Innovation
Where clues lead to cures
Groundbreaking research. Life-changing discoveries. Scientific leaps that impact millions of lives around the world.
As one organization, Mass General Brigham is a recognized leader in many areas. Our awards include recognition for research, work in health care equality, and digital health innovation.
Research is the engine that drives medical innovation. Mass General Brigham is a powerhouse for medical research, with nearly $2 billion in research activity. Here, teams of investigators conduct thousands of studies in every discipline. Clinical trials help spur new therapies, and technologies.
The next big breakthrough
Our Innovation team supports inventors, entrepreneurs, and thought-leaders in developing new products and technologies that benefit patients everywhere. It’s through these efforts that we improve patient outcomes and transform care. Companies around the world use our software, medical devices, diagnostics, and therapeutics.
As long as there is an unconquered disease … or a method of prevention that remains beyond our reach, we have an obligation to conduct research.
Two centuries of medical progress
A long and proud history of medical firsts has shaped the history of our organizations. Individuals and families around the world have been impacted by these medical discoveries, starting from the first use of ether as an anesthetic in 1846. A few more key milestones include:
- 1896: First X-ray exposure at a U.S. hospital
- 1923: World’s first successful heart valve surgery
- 1954: First successful human organ transplant, the kidney
- 1979: First use of MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) to diagnose illness and injury
- 1996: Key brain findings in Alzheimer’s disease lead to the first FDA-approved treatments
- 2011: First full-face transplant
- 2019: Surgeons perform five first-ever simultaneous DCD heart transplants
Innovative approaches like these are made possible through constant reexamination and reinvention of best practices to advance the quality and safety of our patient care to the highest level.
Marching on in a digital world
As of June 2020, we have completed over 600,000 telehealth visits across the system as we rapidly increase the availability of online care. This is just one example of the impact digital has. Online scheduling, online access to medical records, and convenient communication through email and text are all part of our efforts to benefit patients using technology.
To Treat Alzheimer’s and Other Disorders, a Detour Through the Nose
Groundbreaking research underway at Mass Eye and Ear is leading investigators toward a unique pathway for treating neurodegenerative disease: through the nose.
We’re all healthier in a greener world
Reducing our impact on the environment is not only a top priority; it’s our responsibility.
Managing resource costs in our supply chain and reducing energy consumption are just some of the ways we lower our environmental footprint. In addition, we work with other hospital systems across the U.S. to share best practices and improve sustainability.