThera Srl, the Ragon Institute of Mass General, MIT, and Harvard, and IAVI are pleased to announce a collaboration […]
Jan 9, 2024 Features
Bats can be terrifying — from their fantastical association with vampires to their less fantastical, very real propensity for spreading rabies. These winged mammals have provoked fear in many people no matter how cute they are (to some!). But they might also be the key to solving some of the biggest mysteries in virology and […]
Dec 13, 2023 Features
Dr. Ghebremichael’s course provides a unique learning opportunity for students and a way to develop the field of biostatistics in their own communities Naledi Tapologo is a research assistant from Botswana with dreams of a long career in medical research. She said she thanked God when she saw an email in her inbox recently. That […]
Nov 27, 2023 Features
Last month, the Ragon was honored to welcome Azza Idris, MD, PhD, as our newest faculty member. She holds a dual appointment between the Ragon and the Pediatric Infectious Diseases and Global Health Divisions at Mass General for Children (MGfC). A renowned researcher in malaria, Dr. Idris has worked for institutions such as the NIH […]