The Mass General Research Institute (MGRI) is home to a research community of 9,500+ individuals working to understand disease and develop solutions to medicine’s most pressing challenges.

But who are they and what do they do when they’re not conducting research? Learn more about our research community in this new series, #HumansOfMGRI.

From clinical research coordinators, to postdoctoral fellows, research technicians, graduate students and principal investigators—they are all part of the Mass General Research Institute.

Our next guest in the series is Chih-Chung “Jerry” Lin, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher in Dr. Rudolph Tanzi’s group at the Genetics and Aging Research Unit within the Department of Neurology.

What is your role in the lab ?

I am collaborating with my outstanding lab mates and driving a project aiming to reveal the role of immune cells in Alzheimer’s disease.  

When and why did you get interested in the work that you are doing? 

I became interested in the interaction between the immune and nervous systems in graduate school. My PhD dissertation dealt with a pathway that made immune cells “bad” and caused paralysis in a model of multiple sclerosis.

Interestingly, recent genetic and mouse studies also strongly suggest the involvement of the immune system in Alzheimer’s disease.  

Although it was first described more than a century ago, Alzheimer’s disease remains the only top 10 cause of death in the U.S. that cannot be effectively prevented or cured.

I hope we will gain new insights through understanding the roles of immune cells in this devastating disease.

What inspired you to create the ”Open Box Science” platform? 

Journal clubs are very helpful to communicate science; however, traditional journal clubs are limited to institutional boundaries.

We started Open Box Science (@OpenBoxSci) during COVID-19 pandemic to provide a free platform for scientists (especially trainees) to host virtual symposiums and/or showcase their recent work.

Our mission is to facilitate scientific communication and connect scientists all over the globe.      

What do you like to do outside of the lab/work? 

I love playing badminton in my leisure time. To connect local players, I created the group “Boston Happy Badminton” on Facebook. Everyone is welcomed to join! 

What is your favorite podcast, book, and movie? 

I enjoy listening to the podcast “Science Rehashed,” which offers cool science and inspiring stories from well-known scientists. My favorite book is “The Education of Little Tree,” and my favorite movie is “Life is Beautiful”.

What volunteer work have you done recently?

The state of Massachusetts is severely hit by coronavirus, partially due to the lack of proper protection among those who provide essential services during the pandemic.

To protect the community, my friends and I launched the “Boston Taiwanese Fighting COVID-19” campaign. Since February, we have raised $15,000 and purchased thousands of qualified masks.

Moreover, we received masks, googles, and face shields from donors in Taiwan and the US. We’ve donated >10,000 items of personal protection equipment to Boston City Hall, Boston Police Department, Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), Cambridge City Hall, etc.

The pandemic is not over, and we will continue to offer support to the community.

A fun fact about yourself

At my very first English class in Taiwan, the teacher asked everyone to pick an English name. I chose “Jerry” because I loved the cartoon “Tom & Jerry” so much!

About the Mass General Research Institute
Research at Massachusetts General Hospital is interwoven through more than 30 different departments, centers and institutes. Our research includes fundamental, lab-based science; clinical trials to test new drugs, devices and diagnostic tools; and community and population-based research to improve health outcomes across populations and eliminate disparities in care.
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