Ragon Institute Initiatives
Our initiatives aim to inspire and engage students from surrounding communities with economic need, providing them with opportunities to explore careers in medical research, immunology, and STEM fields. By partnering with local schools, organizations, and community groups, we create pathways for students to gain hands-on experience, mentorship, and exposure to cutting-edge scientific research. Our commitment extends beyond education; we also focus on building strong community connections, ensuring that science becomes accessible and impactful beyond the walls of the Ragon Institute.
Ragon Institute Summer Experience (RISE)
The Ragon Institute Summer Experience (RISE) internship program engages high school and undergraduate students who are interested in learning about immunology and related fields. RISE aims to inspire young people from the Greater Boston area to consider a career in medical research and immunology by offering a paid, structured, and mentored internship with extended supports. Applications for Summer 2025 will be available in late January.
Catherine Othieno Sempa Memorial Post Baccalaureate Scholars Program
This two-year program engages talented graduates from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Puerto Rican universities in immersive immunology research experiences. Participants work as full-time research technicians under the mentorship of Ragon Institute Principal Investigators or Post-Doctoral Research Fellows, receiving a competitive salary, benefits, and a $3,000 travel allowance. In addition to hands-on research, scholars benefit from academic and professional development activities, including scientific communication training, seminars, workshops, and graduate school preparation. This program aims to enrich the field of academic research by providing recent graduates with the skills and knowledge necessary for successful careers in scientific research.
The Program of Ragon and IMES in Science and Medicine (PRISM) Science Club
The PRISM Science Club, for high school students from surrounding communities with economic need, meets on Saturdays in March and April. PRISM is a joint effort between the Ragon Institute, MIT’s Institute for Medical Engineering and Science (IMES), and the Harvard-MIT Program in Health Sciences and Technology (HST), housed at IMES which launched in 2022.
Each week features a different program, with a talk, discussion, and an activity. The club is facilitated by graduate students from IMES/HST.
Other Programs
STEM Scholars
STEM Scholars is an after-school program in collaboration with the Cambridge Housing Authority. Ragon scientists and staff have the opportunity to volunteer by assisting students in grades 8-12 with their homework in STEM subjects and providing mentorship over two hours each week during the school year. STEM Scholars aims to foster a supportive learning environment and build strong relationships with students, giving back to the community around us and helping mold the scientists of tomorrow.
Support Our Vital Research
As a non-profit institution, the Ragon relies on the generosity of our benefactors to advance our world-changing research. Whether giving to labs at the Ragon, outreach programs in the Boston area, or research programs in South Africa, one of the greatest catalysts in going from novel ideas to treatments and cures is flexible philanthropic support from donors — and your gift could make all the difference.
Ragon News
NPR – Whatever happened to … the race to cure HIV? There’s promising news
Aug 27, 2025 Features
In July 2024, we published a story with the headline: “One of the 7 people cured of HIV tells his story. Can his cure work for others.” This summer, at the International AIDS Society conference, came news of an exciting new development in the the ongoing effort to bring the epidemic to an end. This story is […]
Eric Dang Joins Ragon Faculty
Aug 21, 2025 Features
We are excited to announce that Eric Dang, PhD, will be joining the Ragon Institute as a new faculty member, where he will lead the Dang Lab. Eric will serve as a Core Member of the Ragon Institute and also hold an appointment as an Assistant Professor of Immunology at Harvard Medical School. Dang received […]
Wong Receives Prestigious NSF CAREER Award
Aug 18, 2025 Features
The Ragon Institute congratulates faculty member Harikesh Wong, PhD, Core Member at the Ragon and an Assistant Professor in the MIT Department of Biology, on receiving the National Science Foundation’s Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award — the NSF’s most prestigious honor for early-career faculty. The CAREER Award recognizes teacher-scholars who excel in integrating research […]
Phase 1 clinical trial of HIV vaccine starts in Africa to evaluate immune responses to highly networked HIV T-cell epitopes
Aug 4, 2025 Research Highlights
Led by a team of African researchers, first doses of the novel T cell-inducing GRAdHIVNE1 vaccine candidate have been given. Harare, Zimbabwe; Rome, Italy; New York, NY, and Cambridge, MA, USA — August 4, 2025 — The Mutala Trust, ReiThera Srl (ReiThera), the Ragon Institute of Mass General Brigham, MIT, and Harvard (the Ragon Institute), […]