The MGRI Image Contest was created in 2018 with the goal of providing and inside look at Mass General research and sharing the stories of our researchers.
This year, we received 55 images from across 35 divisions departments and centers. From freezing pain to sharing what it means to be a scientist during the COVID-19 pandemic, the finalists of this year’s MGRI image contest showcase the unique nature of research at Mass General and the stories of the scientists who submitted them.
Of these 55 entries, a panel of judges selected eight finalists, including one winner and one honorable mention. We are excited to reveal our finalists, but also encourage everyone to review all of this year’s stellar entries on Facebook.
Please join us in congratulating the finalists and learn more about them and their research below!
Description
Many nerves are covered with a layer of lipid (myelin) that help send signals for movement and sensation. Locally cooling nerves can temporarily destroy this myelin, stopping pain signals from reaching the brain for a while until the body can naturally heal over time. Here, we see those lipids in different layers along the outside of nerve fibers and in small droplets where cells have begun to repair this damage.
By looking at a few layers in the nerves, which are shown as the gradient in color, we can see normal or healing nerve fibers right next to the lipid debris, and the cells that respond to the treatment. Once the myelin is replaced, the nerve function returns. Looking at the shape and alignment of these nerves allows us to compare different treatments for structural recovery while studying new, safe, and reliable methods to stop pain or movement.
About Isaac’s research
The Evans Lab is focused on the development and translation of optical tools for challenges in biomedical research and clinical medicine. We use optical spectroscopy, imaging, and microscopy methods to detect, measure, and quantify what is otherwise invisible to address unmet needs in patient care.
My current work is focused on building a portable microscope that can be used to study a person’s skin (instead of animal models) while they are in the clinic to investigate changes in pigment related to disease and to see and quantify where drugs go after they are applied to the skin’s surface. This research was conducted in close collaboration with Lilit Garibyan, MD, PhD, in the lab of Rox Anderson, MD, and this image would not have been possible without her and Research Fellow, Sara Moradi Tuchayi MD.
What do you do for fun?
In my free time I enjoy traveling (pre-COVID at least), photography, hiking, building things (lego especially), and watching movies.
Description
This image is a self-portrait of me, an essential lab member, during quarantine. It was part of a photo project I did during the pandemic to highlight essential workers. I photographed grocery store workers, government workers, firemen, etc., and myself. I asked folks how the pandemic influenced their work, and how it made them feel.
For me, as a lab member, it forced us into staggered shifts. Only one lab member was going in per day to take care of the necessary mouse work and processing. When I look at this image, I feel powerful. I look confident and brave, and that is something I had to try and feel everyday commuting to work and being in shared spaces.
About Dylan’s research
I joined the Balazs Lab in 2018, which focuses on developing viral vectors that can deliver antibodies capable of both preventing and suppressing HIV infection. Our group is based out of the Ragon Institute, where I am the founder and chair of RagonOut – the institute’s LGBTQ+ affinity group.
What do you do for fun?
In my spare time I like to take film photos, which is how I took my self-portrait for this contest. I primarily photograph friends and family, but have also done some wedding photography. In addition to that, I enjoy running, playing videogames and playing with my cat.
Description
Our research is focused on cardiac regeneration. Specifically, we want to understand and decipher how the zebrafish can naturally regenerate its heart while we are devoid of that capacity. This image was taken following Fluorescent Immunohistochemistry, which is one way for us to lay eyes on the cellular remodeling taking place during heart regeneration in adult zebrafish. This image represents a snapshot of what a zebrafish heart looks like in the first days following injury.
It is fascinating to me that a few weeks are enough for this little fresh water fish to regenerate functional cardiac tissue. The amount we can learn from them to push medicine forward is just amazing, because the heart is only one of the multiple tissues that they regenerate. The answers are right there, and we just need to fish for them!
About David’s research
Interested in the regenerative capacity of the zebrafish, I previously worked on the regeneration of pancreatic beta cells (the cells producing insulin) and joined the González-Rosa lab in March to work on heart regeneration. Our research aims at unravelling the mechanisms that allow the zebrafish to regenerate its heart following injury.
One of our central hypotheses is that ploidy—the number of sets of chromosomes in a cell—regulates the regenerative capacity of cardiomyocytes, which are the beating units of the heart. The long-term goal would be to transpose our discoveries to humans in order to restore regenerative capacity in hearts and counter heart failure.
What do you do for fun?
While I enjoy photography on a microscopic level, I also like to take my camera to take pictures of nature and wildlife. As a big music fan, I used to enjoy live gigs and am very much looking forward for them to resume in a not too distant future. I like swimming, hiking, board games, cooking and discovering new beer tastes (as part of my Belgian heritage). This summer I have been discovering Boston by biking around the city.
Description
This platinum replica electron microscopy image demonstrates direct interaction between proteins and multi-component complexes in cells. It shows the organization of the actin and microtubule cytoskeleton, which gives cells their structure, within lamellipodium of a Madin-Darby Canine Kidney (MDCK) cell.
I took this image to visualize dynamin’s ability to crosslink actin filaments into branched networks, bundles and with microtubules. Actin filaments are highlighted in pink, microtubules in green and dynamin-like densities in yellow. This image allowed us to understand and resolve the mechanism of actin and microtubule cytoskeleton reorganization in the presence of dynamin.
About Agnieszka’s research
The Sever Lab investigates the structure and function of podocytes, focusing on regulation of the actin cytoskeleton, the GTPase dynamin, and clathrin-mediated endocytosis. A better understanding of podocyte pathobiology will pave the way for developing a cure for kidney diseases.
My research involves the structure and function of podocytes and tubular cells, with a focus on the regulation of the actin and microtubule cytoskeleton. I apply platinum replica, immunogold and scanning electron microscopy to resolve the structural arrangement of the cytoskeletal networks.
This micrograph demonstrates ultrastructural organization of actin and microtubule networks and bundles crosslinked by dynamin within the lamellipodium of a MDCK cell.
What do you do for fun?
Science is my passion with imaging as my voice capturing the beauty of life’s design. My husband describes me as scientific of mind with artistry of soul.
Description
This represents human tissue derived 3D mini-colon showing the proportion of differentiated (non-red) and progenitor proliferating cells (red), with their actin cytoskeletal organization (green). Similar to the human colon, this mini model also represents the lumen (hollow central part), where I microinject the microbial community from the same subject.
The lumen is hollow and maintains itself in ways similarly to the human colon, which is ideal for establishing a human mini colon model by the introduction of microbial community.
About Upasana’s research
I am a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Douglas Kwon’s lab at Ragon Institute of MGH, Harvard & MIT, Cambridge. My research investigates the mechanism of gastrointestinal (GI) barrier disruption upon HIV pathogenesis in humanS by developing a human ex-vivo mini gut model.
I utilize patient-derived GI biopsy tissues to isolate the epithelial stem cells and grow them in vitro as 3D mini gut. Growing these cells with the same biopsy-derived GI mucosal immune cells, whereby the microbial community from the autologous patient’s stool gets microinjected in the mini-gut’s lumen, helps mimic the human GI mucosa as in vivo. This allows me to study the epithelial-immune crosstalk at the GI mucosa and host-microbial interaction.
What do you do for fun?
Usually, I love trying new culinary places and experimenting them at home. However, most fun times during non-COVID days were dancing Bachata/Salsa at Havana Club, Cambridge.
Description
TGF-beta is a cytokine that promotes fibroblast to myofibroblast activation, evidenced by actin stress fiber (stained in red) formation and YAP (stained in green) translocation into the nucleus (stained in blue) in human lung fibroblast. I took this image to see the effects of TGF-beta on fibroblasts and understand the mechanisms of fibroblast activation.
About Yang’s research
Despite recent approval of two new therapies, many patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) continue to have progressive disease and poor quality of life. As a postdoc in Dr. Benjamin Medoff’s lab, my research aims to find new therapeutic ways to eventually cure idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. I use cell culture and mouse models to study the hits from our high-throughput screens and work toward drug development for novel targets.
The Medoff Laboratory studies the mechanisms of lung injury, inflammation and fibrosis in several important pulmonary diseases, including asthma, IPF, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and respiratory viral infections such as influenza, in order to reveal novel aspects of lung biology and immunity and to identify potential therapeutic targets for these disorders.
What do you do for fun?
In my spare time, I like to learn new musical instruments, currently the violin. I also like to do yoga and listening to audiobooks. I’m a big fan of Marvel studio movies and all the Disney movies, thanks to my five-year old, Scarlett.
Description
This is the moment of valve deployment in our first transcatheter tricuspid valve replacement as part of the TRISCEND early feasibility study. This is the first case of an extremely important trial, but I also like how the valve looks like an orchid blossoming.
As we expand our interventional research program, novel transcatheter mitral and tricuspid therapies are allowing us to treat patients who are high or prohibitive surgical risk or could not be treated with existing technologies.
About Alexandra’s research
As part of Dr. Sammy Elmariah’s research team, one area of focus is improving treatment for tricuspid regurgitation. Currently, patients are often treated with medications alone, leaving the tricuspid valve disease to progress to unpleasant symptoms and more serious long-term complications. Within his research, Dr. Elmariah performs innovative procedures to treat tricuspid regurgitation, including transcatheter tricuspid valve repair and replacement.
Dr. Elmariah and his research team are particularly interested in finding biomarkers – substances in the blood that allow us to see how the heart is functioning – by using metabolomic and proteomic techniques that can inform treatment decisions in patients with severe valvular heart disease. This will allow us to help patients with valvular heart disease get treatment early to improve outcomes and alleviate symptoms.
What do you do for fun?
I am an avid runner and member of the Dashing Whippets Running Team, and recently completed the (virtual) Marine Corps Marathon. I also have a blog, where I explain medical concepts using the 1000 most common words in the English language.
Description
This confocal microscopy image shows protrusions of clear cells (green) that interact with sperm (their head contain DNA (blue) in the epididymis.
My lab studies how proton-secreting clear cells send information to sperm in the epididymis, and I took this image to capture that communication. This image was exciting because it was the first time that “nanotubes” were described in an epithelium.
About Maria’s research
My laboratory studies how our immune system communicates with specialized cells in the kidney and male reproductive tract to protect them from infection or injury. Uncontrolled inflammation in both of these organ systems is a common complication. In the kidney, where it is called acute kidney injury, it can be fatal, and in the reproductive tract it can affect sperm maturation and cause male infertility.
The main goal of our work is to identify new diagnostic/therapeutic targets to prevent kidney injury and male infertility. We believe that targeting and inhibiting inflammation-stimulating cells within these organs represents a very promising new approach for the prevention/mitigation of these critical conditions.
What do you do for fun?
Before the pandemic, I loved spending my spare time with my family and friends, especially if we were sharing mate, a traditional Argentinian drink. Nowadays, I enjoy spending time with my newborn son.
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