Sally Kornbluth
MIT President
Health and Life Sciences / Spring 2026
“Why would the Massachusetts Institute of Technology make such a big institutional commitment to something like the Health and Life Sciences Collaborative?’ Well, here’s one statistic: As measured by publications over the last five years, roughly three-quarters of MIT faculty are working in, or with, fields in health and the life sciences. In other words: If we want to support our faculty, and the students who work alongside them, how could we not invest in MIT HEALS?”
A Search and Rescue for the Nervous System
Chemical engineer Katie Galloway is programming cells that could one day target and repair acute injuries
The Journey to Better Health, Powered by MIT
MIT HEALS initiative builds on generations of interdisciplinary work and collaboration with hospitals, biotech
Economics and AI Join Forces to Expand Reach of Diagnostics
With a focus on "silent" heart attacks, professors Esther Duflo and Marzyeh Ghassemi develop tools to scale up access to health screening in low-resource settings
Medical Engineer Draws on Video Game Design to Aid Doctors in Surgery
Supported by MIT HEALS, Vivek Gopalakrishnan, a PhD student in the Harvard–MIT Program in Health Sciences and Technology, finds “intrinsic joy” in solving problems
Rather than Simply Making Machines Smarter, Media Lab Researchers Seek to Empower People
‘Advancing Humans with AI’ makes bettering lives the focus
What 911 Calls and Natural Disaster Response Show
Justin Steil’s work as an emergency responder informs his research in public health policy
Global Health Research Shaped by Legacy of Conflict
MIT HEALS graduate fellow Odinaka Kingsley Eze’s work to strengthen health systems is influenced by lessons learned from the Nigerian civil war
Building Better—and Biodegradable—Polymers
For scholarship recipient Julia Casey ’26, a high school fascination with plastics led her to chemical engineering at MIT and a focus on sustainable materials
At MIT Sloan, Examining How AI is—and Isn’t—Improving Health Care
Professor Kate Kellogg explores the technology’s promise and limitations in clinical settings
Unlocking AI’s Mysteries Using Insights from Brain Research
PhD student Quilee Simeon ’21, SM ’25, a K. Lisa Yang Computational Neuroscience Fellow, studies nervous systems to better understand animals and machines
Aneal Krishnan ’02: Honoring MIT’s Impact on His Life
Decorated Iraq veteran mentors today’s MIT cadets, vocalists
Great Books Form Great Leaders, Says Tech Pioneer
Ray Stata credits business success to grounding in humanities
Meeting Children Where They Are to Transform Learning Worldwide
J-PAL helps scale the Teaching at the Right Level program, improving foundational skills for millions of children
Charles Staples ’59: Bonds to MIT that Cross Generations
For the grandson-in-law of former MIT president Maclaurin, the commitment is personal
New Ideas for Preventing Complications During Pregnancy
MIT HEALS grant supports research of uterus physiology, seeking to better predict risks faced by pregnant women
Janina Ojeiduma ’27 Eyes Impact of Toxic Chemicals on Human Health
In her spare time, MIT HEALS SuperUROP scholar learns new languages, sings in gospel choir
Building Community to Transform Human Health
MIT HEALS links MIT researchers with clinicians and entrepreneurs to drive impact in challenging diseases and neglected areas of care