Mass General Brigham is home to a research community of thousands of 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 Researchers Unplugged series!
From clinical research coordinators to postdoctoral fellows, research technicians, graduate students and principal investigators—they are all part of research at Mass General Brigham.
Our next guest in the series is Ben Peterson, PhD
1. What lab do you work in and what is your role?
A: I am a postdoctoral research fellow within the lab of Jenna Galloway, PhD, in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH).
We study how tendons grow, heal, and become damaged. By using laboratory models, we aim to understand the biological processes that affect tendon health and recovery.
2. Can you explain your research in layperson's terms?
A: Our lab’s research focuses on studying tendons, which are a critical connective tissue that connects muscles to bone and plays a key role in our ability to move.
Sadly, tendons are bad at healing themselves after an injury, which can result in pain, weakness, and a loss of mobility.
In our lab, we aim to understand the biological mechanisms by which tendons develop and/or heal after an injury.
The overarching goal of our work is to leverage this knowledge to identify novel treatment strategies that can improve clinical outcomes for patients.
3. When and why did you get interested in this work?
A: I don’t think I had a singular moment/event that got me into tendon research but was rather the cumulation of different experiences in college.
My undergraduate degree is actually in Materials Science Engineering, where I focused on studying structure-function relationships in inorganic materials (i.e., metals/plastics) and how they contribute to specific material properties.
However, I was interested in applying these lessons to biological systems. This ultimately led to my PhD lab, which focused on studying these same structure-function relationships using tendons as our model tissue.
Now at Mass General Brigham (MGB), under the mentorship of Dr. Galloway, I’m working to combine these engineering principles with genetic/molecular biological tools to address new multidisciplinary questions about what drives tendon development, disease, and regeneration.
4. What do you do outside of the lab?
A: I’m a huge advocate for unplugging and spending time in nature.
I’m always looking for a new spot to hike or go backpacking. I’m also an avid runner and try to get out as often as possible.
5. What is your favorite TV show, podcast, book or movie?
A: I’m always listening to audiobooks, so it’s difficult to pick a favorite. However, I’m a big fan of the Sci-Fi and Fantasy genres.
After reading scientific articles all day, I like to escape into a fun story.
I’d recommend the Mistborn or Stormlight Archive series by Brandon Sanderson, The Martian and Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir, Children of Time series by Adrian Tchaikovsky, or the Broken Earth Series by N.K. Jemisin.
6. What's a fun fact about yourself?
A: I love cooking and trying out new recipes. I’m currently working my way through the New York Times Top 25 Recipes of 2025.
I recently made their Chicken and Red Lentil Soup with Lemony Yogurt recipe and it came out amazing!
7. What do you like most about conducting research at Mass General Brigham?
A: I’ve really grown to appreciate the scientific depth & experience offered across MGB. If I need to explore a new technique or pick up a new skill, I never need to look far to find a peer who’d be able to offer some guidance or point me in the right direction.
8. If you had to compare your Principal Investigator to a fictional character, who would it be?
A: Oh, this is hard. Maybe Professor McGonagall from the Harry Potter series? Jenna typically has a quieter, more reserved demeanor, but she is always in your corner and offers very insightful advice and guidance.
9. If you could only eat one dish for the rest of your life, what would it be?
A: This is super tough, and I don’t know if I could pick just one dish. However, I’ve been cooking lots of Thai food recently and love a Pad Kra Pao (pork & basil stir fry), which has been my go-to meal recently.
10. What's your favorite way to spend a Sunday?
A: Sleep in, long run, and then go to a café/bookshop. Sundays are usually my “reset” day, where I recharge for the week ahead. I try to prioritize giving myself some time to be lazy, get some exercise, and a relax with a good cup of coffee or book.
It's Your Turn to Shine!
Do you work in research at Mass General Brigham? Are you willing to provide short written answers to 10-ish fun questions about you and your science? Then you (yes, you) could be the next star of Researchers Unplugged.
Leave a Comment