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 them in the #HumansOfMGRI series.

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 Emily King.

What lab/department do you work in?

I am PhD (Biological and Biomedical Sciences at Harvard) candidate in Ben Kleinstiver, PhD’s lab at the Center for Genomic Medicine.

My research focuses on developing and optimizing gene editing proteins for therapeutic and research applications. 

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

When I was an undergraduate student at Northeastern University, I got the opportunity to intern at Editas Medicine, a biotech company working to develop treatments for genetic disorders using CRISPR-Cas nucleases.

While I was there, I became really interested in using biological tools to treat disease. I decided to pursue a PhD to learn more about gene editing and research ways to improve current technologies. Gene editing proteins can make targeted changes to a cell’s DNA to revert disease causing mutations.

What do you like to do outside of work? 

I love live music and attend many concerts in the Boston area (one of the best concerts I have been to in Boston is the group Sylvan Esso)! I also love to crochet.

What is your favorite TV show, podcast, book, or movie? 

My favorite TV shows are White Lotus and Succession. I can’t choose between them!

A fun fact about yourself

I am a dual citizen of the USA and the UK.

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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