Snapshot of Science for March 2020

Welcome to our Snapshot of Science for March 2020

Here's a quick look at some recent publications, press releases and stories about the Mass General Research Institute community.

In this issue we highlight:

32 new studies published in high impact journals, along with 20 summaries submitted by the research teams
7 new research-related press releases from the Mass General Public Affairs office
8 posts from the Mass General Research Institute blog

Publications

INFECTION RISK IN IMMUNOSUPPRESSED IBD PATIENTS
Pre-treatment Frailty Is Independently Associated With Increased Risk of Infections After Immunosuppression in Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Diseases
Kochar B, Cai W, Cagan A, Ananthakrishnan AN
Published in Gastroenterology on February 25, 2020 | *Summary available

IMPACT OF CHROMATIN ALTERATION ON LYMPHOPOIESIS
Alterations in Chromatin at Antigen Receptor Loci Define Lineage Progression During B Lymphopoiesis
Lion M, Muhire B, Namiki Y, Tolstorukov MY, Oettinger MA.
Published in PNAS on February 25, 2020 | *Summary available

BREAST CANCER SCREENING AND MORTALITY IN PATIENTS 70 AND OLDER
Continuation of Annual Screening Mammography and Breast Cancer Mortality in Women Older Than 70 Years
García-Albéniz X, Hernán MA, Logan RW, Price M, Armstrong K, Hsu JR.
Published in Annals of Internal Medicine on February 25, 2020

SOX9 LINKS LIPIDS TO BONE FORMATION
Lipid Availability Determines Fate of Skeletal Progenitor Cells via SOX9
van Gastel N, Stegen S, Eelen G, Schoors S, Carlier A [et al.], Carmeliet G.
Published in Nature on February 26, 2020 | *Summary available

IMPACT OF WIDOWHOOD AND ß-AMYLOID ON OLD AGE COGNITIVE DECLINE
Associations of Widowhood and ß-Amyloid With Cognitive Decline in Cognitively Unimpaired Older Adults
Biddle KD, Jacobs HIL, d'Oleire Uquillas F, Zide BS, Kirn DR [et al.], Donovan NJ.
Published in JAMA Network Open on February 26, 2020 | *Summary available

AORTIC DILATION IN AGING ENDURANCE ATHLETES
Association of Ascending Aortic Dilatation and Long-term Endurance Exercise Among Older Masters-Level Athletes
Churchill TW, Groezinger E, Kim JH, Loomer G, Guseh JS [et al.], Baggish AL.
Published in JAMA Cardiology on February 26, 2020 | *Summary available | Press Release

HEMATOPOESIS AND INFLAMMATION IN RECURRENT HEART ATTACKS
Diminished Reactive Hematopoiesis and Cardiac Inflammation in a Mouse Model of Recurrent Myocardial Infarction
Cremer S, Schloss MJ, Vinegoni C, Zhang S, Rohde D [et al.], Nahrendorf M.
Published in Journal of the American College of Cardiology on March 3, 2020 | *Summary available

A GENETIC HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES
Population Histories of the United States Revealed Through Fine-Scale Migration and Haplotype Analysis
Dai CL, Vazifeh MM, Yeang CH, Tachet R, Wells RS [et al.], Martin AR.
Published in American Journal of Human Genetics on March 5, 2020 | *Summary available

fMRI AND OPTICAL FIBER RECORDING OF PUPIL MOVEMENT
Indexing Brain State-Dependent Pupil Dynamics With Simultaneous fMRI and Optical Fiber Calcium Recording
Pais-Roldán P, Takahashi K, Sobczak F, Chen Y, Zhao H [et al.], Yu X.
Published in PNAS on March 5, 2020

MICRORNA LINKED TO DIVERSITY IN STEM CELL DEVELOPMENT
MicroRNAs Organize Intrinsic Variation Into Stem Cell States
Chakraborty M, Hu S, Visness E, Del Giudice M, De Martino A [et al.], Garg S.
Published in PNAS on March 5, 2020

FOCUSING ON CAUSAL VARIANTS OF TNFAIP3 LOCUS
Prioritizing Disease and Trait Causal Variants at the TNFAIP3 Locus Using Functional and Genomic Features
Ray JP, de Boer CG, Fulco CP, Lareau CA, Kanai M [et al.], Hacohen N.
Published in Nature Communications on March 6, 2020

GENETIC CHARACTERISTICS OF THE VISUOMOTOR SYSTEM
Central Neurogenetic Signatures of the Visuomotor Integration System
Bueichekú E, Aznárez-Sanado M, Diez I, d'Oleire Uquillas F, Ortiz-Terán L [et al.], Sepulcre J.
Published in PNAS on March 6 2020 | *Summary available

END OF LIFE CARE FOR LUNG CANCER PATIENTS ON IMMUNE CHECKPOINT INHIBITORS
Performance Status and End-Of-Life Care Among Adults With Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Receiving Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors
Petrillo LA, El-Jawahri A, Nipp RD, Lichtenstein MRL, Durbin SM [et al.], Gainor JF.
Published in Cancer on March 6, 2020 | *Summary available

KINASE INHIBITORS IN RECEPTER-POSITIVE BREAST CANCER
Cyclin-dependent Kinase 4 and 6 Inhibitors for Hormone Receptor-Positive Breast Cancer: Past, Present, and Future
Spring LM, Wander SA, Andre F, Moy B, Turner NC, Bardia A.
Published in The Lancet on March 7, 2020

FECAL TRANSPLANTS FOR METABOLIC IMPROVEMENT IN OBESITY
Fecal Microbiota Transplantation for the Improvement of Metabolism in Obesity: The FMT-TRIM Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Pilot Trial
Yu EW, Gao L, Stastka P, Cheney MC, Mahabamunuge J [et al.] Hohmann EL.
Published in PLoS Medicine on March 9, 2020 | *Summary available

ANIMACY FEATURES DURING LANGUAGE COMPREHENSION
Neural Evidence for the Prediction of Animacy Features During Language Comprehension: Evidence From MEG and EEG Representational Similarity Analysis
Wang L, Wlotko E, Alexander E, Schoot L, Kim M [et al.], Kuperberg GR.
Published in Journal of Neuroscience on March 10, 2020 | *Summary available

IMMUNOTHERAPY AND SURGERY FOR STAGE IV MELANOMA
Use of Immunotherapy and Surgery for Stage IV Melanoma
Molina G, Kasumova GG, Qadan M, Boland GM.
Published in Cancer on March 10, 2020

COMPARING PRICING FOR HIV PrEP DRUGS
Comparative Pricing of Branded Tenofovir Alafenamide-Emtricitabine Relative to Generic Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate-Emtricitabine for HIV Preexposure Prophylaxis: A Cost-Effectiveness Analysis
Walensky RP, Horn T, McCann NC, Freedberg KA, Paltiel AD.
Published in Annals of Internal Medicine on March 10, 2020 | *Summary available

MOVEMENT REVEALS CONNECTIONS TO BASAL GANGLIA
Movement-related Coupling of Human Subthalamic Nucleus Spikes to Cortical Gamma
Fischer P, Lipski WJ, Neumann WJ, Turner RS, Fries P [et al.], Richardson RM.
Published in eLife on March 11, 2020 | *Summary available

TAU PATHOLOGY IN ALZHEIMER'S LINKED TO AMYLOID-BETA RATIO
Amyloid-ß42/40 Ratio Drives Tau Pathology in 3D Human Neural Cell Culture Models of Alzheimer's Disease
Kwak SS, Washicosky KJ, Brand E, von Maydell D, Aronson J [et al.], Kim DY.
Published in Nature Communications on March 13, 2020 | *Summary available

SYMPTOM BURDEN IN UNPLANNED HOSPITALIZATION OF CANCER PATIENTS
Symptom Burden in Patients With Cancer Who Are Experiencing Unplanned Hospitalization
Newcomb RA, Nipp RD, Waldman LP, Greer JA, Lage DE [et al.], El-Jawahri AR.
Published in Cancer on March 13, 2020

CHROMATIN PROMOTES STEM CELL ACTIVITY IN BLOOD CANCERS
Chromatin Accessibility Promotes Hematopoietic and Leukemia Stem Cell Activity
Cabal-Hierro L, van Galen P, Prado MA, Higby KJ, Togami K [et al.], Lane AA.
Published in Nature Communications on March 16, 2020

TRAINING NEW CARDIOMETABOLIC SPECIALISTS
Training the Next Generation of Cardiometabolic Specialists
McCarthy CP, Chang LS, Vaduganathan M.
Published in Journal of the American College of Cardiology on March 17, 2020

SYNTHESIS OF PHOSPHORAMIDATE-LINKED DNA
Synthesis of Phosphoramidate-Linked DNA by a Modified DNA Polymerase
Lelyveld VS, Zhang W, Szostak JW.
Published in PNAS on March 18, 2020 | *Summary available

STEM CELL DERIVED ORGANOIDS FOR SCHIZOPHRENIA
Transcriptomic Landscape and Functional Characterization of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Cerebral Organoids in Schizophrenia
Kathuria A, Lopez-Lengowski K, Jagtap SS, McPhie D, Perlis RH [et al.], Karmacharya R.
Published in JAMA Psychiatry on March 18, 2020 | *Summary available

GENOMICS AND DIET: RESULTS FROM THE UK BIOBANK
Comprehensive Genomic Analysis of Dietary Habits in UK Biobank Identifies Hundreds of Genetic Associations
Cole JB, Florez JC, Hirschhorn JN.
Published in JAMA Psychiatry on March 18, 2020 | *Summary available

REPRESENTATION OF WOMEN IN COMPENSATION RESEARCH
Representation of Women in Authorship and Dissemination of Analyses of Physician Compensation
Larson AR, Cawcutt KA, Englander MJ, Pitt SC, Ansari E [et al.], Silver JK.
Published in JAMA Open Network on March 20, 2020 | *Summary available

BRAIN METASTASES AID UNDERSTANDING OF METASTATIC CARCINOMA
Genomic Characterization of Human Brain Metastases Identifies Drivers of Metastatic Lung Adenocarcinoma
Shih DJH, Nayyar N, Bihun I, Dagogo-Jack I, Gill CM [et al.], Brastianos PK.
Published in Nature Genetics on March 23, 2020 | *Summary available

VALIDATING SUICIDE RISK PREDICTION USING HEALTH RECORDS
Validation of an Electronic Health Record-Based Suicide Risk Prediction Modeling Approach Across Multiple Health Care Systems
Barak-Cohen Y, Castro VM, Nock MK, Mandl KD, Madsen EM [et al.], Smoller JW.
Published in JAMA Network Open on March 25, 2020

EXPANDING THE CAPABILITIES OF CRISPR
Unconstrained Genome Targeting With near-PAMless Engineered CRISPR-Cas9 Variants
Walton RT, Christie KA, Whittaker MN, Kleinstiver BP.
Published in Science on March 26, 2020 | *Summary available

TISSUE-BASED RESISTANCE TO OSIMERTINIB
Resistance to First-Line Osimertinib in EGFR-mutant NSCLC: Tissue Is the Issue
Piotrowska Z, Hata AN.
Published in CCR Translations on March 26, 2020

LATE LIFE DEPRESSION CARE AND SYMPTOM BURDEN IN RESPECT OF RACE & ETHNICITY
Association of Race and Ethnicity With Late-Life Depression Severity, Symptom Burden, and Care
Vyas CM, Donneyong M, Mischoulon D, Chang G, Gibson H [et al.], Okereke OI.
Published in JAMA Open Network on March 26, 2020

Summaries

Treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases (Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis) frequently consists of medications that suppress the immune response. This may be associated with a modest increase in risk of infection, but this increase in risk may not be uniform across all patients. In this study, we found that patients who met the definition for ‘frail’ in the 2 years prior had an increase in risk of infections when compared to those termed ‘fit’. This stratification may be particularly relevant in evaluating older patients with IBD and determining candidacy for various treatments.

(Summary submitted by Ashwin Ananthakrishnan, MD, Department of Gastroenterology)

As B and T cells develop in the immune system, antibody and T cell receptor genes are assembled from gene fragments by a series of DNA recombination events which produce the diverse set of antigen receptor (AgR) required to respond to a virtually limitless array of pathogens. DNA in cells are packaged into higher order structures known as chromatin. We show that chromatin at AgR loci undergoes specific changes during B and T cell development to create or release a barrier to recombination. These findings explain a key layer of regulation of antigen receptor diversity.

(Summary submitted by Marjorie Oettinger, PhD, Department of Molecular Biology)

Bone fractures heal through the action of skeletal stem cells. When the fracture is small, the stem cells evolve directly into bone cells. In complex fractures the stem cells first form cartilage that is later replaced by bone. Until now, it was poorly understood how this fate choice is regulated. We found that after fracture, fatty acids in our blood signal to stem cells that they have to develop into bone-forming cells. If there are no blood vessels nearby, the cells end up forming cartilage. The finding that specific nutrients directly influence the development of stem cells opens new avenues for stem cell research and regenerative medicine.

(Summary submitted by Nick van Gastel, PhD, Center for Regnerative Medicine)

Widowed older adults have a higher risk of dementia than their married peers but mechanisms are unknown and the influence of marital status in early Alzheimer’s disease has not been defined. We studied 257 cognitively normal older adults for three years and found that widowed individuals experienced worsening cognitive abilities compared to married individuals, adjusting for other risk factors. Moreover, being widowed had a compounding effect on cognitive decline associated with high levels of brain ß-amyloid, the Alzheimer’s disease protein. This suggests that widowed individuals are at risk for faster decline in early Alzheimer’s disease and merit specific research attention.

(Summary submitted by Nancy Donovan, MD, Department of Psychiatry)

Prior research has demonstrated that the heart enlarges in response to long-term exercise, but that the aorta, the body’s largest artery, is only minimally affected by athletic training. This study examined aortic size in 442 middle-aged runners and rowers and found 24% had aortic sizes exceeding the normal population ranges, suggesting increased aortic size related to long-term exercise. This is a relevant finding because increased aortic size is a risk factor for aortic dissection, a tear in the aorta. What this means for athletes is uncertain, as it remains unknown whether this type of aortic enlargement is associated with increased risk. Further study focused on clinical events is required.

(Summary submitted by Timothy Churchill, MD, Cardiology Division, Department of Medicine)

HEMATOPOESIS AND INLAMMATION IN RECURRENT HEART ATTACKS IN MICE
Diminished Reactive Hematopoiesis and Cardiac Inflammation in a Mouse Model of Recurrent Myocardial Infarction
Cremer S, Schloss MJ, Vinegoni C, Zhang S, Rohde D [et al.], Nahrendorf M.
Published in Journal of the American College of Cardiology on March 3, 2020

Often, patients do not only suffer one but several heart attacks, and such repeat events are particularly dangerous, as heart failure becomes more common. We wondered if the immune system, which regulates wound healing and recovery from heart injury, responds similar to a first versus a second infarct. To answer this question, we first developed a mouse model of double Myocardial Infarction (MI). Employing this double MI, we found that re-infarction eleicits a subdued inflammatory repsonse, and that the bone marrow supplied fewer leukocytes to the injured heart. Thus, the optimal treatment for a second infarct may differ from a first.

(Summary submitted by Matthias Nahrendorf, MD, PhD, Center for Systems Biology)

A GENETIC HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES
Population Histories of the United States Revealed Through Fine-Scale Migration and Haplotype Analysis
Dai CL, Vazifeh MM, Yeang CH, Tachet R, Wells RS [et al.], Martin AR.
Published in American Journal of Human Genetics on March 5, 2020

America's complicated history of immigration, migration, and admixture has greatly influenced genetic diversity across the United States. To understand how much, we used data from the National Geographic Society's Genographic Project to study the geographic patterns of genetic ancestry and admixture within the US over time, and learn how much Americans' genetics reflect historic demographic events. We found distinct genetic traces within many populations that reflect the nation's migration history, and subtle but potentially important levels of diversity within certain groups.

(Summary submitted by Alicia Martin, PhD, Analytic & Translational Genetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine)

We combined human brain connectomic and genetic data to investigate the biological basis of specific neurodevelopmental syndromes. We focused our investigation on behavioral difficulties in the visuomotor integration (VMI) system. First, we described the VMI functional topography with core areas in the lateral occipital cortex, OP4 and intraparietal sulcus. Then, we linked the cortical gene-expression and biological functions of several genes to the VMI network. Standing out among these results were TBR1-gene which is associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder; MAGEL2-gene with Prader-Willi Syndrome; and, SCN1A-gene and CACNB4-gene with Dravet Syndrome. In this study we provide a neurogenetic profile as a biological basis for neurodevelopmental syndromes with phenotypic VMI impairments.

(Submitted by Elisenda Bueichekú, PhD, Gordon Center for Medical Imaging, Department of Radiology)

Immunotherapy turns on the immune system to fight cancer. Recent clinical trials have found that immunotherapy helps patients with advanced lung cancer, but in those trials immunotherapy is tested only in the healthiest and strongest patients with lung cancer. We found that patients who were limited in their ability to do regular activities survived less long after immunotherapy compared to patients who did not have those limitations. Patients who received immunotherapy near end of life were less likely to receive hospice and more likely to die in the hospital. Patients and clinicians should discuss the risks and benefits of immunotherapy to make sure that patients receive care that is consistent with their goals.

(Summary submitted by Laura Petrillo, MD, Palliative Care Division, Deprtment of Medicine)

Promising preclinical studies have spurred great interest in whether altering the gut microbiome via fecal microbiota transplant (FMT) can affect body weight and metabolism. We performed a pilot trial in adults with obesity who were randomly assigned to receive six weekly doses of placebo or oral FMT capsules generated from healthy lean donors. We found that oral FMT was safe and tolerable, but we did not find convincing evidence of weight loss or meaningful metabolic improvements. However, we did find that FMT was able to durably alter the gut microbiome, opening the door to future research.

(Summary submitted by Elaine Yu, MD, MMSc, Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine)

How do we understand language so quickly and efficiently? We hypothesized that we use context to predictively pre-activate upcoming information, giving us a “head-start” in comprehension. For example, consider the context, "they cautioned the…”. Even though this doesn’t constrain for a specific word, it does constrain for the animacy of the next word (we can caution a person, but not an object). We used neuroimaging techniques (EEG and MEG) to show that, following contexts like these, the brain does indeed pre-activate upcoming animacy features during word-by-word sentence comprehension, and that these predictions are associated with specific spatial patterns of neural activity.

(Summary submitted by Gina Kuperberg, MD, PhD, Department of Psychiatry)

PrEP reduces the risk of HIV infection by up to 99 percent. Since 2012, there has been one FDA-approved PrEP formulation (F/TDF), sold under the brand name Truvada®, and the first generic version is expected in September 2020. Complicating the roll-out of generic F/TDF is the arrival of a second PrEP agent (F/TAF), sold under the brand name Descovy®. We examined whether there was evidence to justify the rush to get patients to use the newly branded F/TAF. We found that F/TAF is unlikely to confer any discernible health benefit over F/TDF generic alternatives, is not cost-effective and may undermine efforts to expand access to HIV prevention for the nation's most vulnerable populations.

(Summary submitted by Rochelle Walensky, MD, MPH, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine)

The brain’s cortex provides commands to plan and execute movements, but network activity in the basal ganglia is critical for producing a desired behavioral goal. Models of information transfer within this cortical-basal ganglia circuit traditionally consider only the rate of neuronal discharges. In this study, basal ganglia and cortical activity were recorded simultaneously during hand movements, in patients undergoing awake surgery for deep brain stimulation. Basal ganglia neuronal discharges were discovered to be phase-locked to cortical gamma oscillations in a behavior-specific fashion, providing novel evidence for a mechanism of cortical-basal ganglia information transfer that emphasizes neuronal discharge timing, rather than merely rate.

(Summary submitted by Mark Richardson, MD, PhD, Department of Neurosurgery)

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia in the elderly, yet its causes remain unclear. Deposits of the amyloid-ß peptide trigger neurofibrillary tangles (NFT), leading to neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation. In this study, we show for the first time that it's the ratio of the pathogenic Aß42 versus the more common Aß40 isoform, and not total Aß levels, that drives NFT formation in human neurons. These results emphasize the importance of drugs such as ?-secretase modulators (currently being developed by the authors) to reduce the Aß42/40 ratio as a therapeutic strategy for AD.

(Summary submitted by Doo Yeon Kim, PhD, Department of Neurology)

SYNTHESIS OF PHOSPHORAMIDATE-LINKED DNA
Synthesis of Phosphoramidate-Linked DNA by a Modified DNA Polymerase
Lelyveld VS, Zhang W, Szostak JW.
Published in PNAS on March 18, 2020

Polymerases are the most conserved enzymes on Earth. These enzymes copy genetic material to form DNA and RNA. Chemistry, however, allows for many alternative genetic polymers, some of which can even self-assemble readily without enzymes. Why, then, are cells composed of DNA and RNA? If polymerases had evolved to form other polymers, could the central dogma have turned out differently? Here we show that a polymerase can produce alternative chemical linkages by catalyzing a reaction distinct from its native one. We shed light on how this reaction proceeds and suggest that the emergence of this activity may help us envision alternative central dogmas in synthetic cells—or perhaps those on other worlds.

(Summary submitted by Victor Lelyveld, Department of Molecular Biology)

We used stem cells from patients with schizophrenia to understand cellular-molecular underpinnings of schizophrenia. We generated stem cells by “reprogramming” skin cells to make stem cells and used the stem cells to grow brain organoids, or "mini-brains," in the laboratory. Schizophrenia brain organoids showed differences in genes involved in synapses that nerve cells use to communicate with each other as well as in genes involved in neurodevelopment. They also showed specific differences in electrical firing patterns in response to external stimulation. These studies show how patient-specific stem cells can be used to generate brain organoids in the lab to interrogate the neurobiology of severe mental illness.

(Summary submitted by Rakesh Karmacharya, MD, PhD, Department of Psychiatry)

An unhealthy diet is a leading risk factor for life-altering diseases and mortality. The recent establishment of large biobanks with extensive health and genetic data enables researchers to study how genes influence dietary habits. Using data from ~450,000 participants in the UK Biobank, we conducted a comprehensive genomic analysis on both single food intake and dietary patterns made up of multiple foods, and demonstrated that most dietary habits are influenced by common genetic variation. Overall, we identified hundreds of regions in the genome that affect eating habits, and we used genetic tools to understand relationships between diet and human health.

(Summary submitted by Joanne Cole, PhD, Department of Medicine)

Physician gender pay gap disparities continue despite many studies in the literature spanning more than two decades that document women are often not paid equitably. In this new study, the authors analyzed 39 physician compensation studies and found that women disproportionately and significantly were involved with the production and dissemination of this research as compared to men. Furthermore, they found that most of the compensation studies were unfunded. Since men are disproportionately represented in leadership positions and therefore make many compensation decisions, the findings in this study suggest that accelerating progress in closing pay gaps may depend on increasing their engagement as well as funding.

(Summary submitted by Julie Silver, MD, Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabillitation)

Cancer that spreads to the brain is typically deadly and treatment options are limited. We identified changes in lung cancer-promoting genes that may allow the disease to metastasize (spread) to the brain. Our work points to possible therapies approaches for treating brain metastases from lung cancer.

(Summary submitted by Priscilla Brastianos, MD, Mass General Cancer Center)

Genome editing tools allow researchers to make custom changes to genetic material in living cells. However, the most commonly used CRISPR enzymes can only access a subset of all possible DNA sequences in a genome, preventing their wide application. To overcome this limitation, we used protein engineering to develop new CRISPR tools capable of targeting almost any sequence in the genome with single-base-pair resolution. These novel enzymes allowed us to generate previously intractable genetic variants implicated to protect individuals against several diseases. The improved flexibility of these tools will enable researchers to pursue a variety of genome editing applications that were not previously possible.

(Summary submitted by Russell T. Walton, Broad Institute)

Press Releases

Immune-Cell Biomarker May Provide Early Diagnosis Tool for Bacterial Sepsis
Featuring Roby Bhattacharyya, MD, PhD, Michael Filbin MD, and Marcia Goldberg, MD

Researchers at Mass General, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, MIT, and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard have come a step closer to early diagnosis of sepsis and perhaps to the development of treatments that can stop it before it even begins.

Study Finds Long-Term Endurance Exercise is Associated with Enlarged Aorta
Featuring Aaron L. Baggish, MD

As a sports cardiology fellow at Mass General’s Cardiovascular Performance Program, Timothy W. Churchill, MD, noticed that a surprisingly high number of master athletes — the rapidly growing population of aging men and women who continue to train and compete into middle age and beyond — were coming in for evaluation of aortic enlargement.

Massachusetts General Hospital Launches New Preventive Genomics Clinic
Featuring Amit V. Khera, MD

Mass General is announcing the launch of a new Preventive Genomics Clinic, aiming to empower patients to better understand, predict and prevent disease using genetic information.

Get Waivered Program Awarded FORE Grant to Fight Opioid Epidemic
Featuring Shuhan He, MD

The Mass General Get Waivered program has received a behavioral economics and digital health grant through an initiative funded by the Foundation for Opioid Response Efforts (FORE).

Booster for Flu and Other Respiratory Disease Vaccines Developed by Mass General Researchers

A study by Mass General researchers has shown that this adjuvant/immune booster given along with a flu vaccine can make the shot much more effective against a wider range of strains than any single vaccine is usually protective against.

New Insights on How the Brain ‘Wakes Up” After Anesthesia
Featuring Yumiko Ishizawa, MD, PhD

The process of awakening from anesthesia has not been well understood before, but studies using microelectrodes directly placed in the cortex of non-human primates now show that when consciousness returns after anesthesia, brain dynamics change abruptly, like an “on and off” switch, despite the fact that the anesthetic concentrations fall gradually.

Kim and James Taylor Contribute $1 Million to Mass General’s COVID-19 Efforts

Beloved Boston singer/songwriter James Taylor and his wife, Kim, have contributed $1 million to Mass General to support the institution’s ongoing efforts to battle the escalating coronavirus pandemic that has threatened the health and well-being of millions across the nation and around the world.

Blog Posts

Mass General Nurses Showcase Their Research During Grand Rounds
Featuring the Munn Center for Nursing Research

The Munn Center for Nursing Research at Mass General recently celebrated a grand round events to recognize the recipients of several recent grants and awards.

Reducing the Devastating and Disproportionate Impact of Untreated Health Issues Among the Homeless
Featuring Kirsten Dickins, PhD, AM, FNP-C

The devastating effects of these conditions are compounded by the barriers that homeless individuals often face when accessing healthcare services. Conditions that could be managed with preventative care and/or medication often spiral out of control when left unaddressed.

Too Much of a Good Thing? How a Typically Healthy Cellular Process Turns Harmful
Featuring Alexander Soukas, MD, PhD

In a recent study published in Cell, a Mass General research team led by Alexander Soukas, MD, PhD, detailed a paradigm-shifting discovery in which an increase in the permeability of mitochondria in cells elevates levels of autophagy to the point that it becomes harmful.

Devising New Ways to Improve the Bioengineering of Blood Vessels
Featuring Wafa Altalhi, PhD

Wafa Altalhi, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow in the Ott Lab at Mass General’s Center for Organ Engineering, is working on strategies to rebuild what could be considered the plumbing system of an organ—the blood vessels that bring nutrients to its cells and connect it to the rest of the body.

Research Roundup for March: New Insights into Sepsis and Autism Spectrum Disorder

Research Roundup is a monthly column summarizing some recent research advances from Mass General.

How to Stay Up-to-Date on Mass General’s Coronavirus Response

The situation regarding the COVID-19 pandemic is changing on a moment-to-moment basis, and we want to make sure you stay informed. Here’s a handy list of resources that will keep you up to date on what’s happening at Mass General from both a clinical and research perspective.

A Team Effort to Tackle the Daunting Challenges of COVID-19

Researchers and clinicians from Mass General joined with colleagues from the Boston/Cambridge science ecosystem for a Grand Rounds session on March 12 to provide details on an unprecedented team effort to respond to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mass General Physicians Answer Questions about COVID-19
Featuring Paul Biddinger, MD, and Rochelle Walensky, MD, MPH

Paul Biddinger, MD, director of the Mass General Center for Disease Medicine and Rochelle Walensky, MD, MPH, chief of infectious diseases at Mass General and Steve and Deborah Gorlin MGH Research Scholar, sat down on Saturday, March 21st, to answer pressing questions about COVID-19.

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Snapshot of Science for March 2020