Mass General's Research Wrapped for 2024

Mass General’s Research Wrapped for 2024

By Nicoletta Valenzano, MPH | Research Wrapped | 0 comment | 18 December, 2024 | 1

At the Mass General Research Institute in 2024, we continued to work collaboratively to better understand the causes of disease and develop new strategies for diagnosis, treatment and prevention. As always, our researchers wowed us with their ingenuity, creativity and productivity.

Here are some of the highlights from the year in research:

By the Numbers

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45 Highly Cited Researchers

Clarivate Analytics’ Web of Science Group compiles an annual list of scientists around the globe who have demonstrated significant influence through publication of multiple highly cited papers that rank in the top 1% by citations for field and year.

In 2024, we were pleased to announce that 45 Mass General investigators made the list.

Throughout the Mass General Brigham system, over 80 investigators were recognized as highly cited researchers, which shows that our work is truly a team effort.

371 High Impact Papers

Each month we release a Snapshot of Science, a monthly digest of high impact papers in which a Mass General investigator is the first or last author.

In 2024, we highlighted 371 high impact papers by Mass General researchers in the Snapshot of Science.

$1.57 Billion in Research Operations

In 2024, the total research operations at Mass General totaled $1.57 billion. As an academic medical center, a significant portion of research at Mass General is funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other federal institutions.

Mass General once again ranked #1 in NIH funding for independent hospitals.

5,180 Grant Proposals

A grant proposal is submitted to an organization with the intent of securing funding for a research project. This year, Mass General researchers wrote and submitted 5,180 grant proposals.

84 MGH Research Scholar Awards

The MGH Research Scholars program was started to provide forward-thinking researchers with the unrestricted funding they need to take their work into new and uncharted territories.

In 2024, we named five new scholars, bringing the total number of MGH Research Scholar awards to 84 since the program launched in 2011.

$11.4M in Internal Support for Research

The MGRI Executive Committee on Research (ECOR) maintains an internal grants and awards program, which recognizes outstanding research achievements and provides crucial support to investigators during lapses in federal funding. In 2024, ECOR awarded $11.4M to 102 investigators.

65,000 Blog Views

In 2024, Bench Press, the Mass General Research Institute blog (you are currently reading this story on), received over 65,000 views.

The blog has now received over 1M views since its launch in 2017

Thanks to everyone who helped make this possible!

465 Patents

Research at Mass General often leads to new discoveries and inventions that could one day be translated into new treatments for patients.

The first step in the process is to patent new discoveries.

In the 2024 fiscal year, Mass General researchers filed 1,083 applications for the protection of intellectual property and received 465 patents.

“This year has been extraordinary. Through the remarkable research led by our forward-thinking scientists, we are getting closer and closer toward creating more life-saving treatments for patients everywhere.”
Susan A. Slaugenhaupt, PhD
Scientific Director
Mass General Research Institute

Blog Posts

Race to Save a Life: How an Act of Collaboration Led to a Bespoke Gene Therapy Treatment

2025 Celebration of Science Poster of Distinction Winners: Meet the Edlow Lab Team

2025 Celebration of Science Poster of Distinction Winners: Meet Jixian Shen, PhD

Woman in white clothes holding virtual intestine in hand. Handra

Five Things to Know: Aged Garlic Extract Improves Digestive Function in Lab Models of Aging

People practicing thai chi in the park in the summertime.

Tradition Meets Treatment: A New Approach to Asian American Mental Health

A Close-up of a vibrant orange octopus underwater, showcasing its detailed tentacles against a blurred

Five Animal Superpowers that Researchers are Working to Adapt for Human Health

A table filled with ultraprocessed foods such as potato chips, popcorn, onion rings, etc.

Researchers Unpack the Health Impacts of Ultraprocessed Foods

Ophthalmology Visionary Joan W. Miller, MD, Elected to Prestigious American Academy of Arts and Sciences

Back view of old couple, hug in park with love and view of nature, retirement together and peace. Elderly man, woman and marriage with commitment, relationship and pension with trust and care outdoor.

Brigham Researchers Advance to Next Phase of International XPRIZE Healthspan Competition

Sally Johnson (1880–1957): A Pioneer in Nursing Practice, Education, and Administration

In the News

Compared to inactivity, a weekend warrior pattern of exercise can prevent more than 200 diseases, according to a study led by Patrick Ellinor, MD, PhD, and Shaan Khurshid, MD, MPH, from the Heart Center at Massachusetts General Hospital. Read more on National Geographic.

In a study published in JAMA Network Open, the team's research found a genetic link between anorexia nervosa and being an early-riser. Read the Forbes article.

Researchers found that increased consumption of ultra-processed foods was associated with a higher risk of both stroke and cognitive decline. Read more on CNN.

Researchers from the McCance Center for Brain Health at Massachusetts General Hospital created a tool that can predict your risk of brain health, and show you how to improve your outcome regardless of genetic risk. Read the New York Times article.

Year in Photos

Gary Ruvkun, PhD, at the Nobel Prize ceremony on December 10th.

Matt Rosen in his lab.

The members of the Perfusion Lab at MGH performing a heart reanimation

Perfusion Lab members.

Angela Chen and the Battistone Lab

Dekel Lab pizza party.

Bryson Lab retreat in Salem.

This image was taken after observing a neurosurgery under Dr. Nahed at Massachusetts General.

Members of the Edlow Lab returning after getting a patient sample.

Marcela Maus, and other investigators who worked together to successfully treat a patient with glioblastoma.

Emily Lau, MD, MPH, with her lab members.

MGRI members at the Fierce 50 gala, to celebrate the MGRI being named to the list.

Researchers at the MGRI Cambridge Science Festival booth.

Summer students at the 2024 MGRI Summer Slam.

The MGRI Image Awards gala in January.

Research leadership watching the solar eclipse at the Russell Museum.