Taking the strengths of two world-class research institutions, MIT and Masse Brigham (MGB) recently celebrated the launch of the Mit-MGB seed program. The new initiative, which is supported by Analog Devices Inc. (ADI), will finance joint research projects led by MIT and mass general researchers Brigham. These collaborative projects will advance research on human health, with the aim of developing new generation therapies, diagnostics and digital tools that can improve life on a large scale.
The program represents a unique opportunity to considerably accelerate innovations that take up some of the most urgent challenges of human health. By supporting interdisciplinary teams of MIT and mass general Brigham, including researchers and clinicians, the seed program will promote revolutionary work that brings together artificial intelligence expertise, automatic learning and measures and detection of pioneering clinical technologies and patient care.
“The power of this program is that it combines the strength of MIT in science, engineering and innovation with scientific and clinical research of the world's general mass class.
“The MI-MGB seed program will allow interdisciplinary collaboration to advance transformative research and revolutionary science.
The initiative is funded by an Adi gift. Over the next three years, the Adi for Health and Life Sciences Fund will support around six joint projects per year, with shared funding between the two institutions.
“The converging areas of biology, medicine and computer science promise a new era of the effectiveness of health care, efficiency and access. ADI has experienced a long and fruitful story of collaboration with MIT and mass general Brigham, and we are delighted with this new initiative to transform the future of care for patients, “added Vincent Roche, president and head of ADI.
In addition to funding, the teams selected for the program will have access to entrepreneurial workshops, some of which are housed by the engine – a venture capital company built by the MIT focused on difficult technology. These sessions will link researchers with the founders of the company, investors and leaders of the industry, helping them to trace a path of revolutionary discoveries in the laboratory with a real impact.
The program will appeal open to proposals to MIT and mass general researchers Brigham. The first cohort of financed projects should be launched in the fall of 2025. The winners will be selected by a joint examination committee composed of MIT and mass general Brigham experts.
According to the head of the Faculty of MIT for the Mit-MGB seed program, Alex K. Shalek, constituting collaborative research teams with leaders of the two institutions could help to fill critical gaps that often hinder innovation in health and life sciences. Shalek is also director of the Institute for Medical Engineering & Science (IMES), Professor JW KIECHEFER in Imes and chemistry, and an extramural member of the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research.
“Clinicians often see where current interventions fail, but can miss scientific tools or engineering expertise necessary to develop new ones. Conversely, MIT researchers may not fully grasp these clinical challenges or have access to the good data and samples of patients, “explains Shalek, who is also a member of the Ragon Institute in Mass General Brigham, MIT and Harvard. “By supporting bilateral collaborations and building a community in all disciplines, this program is about to stimulate critical progress in diagnostics, therapies and health applications focused on AI.”
Emery Brown, an anesthesiologist practicing in Massachusetts General Hospital, will serve alongside Shalek as manager of the Faculty of the Masse Brigham for the program.
“The mit MGB seed program creates a perfect storm. The program will offer MIT teachers the opportunity to bring new sciences and engineering to attack and solve important clinical problems, “adds Brown, who is also a teacher of Edward Hood Taplin in medical engineering and computer neuroscience. “The continuation of solutions to important and difficult clinical problems by the doctors and scientists of General Brigham of Mass will undoubtedly encourage scientists and engineers of MIT to develop new technologies or will find new applications of existing technologies.”
The Mit-MGB Seed program is a flagship initiative in the Collaborative of the health and life sciences of MIT (MIT Heals). It reflects MIT Heals' main mission to establish it as a central center for innovation and translation of health and life sciences, and to take advantage of links with other world -class research institutions in the Boston region.
“This program illustrates the power of interdisciplinary research,” explains Annantha Chandrakasan, head of innovation and MIT strategy, dean of engineering, and head of the MIT heal. “It creates a critical bridge between clinical practice and technological innovation – two areas that must be deeply connected to advance real world solutions.”
The launch of the program was celebrated during a special event at the Samberg Conference Center in MIT on March 31.
