The BMS Collaborative Research Fellowship brings together Harvard Medical School and Bristol Myers Squibb to support innovative research and train postdoctoral fellows in drug discovery science. Fellows will work with faculty mentors at HMS and industry scientists at BMS to advance new insights into disease.
Scientists have discovered chimeric mRNAs that produce previously unknown proteins, expanding the human genome and proteome. These proteins may play important roles in various bodily systems and contribute to disease processes, offering new insights into challenging diseases and potential drug targets.
Scientists at Harvard Medical School have devised a simpler method to produce new proteins without genome recoding or organisms, enabling researchers to design proteins using up to 34 amino acids. This breakthrough allows for faster, safer production of new medicines and expands protein engineering capabilities.
A new study published in JAMA Internal Medicine found that pilots and flight attendants have statistically significantly higher rates of death from breast, central nervous system, and prostate cancers and melanoma. The study used a large dataset and accounted for various factors to determine the occupation's impact on mortality.
Research by Harvard Medical School found that traffic fatalities increased by 14.3% the day after mass shootings, resulting in nearly 20 additional deaths nationwide. The study analyzed internet search patterns and data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System to identify a consistent pattern across the country.
The new viral ORFeome tool allows researchers to analyze many thousands of viral proteins in a single experiment, expanding access to biologists who didn't train in virology. It identifies hundreds of viral proteins that interfere with immune response, providing a powerful foundation for understanding emerging viral threats.
A new AI model called COMPASS improves the prediction of which patients are most likely to respond to cancer immunotherapy drugs, outperforming existing approaches by 8.5 percent. The model makes predictions based on tumor gene activity and provides a rationale for its output.
The 2026 Warren Alpert Foundation Prize was awarded to five scientists who developed curative genetic therapies for two major blood disorders. These treatments, CASGEVY and LYFGENIA, have been approved by the FDA for use in the US and have shown significant advancements in the field of gene therapy.
Researchers have published the first complete connectome of a fruit fly brain and 'spinal cord', allowing for the study of how neural circuits control complex behaviors. The open-source resource is poised to propel neuroscience research by providing insights into basic principles of nervous system interactions.
Researchers discovered a key mechanism controlling brain plasticity and maturation in early life, with cortisol playing a central role in closing critical learning periods. The study found that cortisol triggers a cascade of brain changes that contribute to critical period closure in mice, mirroring the human brain.
Research from Harvard Medical School confirms pediatric flu vaccines effectively reduce childhood flu cases, with fall-born children being more likely vaccinated and less likely to catch the flu. The study's findings provide additional support for flu vaccination, highlighting its public health benefits.
A large language model exceeded physician baselines in clinical reasoning tasks, including emergency room decisions and identifying likely diagnoses. The study highlights the need for rigorous prospective trials to evaluate the impact of AI on clinical practice.
Researchers have created a detailed diagram of smell receptors in the nose, revealing a highly organized receptor map that mirrors the organization of smell maps in the brain. The discovery sheds light on how information moves from the nose to the brain and could lead to therapies for loss of smell.
Researchers created a detailed diagram of smell receptors in the nose, revealing that they form horizontal stripes based on receptor type from top to bottom. The study provides foundational information for developing therapies for loss of smell and offers insights into how information moves from the nose to the brain.
A massive study of ancient DNA from nearly 16,000 people across over 10,000 years in West Eurasia reveals that natural selection has shaped modern human genomes more than previously thought. Many gene variants linked to health and complex traits have been selected since farming began.
A large-scale study by Harvard Medical School researchers analyzed 20 years of data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey to quantify the relationships between hundreds of environmental exposures and 305 clinically relevant health outcomes. The findings demonstrate that individual exposures have a moderate impact on...
The Brain Prize 2026 recognizes Professors David Ginty and Patrik Ernfors for their pioneering work on the nervous system's detection and processing of touch and pain. Their discoveries have rewritten textbook principles of somatosensation and provided a foundation for targeted interventions for pain and somatosensory dysfunction.
Researchers identify contextual errors as a major contributor to the gap between medical AI model performance on standardized test cases and real-world clinical applications. To address this, experts suggest incorporating contextual information into datasets, computational benchmarks, and model architecture.
Researchers at Harvard Medical School have uncovered crucial insights into how a new class of antiviral drugs works, shedding light on an important tool for fighting drug-resistant strains of herpes simplex virus. The discovery may lead to new pathways for treating herpesviruses and other kinds of DNA viruses.
A new study led by Harvard Medical School researchers found that AI models analyzing pathology samples can infer demographic information, leading to biased diagnoses. The team developed a framework called FAIR-Path to reduce bias in these models, which showed improved performance across demographics.
A new AI model called popEVE can identify genetic variants most likely to cause severe disease and death in patients. The model produced a score for each variant indicating its likelihood of causing disease and placed variants on a continuous spectrum.
Scientists have developed a new strategy to combat antibiotic resistance by studying the competition among plasmids within bacterial cells. By isolating individual cells and measuring intracellular plasmid competition, researchers discovered basic properties of plasmid and bacteria fitness and evolution.
A study measuring the impact of a data-driven health strengthening project in Madagascar demonstrates success with a 30% reduction in child deaths. The project provides universal access to basic healthcare, improving outcomes despite challenging conditions.
A recent study led by Harvard Medical School researchers found that genetic changes creating identical sperm cells are more widespread than thought and linked to single-gene diseases. The team identified genes underlying these mutations, which can be passed onto offspring, leading to devastating disorders.
Researchers at Harvard Medical School developed Dr. CaBot, an AI system that can generate a differential diagnosis and explain its nuanced reasoning like an expert diagnostician. The system reached a comparable final diagnosis to a human expert in a published case presentation, demonstrating its potential for medical educators and phys...
A Harvard Medical School-led research team developed an AI tool called PICTURE that can reliably tell apart glioblastoma and primary central nervous system lymphoma during surgery. The tool distinguishes between the two cancers with near-perfect accuracy, reducing errors in diagnosis and guiding critical treatment decisions.
A nationwide study found patient death rates increased in emergency departments of U.S. hospitals acquired by private equity firms, with staffing cuts and salary reductions proposed as likely explanations. The researchers also found transfers of patients to other hospitals and shortened stays in intensive care units.
Researchers at Harvard Medical School have designed an AI model that identifies treatments for diseases by pinpointing genes and drug combinations. The new tool, PDGrapher, shows superior accuracy and efficiency compared to other similar tools.
Researchers at Harvard Medical School found that lithium loss in the brain is an early change leading to Alzheimer's, while a novel lithium compound can reverse memory in mice. The study suggests a new theory of the disease and a potential strategy for diagnosis and treatment.
A new clinical trial found that a shorter treatment with fewer drugs may be beneficial for some patients with highly drug-resistant tuberculosis, but not all. The trial showed an 87% effective rate for the shorter regimen compared to 89% for the longer therapy.
Researchers at Harvard Medical School have discovered a cellular signaling highway in the brain's blood vessels that enables blood flow to be directed on demand. The findings could improve understanding of neurodegenerative diseases and enhance interpretation of functional MRI scans.
Researchers developed lenacapavir, a potent medication that prevents HIV infection and can be administered only twice a year. The drug's high efficacy in clinical trials has sparked hope for ending the global HIV epidemic by 2030.
A new AI model, EVE-Vax, uses evolutionary data to predict viral proteins and design future-proof vaccines against rapidly mutating viruses like SARS-CoV-2. By analyzing millions of years of genetic information, the model can create brand-new proteins with the same immune response as real viruses.
Two studies detail the intricate brain-immune crosstalk that underlies inflammation's impact on mood and behavior, offering new insights into autism and anxiety. Inflammation-driven cytokines regulate the brain's fear center, while anti-inflammatory signals calm neurons.
A single mutation in the spike protein of western equine encephalitis virus is enough to prevent it from attaching to human and horse cells. However, a change in the viral spike protein enables WEEV strains to attach to a different receptor, found on mammalian brain cells, which is shared by its cousin eastern equine encephalitis virus.
A new study led by Harvard Medical School researchers has identified the PIEZO1 protein as a pressure-sensing molecule that helps regulate intestinal movements and keeps inflammation at bay. The findings, published in Cell, could inform the design of precision-targeted treatments for disorders of gut motility.
A new study finds that an open-source AI model, Llama 3.1 405B, has caught up with a leading proprietary model, GPT-4, in solving challenging clinical cases. This development could offer a valuable alternative to proprietary models, benefiting patients and clinicians alike.
A new study identifies two groups of brain cells that help the mouse brain gauge the full range of possible rewards associated with a choice. The researchers used machine-learning concepts to study brain circuitry supporting reward-based decisions in mice, shedding light on how the human brain makes such choices.
Scientists have pinpointed a weakness in lung cancer's defenses by uncovering an enzyme that boosts cancer cell metabolism to fuel growth. Researchers identified GUK1 as a metabolic enzyme that plays a crucial role in ALK-positive cancers, suggesting it may be a target for new therapies.
A major clinical trial has identified three new safe and effective regimens for treating drug-resistant tuberculosis, offering faster, safer, and more accessible care. The new treatments show promise in reducing treatment duration and side effects, making them a significant breakthrough in the fight against this infectious disease.
Researchers at Harvard Medical School and Boston University have mapped the structure of the Nipah virus's polymerase complex, a key piece of its machinery. This discovery provides a detailed understanding of how the pathogen multiplies inside hosts and could inform the design of treatments.
A new study evaluates AI's performance in real-world medical conversations and finds significant drops in diagnostic accuracy. Researchers designed a more realistic test called CRAFT-MD to assess the fitness of large-language models for use in clinics.
A study by Harvard Medical School researchers found that high-frequency mechanical vibrations are routed from the body to the inferior colliculus in the midbrain, amplifying sensory experience. This convergence enables organisms to perceive and respond to subtle changes in their environment, critical for survival.
Researchers found four molecular networks in ciliate and mammalian cells that exhibit hallmarks of habituation, suggesting single cells process and remember information over different time spans. This finding opens up new mysteries about how cells without brains manage complex behaviors.
Researchers found that a single defective copy of the BRCA1 gene can accelerate tumor growth in breast cells, contradicting the traditional two-hit model. The study suggests new possibilities for cancer prevention and therapy targeting the reprogramming effect inside cells.
A genetic study of five people buried in Pompeii's plaster casts reveals contradictions to long-held narratives about their sexes and family relationships. The analysis emphasizes the importance of integrating genetic data with archaeological and historical information to correct or enrich existing narratives.
Researchers found that initiating movement relies on slow activity of dopamine over time, not rapid bursts. This explains why L-Dopa improves motor symptoms but not cognitive problems in Parkinson's disease.
A new AI tool identified drug candidates for over 17,000 diseases, including conditions without treatments, and predicted potential side effects. The model was trained on a broader dataset than current models, enabling it to make more accurate predictions and offering a faster and more cost-effective way to develop therapies.
The new AI model, CHIEF, can diagnose cancer, guide treatment choice, and predict survival across multiple cancer types. It detects cancer cells and predicts a tumor's molecular profile with superior accuracy to most current AI systems.
A new study sheds light on how the herpes simplex virus becomes resistant to treatment by altering the conformation of its protein responsible for replication. The findings reveal that protein mutations linked to drug resistance arise far from the drug's target location, offering a potential strategy for overcoming resistance.