Risk Factors for Major Pregnancy Complications in Female Cardiothoracic Surgeons
Olds A, Hirji S, Castillo-Angeles M, Kane L [et al.], Rangel E
Published in Annals of Surgery on 12/1/2024

Cost-effectiveness of viral load testing for transitioning antiretroviral therapy-experienced children to dolutegravir in South Africa: a modelling analysis
Brenner IR, Flanagan CF, Penazzato M, Webb KA, Horsfall SB [et al.], Ciaranello AL
Published in Lancet Global Health on 12/1/2024

HepB-CpG vs HepB-Alum Vaccine in People With HIV and Prior Vaccine Nonresponse: The BEe-HIVe Randomized Clinical Trial
Marks KM, Kang M, Umbleja T, Cox A [et al.], Sherman KE; ACTG 5379 (BEe-HIVe) Study Team
Published in JAMA on 12/1/2024

DNA methylation mediates the link between adversity and depressive symptoms
Lussier AA, Smith BJ, Fisher J, Luo M, Cerutti J [et al.], Erin C. Dunn EC
Published in Nature Mental Health on 12/2/2024 | Research Brief

Portable, low-field magnetic resonance imaging for evaluation of Alzheimer's disease
Sorby-Adams AJ, Guo J, Laso P, Kirsch JE, Zabinska J [et al.], Kimberly WT
Published in Nature Communications on 12/2/2024 | Research Brief

Widespread neuroanatomical integration and distinct electrophysiological properties of glioma-innervating neurons
Hsieh AL, Ganesh S, Kula T, Irshad M, Ferenczi EA [et al.], Sabatini BL
Published in PNAS on 12/4/2024

Resolution of ring chromosomes, Robertsonian translocations, and complex structural variants from long-read sequencing and telomere-to-telomere assembly
Mostovoy Y, Boone PM, Huang Y, Garimella KV, Tan KT [et al.], Talkowski ME
Published in American Journal of Human Genetics on 12/5/2024

Targeted SPP1 Inhibition of Tumor-Associated Myeloid Cells Effectively Decreases Tumor Sizes
Kartal B, Garris CS, Kim HS, Kohler RH, Carrothers J [et al.], Weissleder R
Published in Advanced Science on 12/5/2024

The phenomenology of postpartum psychosis: preliminary findings from the Massachusetts General Hospital Postpartum Psychosis Project
Cohen LS, Arakelian M, Church TR, Dunk MM, Gaw ML [et al.], Freeman MP
Published in Molecular Psychiatry on 12/6/2024

Haematological setpoints are a stable and patient-specific deep phenotype
Foy BH, Petherbridge R, Roth MT, Zhang C, De Souza DC [et al.], Higgins JM
Published in Nature on 12/11/2024 | Research Brief

Development of a fibrin-targeted theranostic for gastric cancer
Esfahani SA, Ma L, Krishna S, Ma H, Raheem SJ [et al.], Caravan P
Published in Science Translational Medicine on 12/11/2024

Pitavastatin, Procollagen Pathways, and Plaque Stabilization in Patients With HIV: A Secondary Analysis of the REPRIEVE Randomized Clinical Trial
Kolossváry M, Schnittman SR, Zanni MV, Fitch KV, Fichtenbaum CJ [et al.], Grinspoon SK
Published in JAMA Cardiology on 12/11/2024 | Research Brief

The 2021 US Preventive Services Task Force lung cancer screening eligibility criteria disproportionately exclude younger Black patients with lung cancer
Potter AL, Kuhan S, Senthil P, Mansur A, Haridas C [et al.], Yang CJ
Published in Cancer on 12/11/2024

Commensal papillomavirus immunity preserves the homeostasis of highly mutated normal skin
Son HG, Ha DT, Xia Y, Li T, Blandin J [et al.], Demehri S
Published in Cancer Cell on 12/12/2024

Disruption of cellular plasticity by repeat RNAs in human pancreatic cancer
You E, Danaher P, Lu C, Sun S, Zou L [et al.], Ting DT
Published in Cell on 12/12/2024

DLBclass: A Probabilistic Molecular Classifier to Guide Clinical Investigation and Practice in DLBCL
Chapuy B, Wood TR, Stewart C, Dunford AJ, Wienand K [et al.], Getz G
Published in Blood on 12/16/2024

Alzheimer’s disease mortality among taxi and ambulance drivers: population based cross sectional study
Patel VR, Michael Liu M, Worsham CM, Jena AB
Published in BMJ on 12/17/2024 | Research Brief

A Model for Decoding Resistance in Precision Oncology: Acquired Resistance to FGFR inhibitors in Cholangiocarcinoma
Goyal L, DiToro D, Facchinetti F, Martin EE, Peng P [et al], Juric D
Published in Annals of Oncology on 12/18/2024

2024 Update of the RECOVER-Adult Long COVID Research Index
Geng LN, Erlandson KM, Hornig M, Letts R [et al.], Foulkes AS; RECOVER Consortium.
Published in JAMA on 12/18/2024

Pediatric Emergency Care Coordinator Presence and Pediatric Care Quality Measures
Samuels-Kalow ME, Cash RE, Michelson KA, Wolk CB, Remick KE [et al.], Camargo CA Jr
Published in JAMA Network Open on 12/18/2024

Efficient Photolysis of Multidrug-Resistant Polymicrobial Biofilms
Li Y, Dong Y, Zhang Z, Lin ZT, Liang C, Wu MX
Published in Advanced Science on 12/21/2024

Firearm and Motor Vehicle Pediatric Deaths-Intersections of Age, Sex, Race, and Ethnicity
Lee LK, Tang SS, Cull WL, Fleegler EW, Olson LM
Published in JAMA Pediatrics on 12/23/2024 | Research Brief

Venous Endothelial Cell Transcriptomic Profiling Implicates METAP1 in Preeclampsia
Pabon MA, Weisbrod RM, Castro C, Li H, Xia P [et al.], Honigberg MC
Published in Circulation Research on 12/27/2024

How Childhood Adversity Could Shape Mental Health and Resilience in Adulthood
Featuring Alexandre Lussier, PhD

A new study published in Nature Mental Health by Alexandre Lussier, PhD, an investigator in the Center for Genomic Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital and Erin Dunn, ScD, formerly a principal investigator at the Center for Genomic Medicine (now at Purdue University), takes a closer look at the complex relationship between childhood adversity, changes in epigenetic marks, and risk of depression or other health conditions.

Study Uncovers Hundreds of Blood Proteins Linked to Different Cardiac Diseases
Featuring Pradeep Natarajan, MD, MMSC & Michael Honigberg, MD, MPP

By analyzing proteins circulating in the blood of tens of thousands of middle-aged adults, a team led by investigators from Mass General Brigham has revealed numerous candidates linked to the development of various types of heart disease. Monitoring the blood levels of these proteins may help clinicians identify individuals at risk of developing conditions such as heart failure and atrial fibrillation, and targeting the proteins may represent promising new treatment strategies for those who already have such diseases.

Portable MRI Shows Promise for Expanding Brain Imaging for Alzheimer’s Disease
Featuring W. Taylor Kimberly, MD, PhD

By leveraging machine learning tools, Mass General Brigham researchers measured markers of Alzheimer’s disease on portable MRI with accuracy matching that of standard MRI

Analysis Reveals an Additional Mechanism Behind Statin Therapy’s Heart-Related Benefits in People with HIV
Featuring Steven Grinspoon, MD

Investigators who previously found that a daily statin pill helps prevent heart attacks and strokes in people with HIV have now discovered a potential mechanism that may help to stabilize plaques and prevent their rupture in blood vessels.

Personalized Blood Count Could Lead to Early Intervention for Common Diseases
Featuring John Higgins, MD and Brody H. Foy

A complete blood count (CBC) screening is a routine exam requested by most physicians for healthy adults. This clinical test is a valuable tool for assessing a patient’s overall health from one blood sample. Currently, the results of CBC tests are analyzed using a one-size-fits-all reference interval, but a new study led by researchers from Mass General Brigham suggests that this approach can lead to overlooked deviations in health. In a retrospective analysis, researchers show that these reference intervals, or setpoints, are unique to each patient. The study revealed that one healthy patient’s CBC setpoints can be distinguishable from 98 percent of other healthy adults.

Long COVID in Children and Adolescents Research
Featuring Andrea Foulkes, ScD, and Tanayott Thaweethai, PhD

A new study co-led by Mass General Brigham investigators found common patterns of lasting symptoms in school-age children and adolescents who previously were infected by SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

Study Finds SGLT-2 Inhibitor May Slow Progression of Diabetic Retinopathy in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes
Featuring Deborah Wexler, MD, MSc

Empagliflozin was associated with a 22 percent lower risk of progression from early stages of diabetic retinopathy to more advanced stages in this patient group

Mass General Brigham Study Finds Lower Rates of Death from Alzheimer’s Disease Among Taxi and Ambulance Drivers
Featuring Anupam B. Jena, MD, PhD

In a national study of more than 400 occupations, these jobs that require frequent navigational and spatial processing tasks had the lowest proportions of deaths attributed to Alzheimer’s disease.

Disparities Revealed in Firearm and Car Crash Fatalities among U.S. Youth
Featuring Eric Fleegler, MD, MPH

In a retrospective study of U.S. children and adolescents under the age of 19, researchers documented more than 35,000 firearm and 40,000 motor vehicle crash fatalities from 2011-2021. These rates differed significantly by age, race, sex, and ethnicity. Firearm homicides increased by 87%, with the highest increase occurring among Black adolescent males. Firearm suicides went up by 68%, and although overall firearm suicide rates were highest among American Indian and Alaska native males, the highest increase in rates occurred among Black females aged 10-19 years old. Motor vehicle crash fatalities saw a sharp increase between 2019 and 2021, with the highest rates and sharpest increases occurring among youth who were American Indian or Alaska Native.

Snapshot of Science: Mass General’s High Impact Research Publications for November 2024
Best Timing for Getting the RSV Vaccine During Pregnancy to Protect Newborns, Too Much Sitting Hurts the Heart, and much more.

Introducing the Finalists for the 2024 Mass General Research Institute Image Awards
At the annual Mass General Research Institute Image Awards, we celebrate the beauty of research at Mass General, showcasing incredible discoveries happening every day within our walls. Each year, researchers and collaborators submit stunning images across diverse fields. From neuroscience to cancer biology, these images don’t just capture science; they tell stories of innovation, discovery and hope. Please congratulate our finalists!

Mass General’s Research Wrapped for 2024
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

New Grants Help to Support Innovative Nursing Research at Massachusetts General Hospital
Nurses play a hands-on role in patient care at Massachusetts General Hospital, which gives them a unique perspective to conduct research to improve the delivery of healthcare and enhance patients' quality of life. Recently, six Massachusetts General Hospital nurses received new grants to support their research in the fields of cancer care, health equity, pregnancy and childbirth, IV placement and HIV care. Learn more about these research projects and the nurses who are conducting them.

The Best of Bench Press: Our Most Popular Mass General Research Blog Posts of 2024
It was another amazing year for research at Massachusetts General Hospital, and as usual, there were plenty of interesting and inspiring stories for our research communication team to write about on our blog. As we get ready to ring in 2025, here's a look back at our five most popular blog posts from 2024