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 Preeti Kumari, PhD

What lab/department do you work in?

I am a postdoctoral research fellow in the lab of Thurman Wheeler, MD, at the Neurology Department of Massachusetts General Hospital. My role in the lab is to discover new biomarkers for Myotonic dystrophy, a muscular disorder affecting muscles and many other organs in the body, and Duchene muscular dystrophy (DMD), a genetic disorder characterized by progressive muscle degeneration and weakness.

I am also doing translational research using Antisense drugs. Antisense therapy works to reduce the expression of a specific gene by binding to specific molecules of RNA, thus blocking the cell’s ability to use the RNA to make a specific protein.

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

I was always fascinated by science since my childhood and wanted to continue my career in the field of research. As my doctorate was on Neuromuscular disorders, I wanted to work in a similar field of muscle disease to understand more about disease mechanisms and provide treatment and therapies for affected individuals, ultimately improving their quality of life. 

Throughout my time as a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Wheeler Lab, I have received several accolades and recognitions including the Postdoctoral Fellowship from the Myotonic Dystrophy Foundation, which I received in January 2022.

I have also presented my work in the form of a poster presentation at the 13th International Myotonic Dystrophy Consortium meeting in Osaka, Japan and at the Myotonic Dystrophy Foundation meeting in San Diego.  

In March 2023, I won the best poster award at The Muscular Dystrophy Association Annual Conference.

Coming up on April 25 of this year, I will give a platform presentation at the American Academy of Neurology annual meeting in a special session called Neuroscience in the Clinic:  Bridging Genetics to the Clinic in Neuromuscular Disease. 

What do you like to do outside of work? 

I love spending time in nature

I like hiking and biking or just going for a walk at the Charles River Esplanade and on the beach

I like playing Badminton

I like to cook in my free time

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

My favorite TV show is Seinfeld, also I like Bollywood movies, and my favorite Podcast is Hidden Brain.  

Some of my favorite Bollywood movies are Sholay, Jab We Met and Welcome.

A fun fact about yourself

I am a big Cricket fan; I love watching sports, and right now, I am learning more about New England sports.  

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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