Ragon Institute

Program for Patient Focused Immunology

Bringing observations from the bedside to the bench and back, worldwide

Our Focus

The Program for Patient Focused Immunology at the Ragon Institute bridges the gap between clinical care and cutting-edge immunology research to broadly improve patient health. The program leverages its connections with Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) to access patient data and specimens, enabling researchers to perform globally diverse, cohort-driven studies. This approach ensures that the findings are relevant across various populations, leading to more effective therapies and interventions.

Researchers within this program focus on translating clinical observations into actionable scientific discoveries. By integrating translational, clinical, and societal research, they test novel therapies in real-world settings, allowing for rapid evaluation of their effectiveness and safety. This in vivo testing helps ensure that the treatments developed in the lab can be effectively applied to improve patient outcomes.

Additionally, the program aims to explore and collaborate on research examining the broader social and behavioral factors that influence health outcomes, collaborating with others to better understand barriers to successful healthcare. By combining scientific research with patient-centered insights, the Program for Patient Focused Immunology strives to improve care across diverse populations, ensuring that innovative treatments reach those who need them most and directly address the needs and challenges faced by patients worldwide.

Our Initiatives

Clinical Trials

The Clinical Trials initiative focuses on conducting controlled studies to assess the safety and effectiveness of therapeutic agents in humans. By carefully designing and monitoring these trials, researchers are able to gather essential data on how new treatments work in real-world patient populations, providing critical information that advances the development of immunological therapies and improves patient outcomes.

Translational Studies

The Translational Studies initiative bridges basic science and clinical application, focusing on the preclinical research needed to transform scientific discoveries into practical treatments. By investigating how new insights can be applied to prevent, diagnose, and treat diseases, this initiative drives the development of innovative therapies that can be implemented in clinical settings to address pressing health challenges.

Social and Behavioral Research (SBR)

The Social and Behavioral Research (SBR) initiative explores the patient experience to better understand how social and behavioral factors impact health outcomes. This research focuses on identifying and addressing barriers to health equity, aiming to improve access to care and ensure that medical advancements benefit all populations, particularly those who are historically underserved.

Research Highlights

Groundbreaking Study on Lymph Node Excision Advances HIV Cure Research

Aug 28, 2024 Features

Researchers at the Ndhlovu Lab, part of the Ragon Institute and the Africa Health Research Institute (AHRI), have completed a significant study on the safety and practicality of lymph node excisions for HIV cure research in South Africa. The study — led by Ragon faculty member Zaza Ndhlovu, PhD, and published in Frontiers in Immunology — provides […]

A common fatty acid may help restore healthy vaginal bacteria after infection

Aug 19, 2024 Features

Treatments using oleic acid, a naturally occurring oil used in cells, could improve treatment of  recurrent bacterial vaginosis infections. More than half of women globally experience bacterial vaginosis (BV) — an imbalance of naturally occurring microbes in the female genital tract — at least once in their life. The condition can cause painful symptoms and […]

Ragon Study Reveals Critical Insights into RSV Immunity in Infants

Jun 27, 2024 Features

Researchers at the Ragon Institute’s System Serology Lab have conducted a comprehensive study on how infants develop immunity to Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV). Postdoctoral fellow Nadège Nziza was the first author of the study, published in Immunity, which explores how the immune responses of infants to RSV change over time. The paper, titled “Longitudinal humoral […]

Related Labs

Allen Lab

Principal Investigator

Todd Allen, PhD

  • T Cell Immunotherapy
  • HIV Evolution and Transmission

Balazs Lab

Principal Investigator

Alejandro B. Balazs, PhD

  • Engineering Immunity Against Infectious Disease

Barczak Lab

Principal Investigator

Amy Barczak, MD

  • Host-pathogen interactions in mycobacterial infection

Batista Lab

Principal Investigator

Facundo Batista, PhD

  • B cells
  • Antibodies
  • Preclinical vaccinology

Bryson Lab

Principal Investigator

Bryan Bryson, PhD

  • Immune control of mycobacteria

Dekosky Lab

Principal Investigator

Brandon J. DeKosky, PhD

  • Efficient Engineering and Discovery of Adaptive Immune Receptors

Evavold Lab

Principal Investigator

Charles Evavold, PhD

  • Synthetic immunity and cell death regulation

Gaiha Lab

Principal Investigator

Gaurav D. Gaiha, MD, DPhil

  • T cells
  • Vaccines
  • Immune Control

Ghebremichael Lab

Principal Investigator

Musie Ghebremichael, PhD

  • Application and development of statistical methods

Idris Lab

Principal Investigator

Azza Idris, MD, PhD

  • Malaria Parasite Biology
  • Host Immune Responses and Translational Research

Juelg Lab

Principal Investigator

Boris D. Juelg, MD, PhD

  • Natural infections informing immunotherapies

Kwon Lab

Principal Investigator

Douglas S. Kwon, MD, PhD

  • Mucosal Immunology
  • Microbiome
  • HIV
  • Clinical Research
  • Emerging Infectious Diseases

Lichterfeld Lab

Principal Investigator

Mathias D. Lichterfeld, MD, PhD

  • Clinical Trials
  • Single Cell assays
  • HIV Cure

Lingwood Lab

Principal Investigator

Daniel Lingwood, PhD

  • Programing vaccine antibody responses

Liu Lab

Principal Investigator

Sophia Liu, PhD

  • Building tools to characterize spatial and temporal immune cell interactions

Ndhlovu Lab

Principal Investigator

Zaza Ndhlovu, PhD

  • Lymphoid tissues
  • Acute HIV-1 infection
  • HIV cure

Pillai Lab

Principal Investigator

Shiv Pillai, MD, PhD

  • B-cell biology and T-B collaboration

Ringel Lab

Principal Investigator

Alison Ringel, PhD

  • Molecular adaptations in immune cells enabling function under stress

Schmidt Lab

Principal Investigator

Aaron Schmidt, PhD

  • Protein Engineering
  • Therapeutic Development
  • Viral Evolution

Shalek Lab

Principal Investigator

Alex K. Shalek, PhD

  • Single-Cell Genomics
  • Systems Immunology

Walker Lab

Principal Investigator

Bruce D. Walker, MD

  • HIV
  • Virus-specific T cells
  • Elite controllers

Wong Lab

Principal Investigator

Harikesh Wong, PhD

  • Intercellular Communication
  • Tissue Microenvironment
  • Quantitative & Systems Immunology

Yu Lab

Principal Investigator

Xu Yu, MD

  • Dendritic Cells and Elite Controllers

Program for Immunophysiology and Disease

Revealing mechanisms of immune control and disease pathogenesis to prepare for and protect against future global health threats.

Program for Immune Engineering

Leveraging discoveries to develop cutting-edge diagnostics and treatments.