Health sciences and technology

Eight student teams pitched novel inventions at last night’s MIT Sloan Healthcare Innovations Prize pitch competition. Rendever earned the $25,000 grand prize for creating a virtual-reality platform that gives the elderly the chance to explore the world virtually. The platform also provides cognitive therapy and tracks movement data to aid in early diagnosis of dementia.

Virtual-reality system for the elderly wins health care prize

Eight student teams pitched novel inventions at MIT Sloan Healthcare Innovations Prize competition.

February 24, 2017

Obstructive sleep apnea is caused by a narrowing of the airway that cuts off breathing, and people who are obese are at higher risk for the disorder. MIT researchers have discovered that a dietary supplement called yohimbine reverses the root cause of obstructive sleep apnea in an animal model.

A possible new approach to stopping obstructive sleep apnea

Dietary supplement derived from tree bark shows promise for treating the disorder.

February 23, 2017

This image shows large clonal colonies of cochlear progenitor cells formed from single cells and converted into high-purity colonies of hair cells (cyan) with intricate hair bundles (red).

Drug treatment could combat hearing loss

Researchers discover a drug combination that can regenerate hair cells in the inner ear.

February 21, 2017

“The challenge is to design devices that can be made for a much lower cost, but that are still as robust and functional as those in the developed world,” senior Matthew Cavuto says.

Matthew Cavuto: Getting a leg up on engineering

MIT senior will use Marshall Scholarship to work on devices that enhance mobility for the disabled.

February 9, 2017

Researchers have discovered that in people with dyslexia the brain has a diminished ability to acclimate to a repeated input — a trait known as neural adaptation.

Distinctive brain pattern may underlie dyslexia

Study suggests reduced plasticity could account for reading difficulties.

December 21, 2016

MIT postdoc Carl Schoellhammer (center) takes home gold at the Collegiate Inventor’s Competition for his SuonoCalm system.

Carl Schoellhammer wins gold medal at 2016 National Collegiate Inventors Competition

MIT postdoc honored for his work developing a technique to quickly deliver medicine to the gastrointestinal tract.

December 15, 2016

“…[I]f a fluorescence microscope’s resolution is set at 2 micrometers, our technique can have 300 nanometer resolution — about a sixfold improvement over regular microscopes,” says MIT graduate student Frederick Sangyeon Cho. “The idea is very simple but very powerful and can be useful in many different imaging applications.”

Laser particles could provide sharper images of tissues

New imaging technique stimulates particles to emit laser light, could create higher-resolution images.

November 3, 2016

Graduate student Stephanie Ku holds her dog, Wingnut, at an MIT Puppy Lab event on an unusually warm October afternoon. Ku is founder of the Puppy Lab, which launched in May as part of MIT's MindHandHeart Initiative.

Scene at MIT: Puppy love

October 26, 2016

MIT researchers have developed a stretchy optical fiber in which they have injected multiple organic dyes (yellow, blue, and green regions). In addition to lighting up, the dyes act as a strain sensor, enabling researchers to quantify where and by how much a fiber has been stretched.

Stretchy optical fibers for implanting in the body

Biocompatible fibers could use light to stimulate cells or sense signs of disease.

October 17, 2016

MIT shares $75 million grant to fight heart disease

One Brave Idea Research Award will support the search for new biomarkers and treatments.

October 5, 2016

Nanosensors could help determine tumors’ ability to remodel tissue

Measuring enzyme levels could help doctors select appropriate treatments.

September 29, 2016

A new computer system can automatically screen young children for speech and language disorders and, potentially, even provide specific diagnoses.

Automated screening for childhood communication disorders

Computer system could help identify subtle speech, language disorders in time for early intervention.

September 22, 2016

A new gene therapy technique being developed by researchers at MIT uses microRNAs — small noncoding RNA molecules that regulate gene expression — to control breast cancer metastasis.

Gene therapy technique may help prevent cancer metastasis

Gene-regulating RNA molecules could help treat early-stage breast cancer tumors before they spread.

September 19, 2016

High-capacity nanoparticle

Particles that carry three or more drugs hold potential for targeted cancer therapy.

September 14, 2016

A team of MIT scientists has developed a strategy for delivering large numbers of beneficial bacterial to the human gut. The strategy involves coating bacteria with polymer layers that protect them from the acids and bile salts found in the digestive tract.

Delivering beneficial bacteria to the GI tract

Method that transports microbes through the stomach to the intestine may benefit human health.