this WEEK in HST

HEALTH SCIENCES AND TECHNOLOGY - "STIMULATING DISCOVERY AND INNOVATION FOR 55 YEARS"

We hope you will join us for the 55th Anniversary Celebration of the Harvard-MIT Program in Health Sciences and Technology (HST) on Friday, November 7 and Saturday, November 8. 

This exciting event provides the opportunity to re-connect with the HST experience and with the HST community. The Friday dinner at MIT will include a fireside chat with Sally Kornbluth, MIT President, and Alan Garber, Harvard University President, moderated by George Q. Daley, Dean of Harvard Medical School, and HST alum. Stay tuned to the  HST 55th Anniversary page  as more program details become finalized.

We encourage faculty and alumni to secure their seat now, registration will open for HST students in October. Please check your email for the registration link! If you have not received the registration link via your alumni or faculty listserv, please contact the planning committee at HST-55th [at] mit.edu (HST-55th[at]mit[dot]edu). 

We are looking forward to celebrating with you!

MEMP PHD THESIS DEFENSE ANNOUNCEMENTS

Announcements will be updated regularly. 

MIT GLOBAL SUPPORT RESOURCES: REGISTERING YOUR TRAVEL

Per the current travel risk policy, you are required to register your MIT-related travel data with the MIT Travel Registry. By registering, the Institute is better able to locate and contact you if you are traveling in an area where health, safety, or security are threatened.

Who should register?

All MIT students, faculty, staff, and affiliates are required to register travel through the MIT Travel Registry if your travel is MIT-related.

MIT-related travel includes travel that:

• Is funded entirely or in part by MIT sources.
• Is organized primarily by MIT (e.g., MIT selects the participants).
• Is conducted at the behest of MIT or in furtherance of MIT objectives.
• Is related to scholarly activities (whether paid for by MIT or not).
• Requires the use of MIT equipment, supplies, or personnel.

In addition to registering, non-MIT students and non-MIT travelers participating in trips led or organized by MIT must also sign a liability release form (for non-MIT travelers). Those forms should be returned to the MIT program or class organizing the trip.

Although not required, the MIT community is also encouraged to register personal travel for increased safety measures.

The MIT Travel Registry is also available through the MIT Atlas App. 

For more information, visit the MIT Global Support Resources website.

HELP SPREAD THE WORD - HST!

Are you traveling for any of the following reasons?

• Conference/workshop
• Giving a talk
• Visiting your alma mater

Can you help promote HST by talking to prospective students?

Contact Laurie Ward (laurie [at] mit.edu (l)aurie [at] mit.edu (aurie[at]mit[dot]edu)) for talking points and promotional materials to distribute.
A link to an HST Programs Slide to include in your presentations can be found here.

HST.590 BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING SEMINAR SERIES - FALL 2025 SCHEDULE

Fall 2025 Topic: Healthcare Systems

The course provides a foundational overview of how health care is organized, delivered, financed, and accessed across diverse settings. Through expert guest speakers students will explore the structures and challenges of modern health systems—from hospital operations to global innovation models. Emphasis is placed on understanding how health technologies interact with economic, political, and social systems, equipping students with systems-thinking tools essential for impactful research and innovation.

November 13
Comparative Health Systems
Tim Ferris

November 20
Paying for Health: Insurance, Reimbursement & Cost Control
Andrew Lo

TBD
Hospital Operations & Decision Making

December 4
Future of Health Systems (potential topic) & Course wrap-up
Tim Ferris + TBD

If you have further questions, please contact the course coordinator Abigail Jackson at abigaimj [at] mit.edu (abigaimj[at]mit[dot]edu) 

FIRST EVER INSTITUTE-WIDE MIT UROP MIXER

Are you interested in working with UROP students and wondering how to connect?

This expo-style event will connect undergraduates with mentors offering exciting UROP opportunities (across all MIT disciplines) for IAP, Spring, and Summer 2026.

Tuesday, October 28 from 3-5pm at the Stratton Student Center (W20, 2–3rd fl)

Sponsored by the Provost’s and Chancellor’s offices, this is the first large-scale event promoting UROP opportunities across all MIT disciplines, and we are anticipating many interested undergraduates attending. 

The mentor sign-up form can be found here. 

If anyone has any questions or needs more information, please contact Melissa Martin-Greene, Assistant Director, UROP (melmart [at] mit.edu (melmart[at]mit[dot]edu)). 

NEW WINTER 2026 HARVARD T.H. CHAN SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH COURSE OPPORTUNITY

New Winter Session Offering: Global Nutrition in Action (NUT 223)

Connecting students to the frontlines of global nutrition

Most courses give you the theory. This course takes you further.

In Global Nutrition in Action (2.5 credits), you will connect directly with the organizations and practitioners designing and implementing today’s most innovative nutrition programs around the world.  We’ll spotlight real-world case studies on pressing challenges for programs in the areas of maternal malnutrition, infant and young child feeding, cash transfers, nutrition-health packages, and agriculture-based interventions.  You’ll hear directly from leaders at NGOs and multilateral agencies—professionals who are shaping how global nutrition is practiced every day.

Instructor: 
Sheila Isanaka, ScD
Associate Professor of Nutrition
Departments of Nutrition and Global Health and Population

What makes this course unique?

• Real-world focus: Each session features a Program Spotlight led by a guest expert currently working on a pressing issue in global nutrition.
• Interactive format: You’ll prepare and present Session Primers, engage in structured debates, and test your skills in program-focused assignments.
• Direct networking: “Coffee and Chai Chats” with guest speakers provide rare opportunities to build relationships and explore career paths.

Why take this course?
If you want to move beyond academic theory and see how nutrition programs actually work in the field—with all their complexity, tradeoffs, and constraints—this course will give you that experience. You’ll gain insight into the challenges of implementation, sharpen your ability to analyze program design, and build a network of practitioners and peers who share your commitment to global health and nutrition.

Enrollment is limited to 15 students to ensure meaningful engagement with faculty, peers, and guest experts. There are no prerequisites, and the course is open to students from all backgrounds with an interest in global health and nutrition. Open for cross-registration for graduate students. 

If you have further questions about the course, please contact the instructor at sisanaka [at] hsph.harvard.edu (sisanaka[at]hsph[dot]harvard[dot]edu). 

MIT BOOTCAMPS ON INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP

MIT Bootcamps are immersive educational experiences focused on innovation and entrepreneurship. They are collaborating with the NIH/NIDA to put on a program focused on substance use disorder (SUD), called SUD Ventures.

There is an opportunity for students, and others, to be participants of the program. Additionally, there are a number of webinars coming up regarding this topic.

If you’d like to learn more, please contact MIT Bootcamps director Hanna Adeyema at hadeyema [at] mit.edu (hadeyema[at]mit[dot]edu) to discuss potential collaborations.

MIT COMMUNITY WELLNESS CLASSES AND RESOURCES

MIT Health Community Wellness serves all members of the MIT community, regardless of insurance coverage.

Our programs and resources give you the health and wellness tools you need to thrive at MIT.

This year, the MIT community is adapting to new ways of taking care of ourselves and others. If you’d like to connect with your community, stay active, sleep better, relieve stress, and more, Community Wellness at MIT Medical can help you find wellness programs that fit your needs.

View all Community Wellness classes here.

MIT WRITING AND COMMUNICATION CENTER (WCC)

The Writing and Communication Center offers free one-on-one professional advice from communication specialists with advanced degrees and publishing experience. The WCC can help you further develop your oral communication skills and learn about all types of academic and professional writing.

WCC Individual Consultations
During these consultations, you can work on your written or oral projects with WCC instructors who can guide you at all stages of your communication process.

WCC has prepared a series of workshops on style, literature review writing, and other topics. You can register for our offerings through this link.

For more information on WCC programs, check the WCC website.

UPCOMING EVENTS FROM THE TEACHING + LEARNING LAB (TLL)

Our Mission
The Teaching + Learning Lab (TLL) partners with MIT educators, staff, and administrators to create a reflective educational environment where students are academically challenged, actively engaged, and personally supported.

Find information on upcoming TLL programs, speakers, workshops, etc. here.

Upcoming Grad Teaching Tracks
Grad Teaching Development Tracks are sets of short, interactive workshops intended for graduate students interested in improving their teaching skills while teaching at MIT or applying for faculty positions in the future.

Find more information on the Teaching Tracks here.

For any questions about programs and resources available to graduate students through the TLL, contact Ben Hansberry, Assistant Director for Graduate Student Teaching (bhansber [at] mit.edu (bhansber[at]mit[dot]edu))

Subscribe here to the TLL Newsletter.

HARVARD CATALYST COURSES AND EVENTS

Harvard Catalyst works with Harvard University’s schools and affiliate academic healthcare centers to build and grow an environment focused on team science – where discoveries are rapidly and efficiently translated to improve human health. We catalyze research across all clinical and translational domains by providing investigators with opportunities such as pilot funding, free resources such as biostatistics consultations, training and mentoring programs, and numerous courses. To facilitate communication, collaboration, and data collection, our informatics team develops a range of open-source tools available to the community within Harvard University and beyond.

Information on courses and training through Harvard Catalyst can be found here.
A calendar of Harvard Catalyst events can be found here.
Subscribe to the Harvard Catalyst Newsletter here.

HARVARD INNOVATION LABS CALENDAR OF EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES

Information about the Harvard i-lab and it's upcoming events and activities can be found here.

2025 IRWIN M. ARIAS SYMPOSIUM

The first Irwin M. Arias, M.D. Symposium was held in 1991, and the theme of the event was – as it remains today – Bridging Basic Science and Liver Disease.

This unique one-day program brings together hundreds of leading biomedical scientists and physicians from across the globe and is designed to bridge the remarkable advances in basic biology and engineering with the understanding of liver diseases and their treatment. Research presented over the past 34 years has led to advances in the diagnosis and treatment of virtually all liver diseases in children and adults.

This year’s Annual Irwin Arias Symposium, with a theme of ‘building bridges’ within and beyond the liver research community, and spanning across academic, clinical, and translational research teams, will be held in person at the Broad Institute on Tuesday, December 2. 

The full-day program will include 12 prominent speakers, a trainee poster competition over lunch, the opportunity for junior scientists to deliver 3 minute ‘Microtalks’ as part of the main program, and a wine and cheese reception. We are also offering a hybrid option so that distant attendees will be able to watch the program live, from anywhere in the world. 

The 2025 symposium will be offered both in-person and virtually. In-person attendees will benefit from a poster session and networking opportunities with plenary speakers and other attendees. Breakfast, lunch, and a networking reception will also be provided to in-person attendees.

We welcome participation from researchers at every stage of their careers, and invite them to share perspectives from their academic, industrial, and clinical research settings. Trainees who are interested in presenting a micro-talk (in-person or virtually) or poster (in-person only) should submit an abstract with their registration.

**October 31, 2025 is the deadline for abstract submissions for the Poster competition (and consideration for a trainee Microtalk invitation). 

We hope you will register today. Our partners at the American Liver Foundation have worked with sponsors to enable the program to be provided free of any charge to all academic attendees. 

If you have any questions about this event, please contact reasearch [at] liverfoundation.org (research[at]liverfoundation[dot]org).

We look forward to making this the most engaging Arias Symposium yet! 

MULTI-CELLULAR ENGINEERED LIVING SYSTEMS (M-CELS) SEMINAR SERIES

Please join us for our M-CELS Special Topics Seminar on Biosensors. 

The event will consist of lightning talks from a faculty member from each M-CELS institution (MIT, UIUC, Georgia Tech), followed by a joint Q&A session.

Monday, October 27 from 2-3pm on Zoom

JOIN HERE

Featured Speakers: 

Professor Brian T. Cunningham, PhD, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Title: Cancer Diagnostics at the Doctor’s Office: Faster than a Domino’s Pizza

Abstract: When a person goes to the doctor with an infection, they can leave the appointment with a diagnosis and a prescription for antibiotics.  Why can’t the same be true for cancer?  Oncologists, oral surgeons, gynecologists, and patients are all eager to simplify the journey that cancer patients currently face for initial diagnosis, therapy selection, therapy effectiveness monitoring, and remission monitoring.  Through a multidisciplinary team science approach that involves UIUC engineers, chemists, biologists, and clinical partners, we are developing ultrasensitive, simple, rapid, quantitatively accurate and inexpensive approaches for detecting molecular biomarkers for cancer.

Professor Rohit Karnik, PhD, Department of Mechanical Engineering, MIT

Title: Particle Immunocapture Settling Assay (PISA)

Abstract: Ensuring widespread access to in vitro diagnostics requires adaptable, robust and scalable detection methods. However, various challenges remain, ranging from costs and logistical challenges for gold standard tests to sensitivity and difficulty in quantification for point-of-care tests, contributing to the lack of basic healthcare access for an estimated 400 million people. We propose a novel yet simple platform, the Particle Immunocapture Settling Assay (PISA), for scalable, adaptable, rapid, and accurate bioanalysis. PISA relies on dispersion of functionalized microparticles in a sample, followed by capture of target molecules as the particles settle to a functionalized surface. The target molecules influence the interaction of the microparticles with the surface, which is easily detected by low-power microscopy. We developed PISA to detect cardiac troponin I (cTnI), a biomarker for myocardial infarction. The results demonstrated a limit of detection of 5 pg/mL for cTnI in buffer and 100 pg/mL in serum, already comparable to first-generation laboratory assays, with room for further improvement. PISA is simple to operate, requiring the user to only add the sample to a container and place the container in a low-cost reader. With further advances, PISA has the potential to realize high sensitivity and specificity in a low-cost, simple-to-operate format that is amenable to use in resource-constrained environments and other point-of-care settings.

Professor Rafael V. Davalos, PhD, Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology

Title: Design, Development, and Application of Contactless Dielectrophoresis

Abstract: Contactless Dielectrophoresis (cDEP) was invented as a solution to mitigate common challenges faced in electrokinetic applications, such as Joule heating, low throughput, reduced sample viability, and low specificity. cDEP offers a gentle platform for microfluidic separation of mammalian cells with its entirely polymer-based construction and cell-sized structures. Development of cDEP has progressed through an evolution of designs to eventually achieve its latest iteration housing a sample channel containing tens of thousands of cell-sized posts. This technique is termed “contactless” because the energized liquid electrodes are isolated from the sample channel by a thin PDMS capacitive membrane, preserving the sample viability and reducing undesirable electrochemical phenomena. We have investigated and characterized several design features such as post size, membrane thickness, and external electronics both numerically and experimentally. Optimization of these parameters has improved the device significantly as we noted a reduction in pearl chaining, enhancement in selectivity, and decrease in device fabrication cost. Through numerical modeling of the electrical and fluidic behaviors in the device, the benefits and limitations of cDEP are better understood. cDEP, because of its unique design, has pioneered the way for sensitive batch separation with high cell viability. Applications of cDEP have been primarily employed for investigation of malignant cells towards oncological precision medicine. We have used cDEP to characterize, enrich, and sort heterogeneous subpopulations such as macrophages from fibroblasts, cancer stem cells from cancer cells of the same type, and early- from late-stage cancer cells. Going forward, we are pursuing new applications where cDEP may excel on the benchtop, provide enhanced sample preparation upstream and downstream of other processes, aid cancer research, and facilitate basic science discoveries.

We are still looking for more graduate students to join our committee! Please reach out to shahjess [at] mit.edu (shahjess[at]mit[dot]edu) if you are interested!

2025 MILDRED S. DRESSELHAUS LECTURE

The Dresselhaus Lecture series is named in honor of Mildred "Millie" Dresselhaus, a beloved MIT professor whose research helped unlock the mysteries of carbon, the most fundamental of organic elements—earning her the nickname “queen of carbon science.” This annual event recognizes a significant figure in science and engineering from anywhere in the world whose leadership and impact echo Millie’s life, accomplishments, and values.

Join MIT.nano for the 2025 Dresselhaus Lecture!

"Printing soft and living matter in three dimensions"

The ability to pattern soft and living matter in three dimensions is of critical importance for several emerging applications. In this talk, Lewis will begin by describing the design of printable materials for direct and embedded 3D printing. She will then introduce representative functional, structural, and biological inks as well as sophisticated printhead designs for fabricating soft materials ranging from soft electronics to robotic matter. Finally, Lewis will highlight our efforts to create vascularized human tissues via a tight integration of stem cell biology, organoid building blocks, and bioprinting.

Monday, November 3 from 4-5 pm in MIT 10-250
Reception to follow!

Speaker: 
Jennifer Lewis
Hansjörg Wyss Professor of Biologically Inspired Engineering 
John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
Wyss Institute, Harvard University

Jennifer Lewis is the Hansjörg Wyss Professor of Biologically Inspired Engineering at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and a Core Faculty Member at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering. Her research focuses on the digital manufacturing of functional, structural, and biological materials. Multiple startups are commercializing technology from her lab ranging from 3D printed electronics to kidney therapeutics. She is an elected member of the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, National Academy of Inventors, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Lewis has received numerous awards for her work, including the NAS James Prize for Science and Technology Integration.

REGISTER HERE

If you have further questions about this event, please contact mitnano [at] mit.edu (mitnano[at]mit[dot]edu) or visit the MIT.nano website. 

HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL 2025 HEALTH CARE CONFERENCE

We are excited to announce the 23rd Annual HBS Health Care Conference, a student-run conference at Harvard Business School with 600+ attendees each year. The healthcare ecosystem is at a pivotal moment. From scientific breakthroughs to digital innovation to global shifts in policy and funding, the way care is delivered, financed, and experienced is being redefined.

This year’s theme—“Catalyzing Healthcare’s Next Chapter”—calls for bold innovation and concrete action. Expect a full day of keynotes, panels, and networking with leaders driving the transformation of healthcare.

Saturday, November 15 at Harvard Business School (Klarman Hall)

Highlights include:

• Keynotes on scaling disruptive business models, reimagining healthcare with AI, and investing & transformation in life sciences — delivered by renowned industry leader.
• 20 Panels covering digital health, therapeutics, value-based care, investing, global markets, and more.

Meet the entrepreneurs building tomorrow’s healthcare solutions!

Featured speakers include: 

• Todd Park — Former U.S. CTO & Co-Founder, Devoted Health
• Andrew Adams — Group VP, Eli Lilly
• Adam Koppel — Partner, Bain Capital Life Sciences
• Dominic King — VP of Health, Microsoft AI
• ⁠⁠Reva Nohria — Partner, General Catalyst
• Tanay Tandon — Co-Founder & CEO, Commure (formerly Athelas)
• Jeffrey Ries — Partner, JP Morgan Health

REGISTER HERE

To learn more about the conference's schedule of events or if you have any questions and would like to get in touch with the organizers, please visit the HBC Health Care Club's website.

MIT NEUROTECH 2025

Neurotech 2025 presents talks by neurotechnology pioneers, whose cutting-edge innovations are changing the face of neurobiological research from molecules to cognition.

Friday, October 31 from 10am-5pm in the Singleton Auditorium, MIT 46-3002 (43 Vassar Street Cambridge, MA 02139) followed by a reception from 5-6pm. 

Speakers Include: 

• Anna Devor
  Boston University
• Michael Fox
  Harvard Medical School/Brigham and Women's Hospital
• Jeff W. Lichtman
  Harvard University
• Madeline Oudin
  Tufts University
• Xiao Wang
  MIT/Broad Institute
• Xin Yu
  Harvard Medical School/Massachusetts General Hospital

The Symposium is free and open to the public, but seating is limited and registration is required. Lunch will be provided while supplies last.

REGISTER HERE

If you have any questions, please contact cnbe-admin [at] mit.edu (cnbe-admin[at]mit[dot]edu). To view the full agenda and learn more about the symposium, please visit their website. 

This event is sponsored by the MIT Center for Neurobiological Engineering (CNBE), the McGovern Institute, the Picower Institute, the department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, and the department of Biological Engineering. 

AHLI CONFERENCE ON HEALTH, INFERENCE, AND LEARNING - CALL FOR PAPERS

The AHLI Conference on Health, Inference, and Learning (CHIL) solicits work across a variety of disciplines at the intersection of machine learning and health. CHIL 2026 invites submissions focused on artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) techniques that address opportunities and challenges in health, which we view broadly as including clinical healthcare, public health, population health, and beyond. 

Authors are invited to submit 8-10 page papers (with unlimited pages for references) to one of 3 tracks: Models and Methods, Applications and Practice, or Impact and Society. Each track is described in detail below. 

Important Dates

• Submissions open: Wednesday, December 10, 2025
• Submissions due: Wednesday, February 4, 2026
• Author notification: Thursday, April 9, 2026
• CHIL conference: June 28-30 2026 

Tracks & Topics

• Track 1: Models and Methods: Algorithms, Inference, and Estimation
• Track 2: Applications and Practice: Investigation, Evaluation, Interpretation, and Deployment
• Track 3: Impact and Society: Policy, Public Health, Social Outcomes, and Economics

For more information on the scope of each track, submission details and guidelines, and contact information, please visit the Call for Papers page on our website or reach out to us at chil [at] ahli.cc (chil[at]ahli[dot]cc). 

We look forward to reading your submissions! 

BRIDGERD: CLINICAL GENETICS MEETS FUNCTIONAL GENOMICS FOR RARE DISEASES

Many rare disease patients today still face long "diagnostic odysseys" and low diagnosis yields. The accurate clinical interpretation of rare and novel variants remains a major barrier to diagnosis and treatment.

Currently, clinicians and researchers approach variant analysis very differently. Most clinical genetics insights originate from basic research, yet functional genomics researchers often lack the clinical context necessary to design models that accurately reflect real patient phenotypes. Conversely, clinicians either have limited awareness of genetics or struggle to find researchers with relevant expertise for their patients’ conditions. 

BridgeRD aims to address this disconnect by:

• Raising awareness of shared and unique challenges across disciplines
• Foster cross-disciplinary collaboration
• Highlight key tools and databases that can help bridge the gap between clinical insight and functional variant analysis

BridgeRD2025 is excited to host a variety of opportunities to learn, collaborate, and brainstorm solutions to challenges in studying and treating rare disease:

• Speaker Series: Talks from leaders in clinical genetics, functional genomics, and AI (available in person and live stream online).
• Networking opportunities: structured lunch for in-person attendees
• Interactive Problem-solving Workshop: Explore and generate cross-disciplinary initiatives to improve rare disease diagnostics and treatment (Limited seats available. Please indicate your interest in participating in the in-person registration form, and we will reach out)

Wednesday November 12 from 9am-3pm at both the Whitehead Institute and Online

REGISTER HERE

We invite clinicians, clinical variant scientists, basic science researchers, and AI scientists to accelerate efforts to functionally characterize rare variants, improve clinical care, and drive the field forward.

Practicing clinicians, trainees, and academic and industry professionals are welcome to share their insights and explore potential cross-disciplinary initiatives for accelerating the diagnosis and treatment of rare diseases.

Please join us to see how cutting-edge science and research collide to tackle rare diseases head-on!

CRITICAL ISSUES IN TUMOR MICROENVIRONMENT, ANGIOGENESIS, METASTASIS AND IMMUNOLOGY COURSE: 40TH ANNIVERSARY

The “40th Annual Critical Issues in Tumor Microenvironment: Angiogenesis, Metastasis and Immunology” course, directed by Professor Rakesh K. Jain, will continue to offer the best in critical analysis of what is currently known about the tumor microenvironment, including lectures covering: angiogenesis, metastasis, immunology, metabolism, microbiome, chronobiology, cancer-neuroscience, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies, and integrating physical sciences, and AI in oncology. The faculty is internationally recognized. They will present their latest findings from their clinics and laboratories. 

The goal of this course is to highlight key gaps in present knowledge of cancer and outline future directions for research at the bench and in the clinic.

The course will return to a four-day in person format in Boston, MA from November 10-14, 2025.

Learning formats will include didactic lectures, trainee-led Q&A and group discussions. The faculty will encourage an open discussion and will provide critical comments on challenges and future opportunities in research in cancer and in establishment of novel therapy approaches and biomarkers to guide treatment. 

The aim of this course is to analyze and synthesize the most up-to-date findings. Our faculty will present valuable information in a systematic and comprehensive framework, along with a critical review of various measurement techniques. This course is dedicated to helping to improve clinical translation of this knowledge and competence, leading to improved cancer treatment.  

To celebrate the 40^th anniversary, we have added a special Trainee-focused 5^th day to our course where the course participants will have the opportunity to present scientific posters, followed by a roundtable discussion session on career guidance for junior scientists, clinicians, and engineers.

For comprehensive information about this course, including faculty, schedule, location, and pricing, please visit the 40^thCritical Issues in Tumor Microenvironment: Angiogenesis, Metastasis and Immunology website

We are happy to offer a discount of 50% off to Harvard and MIT affiliated scholars. In addition, Harvard will provide an additional tuition discount of 10% for groups of 5, and 20% discount for groups of 10 or more. Please contact tuccello [at] mgh.harvard.edu (tuccello[at]mgh[dot]harvard[dot]edu) for the discount codes.

We look forward to having you join us for the 40^th Anniversary of this course!

MIT SLOAN HEALTH SYSTEMS INITIATIVE (HSI) LUNCH SEMINAR SERIES

DYNAMICS OF THE US HEALTHCARE SYSTEM: TRENDS, CHALLENGES, AND OPPORTUNITIES

In this seminar we will develop a more nuanced understanding of healthcare - the stakeholders, business dynamics, and infrastructure.  We’ll also explore how the healthcare consumer interacts with the system and superimpose current health challenges to identify opportunities and an approach to strategy development. 
This seminar is intended for aspiring healthcare entrepreneurs as well as those with industry experience who seek a deeper understanding.

Wednesday, October 29 from 11:30am-1pm in E62-450

Lunch will be provided in-person! 

Guest Speaker: Anthony Dowidowicz, MD, Regional Medical Director (Southeast Region), Optum

Anthony Dowidowicz is the regional medical director (Southeast Region), Optum. In addition to his medical degree, Anthony received his MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management where he spent additional time pursing advanced research in system dynamics. He is the founder of the MIT Sloan Physicians Group and serves on the Health System Initiative Board.

RSVP HERE

If you have any questions about this event, or have any dietary concerns, please contact Lisa Maloney at lmaloney [at] mit.edu (lmaloney[at]mit[dot]edu). 

UPCOMING INSTITUTE COMMUNITY & EQUITY OFFICE (ICEO) EVENTS

A calendar of upcoming events is available here.

MEDICAL DEVELOPMENT GROUP BOSTON - EVENTS

The Medical Development Group Boston (MDG Boston) is a community of individuals professionally committed to the Medical Device and other Medical Technology Industry segments united by the belief that innovation and advances in technology lead to substantial improvements in health care.

MDG's Mission is to contribute to the continuing development of medical devices and other medical technologies by enhancing the professional development of its members, fostering and supporting entrepreneurial thinking, serving as a forum for exploration of new business opportunities, and promoting best practices in enterprise management.

MDG pursues this mission through the organization of educational programs and forums: the facilitation of cross-disciplinary dialogue and collaboration; the creation of venues for networking and information sharing for current and aspiring professionals, clinicians, and entrepreneurs; and the development of alliances with complementary organizations.

We would love for you to attend and spread the word in your community!

For more information on our upcoming events, visit our website.

BRAINMAP SEMINARS

Future topics will be similar to the previous Brainmap season, with some talks on Optogenetics, MR-PET, BOLD physiology, ultra-high field MRI, multimodal integration, contrast agents, and many more exciting topics! Unless otherwise noted, seminars (webinars) are held on Wednesdays at noon.

Find out about Brainmap here. Sign up here for our mailing list, in order to receive notices about our upcoming seminars.

2026 HAROLD M. WEINTRAUB GRADUATE STUDENT AWARD

In 1999, the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center established the Harold M. Weintraub Graduate Student Award to recognize outstanding achievement during Graduate Studies in the Biological Sciences. We are looking forward to our twenty-seventh year!

We are seeking nominations for outstanding candidates for this Graduate Student Award. We envision the Graduate Student Awardees to be advanced students near the completion of their studies.

Like other fellowships, nominations are coordinated through the HST Academic Office.  

If you would like to nominate a MEMP graduate student or you are a MEMP student who would like to be considered, please send your PDF application materials to hst-nominations [at] mit.edu (hst-nominations[at]mit[dot]edu) by 5pm Friday, November 2, 2025. The person writing the recommendation may send their letter separately to hst-nominations [at] mit.edu (hst-nominations[at]mit[dot]edu).

The 2026 Weintraub Awardees will be selected and the accompanying in-person Weintraub Symposium will be held in Seattle on Friday, May 1, 2026.

To learn more about this award, the nomination process, and previous recipients, please visit our website. 

STEM OUTREACH OPPORTUNITY - STEM SCHOLARS @ RAGON

Passing along information about a new STEM tutoring and mentorship program at the Ragon Institute! The STEM Scholars program serves high school students in Cambridge, in collaboration with the Cambridge Housing Authority. Mentors will be paired individually with a student for weekly tutoring and mentorship sessions through the fall and early winter (October - late January). If you’re interested in learning more, please sign up at this link!

EXCITING MINDHANDHEART COMMUNITY OPPORTUNITIES

Random Acts of Kindness (RAK) Mini Grants
Looking to spread some kindness at MIT? MindHandHeart's RAK Mini Grants are now open for applications! Whether it’s for your coworkers, lab group, or house, you can receive up to $250 for your small kindness project—any time of the year! Apply today, and let’s make our community a little brighter.

TOASTMASTERS CLUBS OF MIT

Do you know anyone looking to improve communication skills: speaking and listening? Visit a Toastmasters Club. The members of Toastmasters Clubs of MIT are happy to help students practice.

"Toastmasters is a fantastic way to improve your presentation skills! I personally learned a great deal from the MIT club and highly recommend it." -- Gwen Acton, MIT PhD

Clubs are currently meeting online and in person! 

The Original Toastmasters @ MIT, Friday at 12 noon to 1 PM, via Zoom

Tuesday Evening Toastmasters, 6:30 to 8:00 PM on the second and fourth Tuesday of the month

Humor & Drama Toastmasters, 1st Saturday of the month 10 AM to noon, via Zoom

GRADUATE COMMUNITY FELLOWS POSITIONS

Grad students, interested in improving graduate life & community at MIT while earning a partial stipend? Apply to become a Graduate Community Fellow!

When would I start? Start dates are flexible and based on the Fellow and the hiring organization. If you’re looking for a job starting this semester, over IAP, or next semester, these openings may be a great fit for you!

What would I do? Graduate Community Fellows work on projects and assignments that enhance the graduate community at MIT in targeted, impactful ways. Each Fellow reports to a staff member in the OGE or a partner organization. See specifics below.

What are the requirements? Must meet minimal eligibility requirements and agree to the terms of appointment. Appointment periods for Fellow positions vary. All positions serve 10 hours per week, and receive compensation of $700 per month.

International students with full-time RA/TA appointments should note that there are eligibility restrictions.

Available positions are listed at the current Fellow positions page.

How do I apply? Once you’ve reviewed position details, download the application to apply. Applications for all positions are reviewed on a rolling basis. We hope to hear from you!

Questions? Contact Jessica Landry, jlandry [at] mit.edu (jlandry[at]mit[dot]edu).

MITAC OPPORTUNITIES

Welcome! The MIT Activities Committee offers discounted tickets to the MIT community for local arts and culture, sporting events, and family activities.

Visit MITAC​ ~ Your Ticket to Fun for movies, museums, sports, theatre, music, family, seasonal & special events since 1984!

• Online Website: https://mitac.mit.edu/
• On campus: The MITAC Stata Center ticket office is open Tues-Fri 12-4pm.

Feel free to stop by and visit!  

We look forward to seeing everyone!

Members of the MIT community: subscribe here (at the bottom of the page) to our mailing list/newsletter to receive the latest updates delivered right to your inbox!

OFFICE OF GRADUATE EDUCATION - FELLOWSHIP WORKSHOPS & FINANCIAL LITERACY RESOURCES

Fellowship Newsletter
Our Fellowship Newsletter is a monthly/bimonthly occurrence that includes upcoming opportunities and events, tips on applying to fellowships, announcements, and generally an avenue for us to relay fellowship related information. 

Interested in receiving the newsletter? Please sign up for our mailing list by clicking here. Future Graduate Fellowship Bulletins will be sent right to your email inbox.

Some financial literacy resources:

OGE website’s Financial Wellbeing section: https://oge.mit.edu/finances-employment/financial-wellbeing/

OGE website’s fellowships section: https://oge.mit.edu/finances/fellowships/ including Fellowships Tips: https://oge.mit.edu/finances/fellowships/fellowship-tips/

Please reach out to the OGE at grad-ed [at] mit.edu (grad-ed[at]mit[dot]edu) with questions about our workshops or our financial literacy resources.

If there are further questions about fellowships, the OGE Fellowship section can be found here, especially the Fellowships Tips content here.  

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS OFFICE NEWSLETTER

Read current and past issues of the ISO Newsletter here. For non-students, you can also subscribe to receive published copies by email.

MIT GRAD DIVERSITY & ICEO NEWSLETTERS

The Office of Graduate Education (OGE)’s GradDiversity seeks to support the success of underrepresented and under-served graduate students at MIT. This takes place through a series of programs designed to strengthen recruitment, enhance community, and ignite development in academic, leadership, and professional skills.

Together with the Institute Community and Equity Office and our faculty, students, and staff from across the Institute, we are committed to fostering a more inclusive and caring climate that intellectually engages and values all members of our MIT community.

Sign up for the GradDiversity Newsletter here.

Sign up for the ICEO Newsletter here.

MIT SPOUSES & PARTNERS CONNECT AND MIT LANGUAGE CONVERSATION EXCHANGE

We connect people across MIT for conversation, cultural exchange, and friendship.

MIT Spouses & Partners Connect - open to significant others of MIT students, postdocs, and staff

KERBEROS and ID CARDS for SPOUSES & PARTNERS
MIT students and employees may sponsor a guest Kerberos account for their spouse or partner to establish their digital identity in MIT's systems. Once registered, the spouse or partner may activate their digital MIT ID and obtain a physical card if needed. 

Get started at https://ist.mit.edu/id. Please read the instructions carefully as there are different processes for those who live in an MIT residence and for those who live off campus.

For more information about where you can use your MIT ID card, see this page.

EVENTS FOR NEWCOMERS
The best way to stay up to date on all of our events and activities is to subscribe to our email newsletter!

Private Consult with MS&PC Staff
Facilitated by Program Manager, Jennifer Recklet Tassi, this private appointment via Zoom or in-person is a time to ask questions, voice concerns, and reimagine your life here in Boston. We can spend the time talking about whatever is on your mind - from job search and career development to navigating a new city to figuring out how to make your experience in Boston productive and meaningful.

Appointments will be available at various times during the week.

Book a 30-minute private Zoom or in-person appointment here: https://mspc.youcanbook.me/

BEST WAYS TO LEARN ABOUT OUR EVENTS

• Subscribe to our email updates: http://spouses.mit.edu/join/subscribe
• Join the MITFamilies Slack Space: bit.ly/mitfamiliesslack
• Join our private Facebook Group
• Follow us on Instagram @mspconnect
• Visit our events calendar at spouses.mit.edu/event-calendar

MIT Language Conversation Exchange - open to all members of the MIT community

How to find a conversation partner at MIT so you can practice a language you are learning or want to improve with a native speaker.

Visit our website: http://lce.mit.edu

• Search and contact native speakers of languages you want to practice for one-on-one conversation held at your convenience
• Watch this video to learn how our website works

Join our Slack Space: https://bit.ly/lce-slack

• Join or create channels for the languages you are interested in
• Practice your writing skills while meeting other people at MIT who share your language interests

Subscribe to our newsletter: https://lce.mit.edu/subscribe

• Stay informed about upcoming small group meetings & events

GET IN TOUCH WITH THE LCE

Email us at lce [at] mit.edu (lce[at]mit[dot]edu)

Follow us on Facebook @MITLCE

Visit our calendar

POSTDOCTORAL POSITION IN MECHANISTIC AND MACHINE LEARNING MODELING OF HUMAN DISEASE PROCESSES WITH CLINICAL LABORATORY AND MEDICAL RECORD DATA - HIGGINS LAB AT MGH AND HMS

A post-graduate research position is available in the laboratory of John Higgins, MD, located in the Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Systems Biology and Department of Pathology and the Harvard Medical School Department of Systems Biology. 

Qualified applicants will have extensive knowledge of and interest in human pathophysiology and mathematical modeling including dynamical systems, machine learning, statistical inference, computational methods, and good software engineering practices.  

For example, strong candidates would be able to compare and contrast the following: hemostasis and thrombosis, ODE and PDE, lymphocyte and myelocyte, transformer and convolutional block.

The following skills and experience are required:

• Experience simulating PDEs and working with neural networks in MATLAB or Python.
• Knowledge of human physiology and pathology such as hematologic function, immunology, inflammatory responses, and pregnancy.
• Experience deriving mathematical models from biological data.
• Ability to work independently and mentor more junior group members.

Applicants should have a Ph.D. and/or M.D. degree or be in their final year of their doctoral studies, and have at least a strong undergraduate background in math, computer science, or engineering. 

Interested individuals should provide a CV and a cover letter describing past research experience, future research interests, career goals, and contact information for three references.

Interested applicants can contact John Higgins (higgins.john [at] mgh.harvard.edu). 

PHD AND POSTDOCTORAL POSITIONS IN HOST-MICROBIOME RESEARCH - ZOMORRODI LAB AT MGH AND HMS

The Zomorrodi Lab at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Harvard Medical School is seeking highly motivated PhD and Postdoctoral candidates excited about studying host-microbiome interactions in chronic human diseases.

About us:
Our lab integrates innovative computational and experimental approaches to investigate the intricate interactions between the human host and microbiome, with a focus on metabolism and nutrition. We develop Genome-Scale Models (GEMs) of metabolism, build machine learning (ML) tools, and leverage 3D gut organoid models to understand the mechanisms by which microbiomes contribute to disease progression and therapeutic response. We also explore the applications of Natural Language Processing (NLP) and
Large Language Models (LLMs) in medicine and biomedicine. The overarching goal of our research is to advance precision medicine by uncovering mechanisms driving chronic disease pathogenesis and harnessing AI to streamline clinical decision-making and improve patient care.

For more information about our lab, please our website. 

Open positions:

PhD position in computational systems biology: A PhD candidate will focus on computational analysis of host-microbiome metabolic crosstalk in Celiac Disease (CeD) using genome-scale models. This role involves large-scale computational modeling of microbiomes and host intestinal epithelial and immune cells, multi-omics data integration, and downstream statistical and ML analysis for biomarker discovery.

Required qualifications: (i) Must be admitted to a relevant PhD program at Harvard or another Boston-area university (MIT, Boston University, etc.), (ii) Undergraduate or master’s degree in a quantitative field (e.g., Computational Biology, Computer/Data Science, Bioinformatics, Biostatistics, Chemical/Biomedical/Biological/Electrical Engineering) OR
strong programming skills with a solid background in computational analysis. 

Postdoctoral Position in experimental microbiome research: The postdoctoral researcher will investigate host-microbiome interactions in Celiac Disease (CeD) using patient-derived 3D gut organoid models and microbial isolates. This position involves: working with human cell lines, patient-derived tissues, and microbial cultures, investigating interactions between intestinal epithelial cells, immune cells, and gut microbes, and employing next-generation sequencing (NGS) and multi-omics approaches. The postdoc will collaborate closely with co-investigators on the project.

Required qualifications: (i) PhD in a relevant field (e.g., Cell Biology, Microbiology, Immunology, Biomedical Sciences, Bioengineering, Biochemistry) with a strong publication record, (ii) Experience with human cell culture, microbial culture, or next-generation sequencing (NGS) techniques (preferred but not strictly required), (iii) Ability to quickly learn new experimental techniques, (iv) Strong verbal and written communication skills, (v) Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced, dynamic research environment and a rapidly evolving field.

Application process: Interested candidates should contact Dr. Zomorrodi at azomorrodi [at] mgh.harvard.edu (azomorrodi[at]mgh[dot]harvard[dot]edu), providing a CV and a brief description of their interests. Use “PhD [or Postdoc, whichever is relevant] position in the Zomorrodi Lab” as the email subject. Applications are reviewed until the positions are filled. Shortlisted candidates will be contacted for an interview.

Research environment:
Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) is a teaching hospital for Harvard Medical School and consistently ranks among the top hospitals in the U.S. Our lab is based in Boston, Massachusetts, in close proximity to world-class institutions, including MIT, The Broad Institute, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston Children’s Hospital, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of
Public Health. This dynamic research environment fosters strong collaborations, intellectual exchange, and access to cutting-edge technologies. 

The Zomorrodi Lab is committed to diversity and equality and encourages applications from underrepresented minorities.

RESEARCH POSITION OPENINGS - DUPONT LAB AT BOSTON CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL

We are seeking highly motivated researchers for the following projects:

Robotic Cardiac Catheters 

We are developing robotic catheters for heart valve repair and for treatment of arrythmias. Robotics offers the advantage of reducing the learning curve for complex beating-heart procedures and, ultimately, provides a platform for introducing automation. Important components of these projects can include: (1) user-based and autonomous control, (2) integration of therapeutic devices, and (3) testing in anatomical and animal models. Experience in robotics, control and prototyping is preferred.

Transcatheter Heart Valve Repair and Replacement Devices

Transcatheter procedures avoid the trauma and risks of open-heart surgery by delivering devices that are intended to replicate surgical repair and replacement. We are creating novel devices and tools for both valve repair and replacement. These projects require innovative design and creative problem-solving skills along with expertise in prototyping and experimental evaluation.

Cutting tools for Transcatheter Valve Modification

While current transcatheter valve interventions deploy devices that push, pull and approximate tissue to restore valve function, a complete surgical repair often involves cutting and removing valve tissue. As a first step toward providing this capability, this project involves developing catheter-delivered energy-based cutting tools for valve repair and replacement.

Qualified applicants should respond by email to Professor Pierre Dupont
(Pierre.Dupont [at] childrens.harvard.edu) with a description of their qualifications, academic background and availability.

More information on our lab can be found on our website. 

RAND'S TECHNOLOGY AND SECURITY POLICY CENTER

Interested in working on Technology and Security Policy?

Technology and Security Policy Fellowship

The RAND Technology and Security Policy Fellowship develops new generations of policy analysts and implementors at the intersection of technology and security issues. Fellows perform in-depth, independent research relating to one or more of the research areas of the Technology and Security Policy Center. Fellows receive mentorship from RAND policy experts for their independent research. Additionally, fellows may work on RAND client-sponsored research, up to an average of one day per week.

Candidates are welcome from all experience levels, from undergraduate students to mid-career professionals. Fellowship durations will typically start at one year with the possibility of up to two additional years. Fellowships can be full- or part-time. Fellows must be based in the United States or United Kingdom, working remotely or at one of RAND's U.S. or U.K. offices.

Current students and recent graduates are welcome to apply. Selection decisions are made on a rolling basis, with applicants being notified at least once per quarter.

To learn more about the TASP fellowship program email: TASP_fellowship_inquiries [at] rand.org (TASP_fellowship_inquiries[at]rand[dot]org) 

POSTDOC POSITION OPENING IN CAPASSO LAB - HARVARD SEAS

The Capasso group at Harvard SEAS has an opening for postdoctoral position related to biophotonics+metasurface/biosensing research. The postdoc will make contributions towards building a metalens optical system to image bacteria, including integration with small-pixel sensors, potentially an easy-to-use manual focus system, an integrated light source, and an image capture and transfer system.The candidate will join the group of Prof. Federico Capasso and collaborate with a team at the Harvard Medical School, led by Prof. Johan Paulsson, focused on bacterial detection identification (ID) and antibiotic susceptibility testing (AST), leveraging on this optical system, including interfacing with a microfluidic system.

In addition to the basic instrument, the postdoc will develop more advanced metalens imaging modalities for bacteria, with the purpose of making the AST not only faster and more robust, but also potentially achieving some basic level of species ID. This will include the development of a compact form of quantitative phase microscopy by encoding polarization-dependent optical functions onto a single metasurface to perform full-Stokes image polarimetry.

Proficiency in laboratory optics and photonics with particular emphasis on imaging systems such as microscopy is preferred. Previous experience in nanophotonics and clean room fabrication would be beneficial but is not strictly required. History of work in polarization and optical polarimetry desirable. Interviews are currently on-going for this position: https://academicpositions.harvard.edu/postings/14008

NIH HEAL PAIN COHORT PROGRAM: NOW RECRUITING POST-DOCTORAL TRAINEES

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is excited to announce the launch of a new post-doctoral training program called the HEAL Initiative Partnerships to Advance INterdisciplinary (PAIN) Training Program in Clinical Pain Research. The HEAL PAIN Cohort Program, via the T90/R90 mechanism, provides interdisciplinary training to postdoctoral scholars pursuing careers in pain and addiction research. By integrating a broad range of scientific disciplines and fostering a collaborative research environment, the program equips trainees with the skills needed to advance pain science, develop innovative treatments, and translate research findings into clinical practice. This program will emphasize mentorship, career development, and hands-on research experience. The program will help ensure postdoctoral trainees are well-prepared to contribute to the HEAL Initiative's mission of improving pain management.

The Positively Uniting Researchers of Pain to Opine, Synthesize, and Engage (PURPOSE) network will help facilitate a national cohort experience among the postdoctoral trainees at the funded T90/R90 centers, as well as organize an annual meeting that all trainees will be required to attend. Learn more and join the PURPOSE network at https://painresearchers.com/.

For more information and to apply, please reach out to the center(s) of interest directly below. If you are interested in multiple centers, you may email PainCohortPrograms [at] painresearchers.com (PainCohortPrograms[at]painresearchers[dot]com) and your information will be forwarded to all centers.

The University of Utah Program to Provide Pain Research Knowledge (UP3RK) mission is to impart the science knowledge, skills, and core competencies needed by post-graduate, interdisciplinary Scholars to address the nation’s scientific needs in clinical pain research. UP3RK trains Scholars through mentorship, interdisciplinary research skill development and concentrated training in our four focus areas (nonpharmacologic pain treatments, effective interventions for pain and substance use disorders; implementation science, research within vulnerable, diverse, and underserved populations). We train UP3RK Scholars within an innovative, multi-level mentor model to prepare clinical pain investigators for successful, independent, research careers.

Contact PI: Dr. Julie Fritz, julie.fritz [at] hsc.utah.edu (julie[dot]fritz[at]hsc[dot]utah[dot]edu)

The MGB IMPACT (Interdisciplinary Mentorship Program Advising Clinical Trainees) Program in Clinical Pain Research is based in Boston. The program offers training to postdoctoral fellows, with the long-term goal of expanding the number, diversity, and collaborative network of clinical pain researchers, advancing our understanding of pain and our ability to effectively manage pain without opioid medications. MGB IMPACT focuses on team science, providing interdisciplinary mentorship and training in clinical pain research by bringing together a diverse group of mentors from an array of backgrounds, including Psychology, Neurology, Neuroscience, Psychiatry, Women's Health, Epidemiology and others. MGB IMPACT operates collaboratively with other T90/R90 programs around the country to promote innovative solutions for pain management and improve patient care by providing high-quality training to future leaders in clinical pain research.

Contact PI: Dr. Robert Edwards, rredwards [at] partners.org (rredwards[at]partners[dot]org)

The Stanford PAIN cohort is dedicated to interdisciplinary research training in maternal and childhood pain and bioinformatics. We will train participants from across the national cohort in pediatric and maternal health and pain, equipping a new generation of clinical pain researchers to apply a lifespan lens to identify primary and secondary prevention strategies to address the pain epidemic. Core faculty research leaders will help match trainees to mentors within the Stanford PAIN cohort content areas of: (1) bioinformatics, (2) pain across the lifespan, specifically child and maternal pain, (3) nonpharmacological (behavioral) interventions for pain, (4) prevention of the transition from acute to chronic pain and (5) advancing health equity in the field of pain.

Contact PI: Dr. Laura Simons, lesimons [at] stanford.edu (lesimons[at]stanford[dot]edu)

The University of Michigan Pain T90/R90 program is looking for postdoctoral scholars interested in a career in pain science. We have a broad range of mentors that can help guide scholars in nearly any type of clinical or translational pain science. A focus of this program will be the career development of the scholars, who generally will be expected to write a NIH career development award (K award) during this postdoc.

Contact PI: Dr. Daniel Clauw, dclauw [at] med.umich.edu (dclauw[at]med[dot]umich[dot]edu)

The University of Florida Partnerships Across Interdisciplinary Networks: Training through Engineering, Epidemiology & Addiction Medicine or UF PAIN TEAM is located in Gainesville, North Central Florida. The program offers postdoctoral training to fellows interested in pursuing clinical pain research within collaborative interdisciplinary teams across the UF Pain Research & Intervention Center of Excellence (PRICE). During the first year of the program, fellows will identify and partner with other fellow(s) in the program and along with mentors will develop a team science project extending their individual research projects. Our long-term goal is to increase the number of pain researchers able to perform complex team science research, advancing our understanding of pain and therapeutic options. Our mentors span interdisciplinary backgrounds including Neuroscience, Engineering, Psychology, Epidemiology, Addiction Medicine, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Physical Therapy, Anesthesiology, and others. The UF PAIN TEAM will also work collaboratively with other T90/R90 programs around the country to increase our future clinical pain workforce and their ability to work within large interdisciplinary teams.

Contact PI: Dr. Yenisel Cruz-Almeida, cryeni [at] ufl.edu (cryeni[at]ufl[dot]edu)

At Washington University in St. Louis we have developed a new postdoctoral training program: the Promoting Excellence through Pain and Addiction Research Enhancement (PREPARE) T90/R90 Training Program. A defining feature of the PREPARE Program will be an emphasis on social determinants of health (SDOH) as they relate to chronic pain and substance use disorders clinical research. SDOH define the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, and age, and the inequities in power, money, and resources that are often responsible for disparities in pain and substance use outcomes across the U.S. Our overall goal is to develop outstanding independent investigators capable of sustaining productive clinical research careers addressing the biopsychosocial (emphasis on social) mechanisms underlying chronic pain and substance use disorder development, and/or designing clinical interventions to relieve pain and ameliorate substance use.

Contact PI: Dr. Burel Goodin, burel [at] wustl.edu (burel[at]wustl[dot]edu)

TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES AT THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH (NIH)

The National Institutes of Health’s Office of Clinical Research Training and Medical Education offers an extensive range of clinical research training opportunities to prepare the next generation of clinician-scientists. Brief descriptions of the programs are provided below. As world’s largest biomedical research agency, the NIH encourages future clinician-scientists and medical researchers to consider adding an NIH experience to their portfolio.

Graduate Medical Education
NIH currently sponsor 17 medical specialty or subspecialty programs which have been accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). We also jointly sponsor clinical training programs with extramural training partners, to include Johns Hopkins, University of Maryland, and the National Capital Consortium. In addition, we sponsor numerous "one of kind" translational medicine fellowship training programs. https://cc.nih.gov/training/gme/programs1.html

Clinical Elective Programs
Short term—4 to 12 week—clinically oriented elective rotations for senior medical and dental students; unique mentored specialty/subspecialty clinical research rotations are also available for combined program students (i.e., MD/PhD, DO/PhD). https://cc.nih.gov/training/students/clinical_electives.html

Postdoctoral Research Training Awards
Provides the opportunity for recent doctoral degree recipients to enhance their research skills in the resource-rich National Institutes of Health (NIH) environment, which consists of more than 1200 laboratories/research projects. https://www.training.nih.gov/programs/postdoc_irp

Graduate Partnerships Program
This program is designed to bring PhD graduate students to the NIH Intramural Research Program for dissertation research. https://www.training.nih.gov/programs/gpp

IIE EU - U.S.  EDUCATION COOPERATION FOR RESEARCHERS

For information on EU – U.S. cooperation in doctoral and postdoctoral education opportunities for U.S. researchers and organizations. Visit IIE online at www.iie.org. Please contact the programs directly for additional information or with any questions you may have.

A quote from a recent Fulbright U.S. student, "My advice to Fulbrighters of the future is that which was given to me. Go at it with an open mind; your experience will not be anything like you predicted and will mark you indelibly, but it will be great."

WOMEN'S HEALTH INNOVATION NETWORKING MIXER

LabCentral and Innovation Centre Denmark Boston invite you to the Women’s Health Innovation Mixer, a networking reception celebrating the next generation of women’s health innovation. This event brings together Danish startups participating in the Women’s Health Innovation Program with LabCentral residents, industry strategics, and investors from across the Boston biotech ecosystem.

Join us for a casual evening of conversation, connection, and discovery as global innovators and corporate partners explore new opportunities for collaboration and growth. Come meet the founders shaping the future of women’s health and experience the community that makes LabCentral a launchpad for breakthrough science.

Tuesday, November 4 from 4-6pm at LabCentral 238 (238 Main Street, Cambridge MA)

REGISTER HERE

This event is supported by the Nordic Women's Health Hub and Healthcare Denmark. 

VERTEX PHARMACEUTICALS FELLOWS PROGRAM INFORMATIONAL SESSION & PANEL

Vertex is a global biotechnology company that invests in scientific innovation to create transformative medicines for people living with serious diseases, with a focus on specialty markets.

The Vertex Fellows program is a unique, one-year opportunity for outstanding early career scientists to explore drug discovery as a potential career. You will be embedded in a research team based on your interest and our project needs. You will receive formal training on the collaborative process of drug discovery in addition to hands-on experience with real world R&D problems. The program is designed for early career Ph.D. and/or M.D/Ph.D. candidates who are less than 5 years post-graduation.

Please join us for an info session/panel with Harvard PhD alumni and previous Vertex Fellows to learn about the application process and hear about their experience as Vertex Fellows!

Wednesday, October 29 from 6-7:30pm in TMEC 128

Food and drinks will be provided! 

Panelists:

• Dennis Grabowski
  Associate Director, Vertex Fellows Program
• Alexandra Mattei, PhD
  Senior Research Scientist, Gene Editing and Delivery
• Hailey Cambra, PhD
  Research Scientist, Cell and Genetic Therapies
• Karina Barbosa, PhD
  Senior Research Scientist, Stem Cell Research

REGISTER HERE

The program is sponsored by David Altshuler, Chief Scientific Officer, with the involvement of many other Vertex senior leaders.

MIT GRADUATE STUDENT CAREER EXPLORATION GRANT

The Graduate Student Career Exploration Grant awards a small grant ($1,000 or $1,500) to help graduate students cover the cost of completing a one-month underfunded domestic internship over IAP in a career field they would like to explore further. Underfunded opportunities are defined as opportunities paying less than $2,000 over the one-month IAP. 

Example industry areas can include but are not limited to: non-profit, local government, startups, communication, creative fields, education or sustainability. Since the objective of the grant is to promote career exploration, priority will be given to applications where the proposed opportunity extends beyond the scope of their current academic research trajectory and enables the applicant to make meaningful connections in industry. 

Reasons to apply

• Leverage an opportunity to complete short term experiential learning opportunities outside of academia
• Explore potential jobs in industry, build your professional network, and develop professionally
• Develop the skills you’ll need to find a job once you’ve completed your degree 

Funding

$1,000 or $1,500 based on student need

Funds can be used to offset expenses students incurred by completing the experience. Examples of expenses includes, travel, transportation, housing , food or other living expenses. This grant funding might be subject to taxes and MIT recommends that students consult with a tax preparation advisor to determine how to best report this grant on your taxes.

Grants are to be used to enable an internship during the current academic year’s IAP and cannot be used to reimburse expenses incurred during a previous time period.

Funding cannot be used for trainings, classes, or experiences outside of the US. MBA students are not eligible for this grant.

What do you need to apply?

1. Offer letter from a host organization for an experience over IAP
2. Answers to short answer questions
3. Resume

Review application details and this training module offering resources to help you secure an internship

DEADLINE TO APPLY: Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until funds have been allocated or until November 15, whichever comes first. If you would like to apply for the grant after November 15, contact Tavi Sookhoo  (tsookhoo [at] mit.edu (tsookhoo[at]mit[dot]edu)).

If you are in the process of securing an internship but have not received an offer letter yet, we encourage you to submit an application. In your short answer responses, please indicate that you are in the process of attaining an offer letter and when you expect to receive it.

Attention International Students: You  are strongly encouraged to review this Guidance for International Students to determine your eligibility, prior to beginning the application process.

If you have further questions, please visit the MIT CAPD website or contact Tavi Sookhoo  (tsookhoo [at] mit.edu (tsookhoo[at]mit[dot]edu)). You can also visit the student profiles of previous recipients to see example internships. 

GSAS HARVARD BIOTECH CLUB CAREER 101 SERIES

Information on upcoming sessions of the Career 101 Series will be posted here when available. 

GRIFFIN GSAS HARVARD BIOTECH EVENTS

Interested in staying up to date and being the first to hear about our events?? 

Sign up to our mailing list here

Get more information on the club here at our website 

Follow us on social media!

Twitter: @thebiotechclub

Facebook: GSAS Harvard Biotech Club

CAPD FACULTY JOB SEARCH GUIDE

CAPD has launched the Faculty Job Search Guide! This completes our online PhD career support program (Kerberos login required), which brings together industry and academic job search resources and examples for easy access. The whole set of resources, the Faculty Job Search Guide, the PhD Career Document Library, and our PhD Resumes for Industry Jobs, is there whenever our students are ready. You can also find links on the CAPD PhD page.

MCKINSEY AND COMPANY RECRUITING NEWS

Starting in January, we will begin recruiting for those interested in our full-time Associate role who graduate between December 2024 – Summer 2025. Advanced Professional Degree (APD) candidates are postdocs or working toward the following degrees: PhD, MD (including medical interns, residents and fellows), JD, PharmD, Nursing, and non-MBA Masters. Non-MBA Master candidates must have at least four years in between the completion of their undergraduate degree and graduate degree to be qualified as having an APD.

Over 80% of our consultants have advanced degrees in fields outside of business, and as our firm continues to grow and evolve, we are looking for more people like you – experts in their fields – to join our community. We hope you will consider starting your journey with us, so you can be at your best at McKinsey!

Make sure to bookmark our website ahead of the new year.

As always, feel free to reach out to our APD_Recruiting_Team [at] McKinsey.com (APD recruiting team) with questions!

What’s on the horizon…
We will be hosting virtual sessions each month. These sessions will help you learn about the world of consulting, how your degree will be valuable, what life is like at McKinsey, and how we help our clients solve the most complex problems.

We can’t forget to mention Insight & Diversity Connect! Planning is underway for these two flagship programs. Find information on our website.

Connecting on campus Our recruiting team or consultants may be visiting a campus near you. Whether virtually or in-person, we are excited to learn more about YOU and what makes you interested in McKinsey!

Fill out our Connect with APD form!

This will give you access to all things APD recruiting in the coming months.
Make sure you’re on our list.

MIT ALUMNI ADVISORS HUB - ADVISING OPPORTUNITY FOR MIT STUDENTS

The MIT Alumni Advisors Hub is an online platform that students can use to ask for advice when they need it—from MIT alumni around the world. Students can get advice on their job and internship search, conduct a mock interview or informational interview, explore career paths and future entrepreneurial pursuits, and navigating life at MIT.

Sign up to gain access to a community of alumni who are eager to share their advice at https://alumniadvisors.mit.edu/.

Find an advisor today!

UPCOMING MIT CAREER FAIRS

MIT has a diverse range of career fairs, only a few of which are run by Career Advising & Professional Development. Others are managed by student organizations or academic departments. MIT students are also welcome at some fairs hosted by companies, professional organizations, and other universities.

To get the most of your career fair experience, see our Tips for Career Fair Success. You can also view the CAPD events calendar for career fair workshops.

Find out more about career fairs at MIT.

GRADUATE STUDENT CAREER EVENTS - WEBSITE & CALENDAR

For those who are looking for other resources, recordings of career related workshops and sessions for grad students available here: http://capd.mit.edu

The CAPD Event calendar can be found here. 

Sign up for the Graduate Student Career Advising mailing list here.

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