News & Events | Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology

MIT engineers created a DNA-acrylamide gel that can be degraded by DNA-editing enzymes. At right, the gel is broken down after two hours of exposure to a DNA "trigger sequence." At left, the gel is exposed to DNA that doesn't contain the trigger sequence, so it remains intact. Image courtesy of the researchers

Using CRISPR to program gels with new functions

Smart materials change properties in response to specific DNA sequences; could be used in a variety of devices according to research from HST/IMES at MIT and Harvard University.

A much less invasive way to monitor pressure in the brain

A new technique could help doctors determine whether patients are at risk from elevated pressure.

A course called Machine Learning for Healthcare introduces students to the technical and ethical challenges of using automated tools to diagnose and treat patients. Photo: Irene Chen

Software-driven health care: Joint HST class offers some clues

A course that combines machine learning and health care explores the promise of applying artificial intelligence to medicine.

MIT researchers have developed a noninvasive hydration sensor that is based on the same technology as MRI, but, unlike MRI scanners, it can fit in a doctor’s office. Image: Lina Colucci, Andrew Hall

HST alum Lina Colucci helms development of hydration sensor for dialysis patients

The noninvasive device could benefit patients with kidney disease, congestive heart failure, or dehydration.

MIT neuroscientists have identified patterns of brain activity that underlie our ability to interpret sensory input based on our expectations and past experiences. Credit: Christine Daniloff, MIT

HST MEMP PhD student Nicolas Meirhaeghe co-leads study identifying "prior belief" signals in the brain

Neuroscientists find brain activity patterns that encode our beliefs and affect how we interpret the world around us.