Leaders from MIT, Harvard University, and Mass General Brigham gathered on Monday to celebrate a significant milestone in the Ragon Institute’s mission to harness the immune system to prevent and cure human diseases.
The event marked the opening of the new Ragon Institute of Mass General, MIT, and Harvard building at 600 Main Street in the heart of Kendall Square, Cambridge. This new facility will enable the institute’s multidisciplinary team of researchers to further develop the collaborations that have been successful since its inception in 2009.
« Fifteen years ago, the Ragon Institute began with the transformative philanthropy of Terry and Susan Ragon, » said Bruce Walker, director of the Ragon Institute and professor of practice at MIT. « Initially, it was an experiment: could we bring together scientists, engineers, and physicians to pool their creative knowledge and interdisciplinary expertise to advance the fight against the world’s greatest health challenges? Today, 15 years later, we celebrate the success of that experiment and welcome the next phase of the Ragon Institute. »
The new building features five floors of state-of-the-art dedicated laboratory space, more than doubling the size of the previous facilities. Its open and centralized layout is designed to foster interdisciplinary research and enable discoveries that will lead to new ways to prevent, detect, and cure diseases. The expanded space will also allow the Ragon Institute to accommodate more scientists, researchers, biologists, clinicians, postdoctoral fellows, and operational staff.
« Interdisciplinary collaboration is a hallmark of the Ragon Institute, and it is truly how transformational research and large-scale scientific advances are achieved—something everyone talks about but few actually realize, » said Anne Klibanski, president and CEO of Mass General Brigham. « Partnerships between healthcare and academia accelerate these breakthroughs and foster innovation. This is the model of scientific discovery that this entire region, Boston and Massachusetts, represents, and that this institute embodies. »
In addition to the cutting-edge laboratories, a third of the new building is open to the public. Ragon Institute leaders expressed their commitment to engaging with the local Cambridge community and believe that the institute’s success will further strengthen Kendall Square’s innovation ecosystem.
« As a newcomer, I see this elegant new building as an inspiring vote of confidence in the future of Kendall Square, » said MIT President Sally Kornbluth. « I suppose that in a few decades, thanks in part to many of you here today, Kendall Square has transformed from a declining post-industrial neighborhood to the center of a region that is arguably the world’s biotechnology capital. I believe we now have the opportunity to secure its future, ensuring that Kendall Square becomes an infinitely renewable source of biomedical progress, a limitless creative pool perpetually replenished by a flow of new ideas from all fields of life sciences and engineering, unlocking solutions to the most important problems of our time. This building and this institute embody that vision. »
The Ragon Institute is a collaboration between Mass General Brigham, MIT, and Harvard. It was founded in 2009 with support from the Phillip T. and Susan M. Ragon Foundation, initially aiming to develop an HIV vaccine. Since then, it has expanded to focus on other global health initiatives—from playing a vital role in developing a Covid-19 vaccine to exploring the growing health challenges related to climate change and preparing for the next pandemic.
The institute strives to break down barriers between scientists, engineers, and clinicians from various disciplines to apply all available knowledge to combat globally significant diseases.
During the ceremony, Phillip (Terry) Ragon ’72 reflected on the institute’s origins and his vision for accelerating scientific discoveries.
« With Bruce [Walker], I began to see how philanthropy could truly make a difference and how we could fuel a different model that we thought could be particularly effective, » said Ragon. « The fundamental idea was to adopt an approach like the Manhattan Project, bringing together the brightest people from different disciplines, with flexible funding, and letting them succeed. And here we are today. »
Ragon Institute faculty are engaged in challenges as diverse as developing vaccines for tuberculosis and HIV, cures for malaria, treatments for neuroimmunological diseases, a universal flu vaccine, and therapies for cancer and autoimmune diseases—with the potential to impact billions of lives.
The opening of the new building follows additional funding from Terry and Susan Ragon, recognizing the growing mission of the Ragon Institute.
« [Through this partnership], we have accomplished more than we imagined we could, and it shows in the scientific progress made by the Ragon Institute, » said Alan Garber, interim president of Harvard University. « Achieving this requires not only scientific genius but also true leadership. »
Walker, the founding director of the institute, has spent his entire career caring for people living with HIV and studying how the body defends itself. He has helped establish two leading research institutes in Africa, which continue to train the next generation of African scientists. The international reach of the Ragon Institute is another aspect that sets it apart in its mission to impact human health.
« Today, we are launching the next 100 years of the Ragon Institute, and we are fortunate to work every day on this extremely challenging and always inspiring mission, » said Walker. « We are driven by the belief that every day counts, that our efforts will eventually alleviate suffering, that our mission is urgent, and that together, we will succeed. »
