The McGovern Institute for Brain Research has announced the appointment of Charles Jennings as director of the McGovern Institute Neurotechnology (MINT) Program. The aim of this recently established program is to develop new technologies that will advance the study of neuroscience and its translation into clinical applications.
Jennings has a diverse background in biomedical research, science communication and academic administration. Following postdoctoral studies in developmental biology at Harvard and MIT, he became an editor at the scientific journal Nature. He was the founding editor of Nature Neuroscience, widely considered a leading journal in its field. More recently, he was the first executive director of the Harvard Stem Cell Institute, and he continues to serve as an advisor to the Connecticut Stem Cell Research Program.
"We are delighted to have recruited Charles Jennings to MIT," said Robert Desimone, director of the McGovern Institute. "Brain research has always been driven by technological innovation, and the MINT Program will be central to our strategic development as we focus increasingly on translating basic research discoveries into new clinical applications. We have already begun several collaborative projects under this program, and we look forward to its expansion under Charles' direction."
"I am very excited by the opportunity to work with the McGovern Institute and its stellar group of faculty researchers," said Jennings. "Here in Cambridge we are at the center of one of the strongest technology communities anywhere in the world. We want to take full advantage of this fantastic location to build a dynamic program of interdisciplinary collaborations."
Jennings joined the Institute on Dec. 4.
A version of this article appeared in MIT Tech Talk on December 20, 2006 (download PDF).
