Research
#1 in hospital medical research
Advancing patient-centered research
Research-infused care sets Mass General Brigham apart. Our researchers changing the world are also providing care. As the national leader in research, our patient-centered mentality and systemwide collaborative approach is the key to research breakthroughs that drive medical innovation, gain new knowledge, and improve patient outcomes.
Our physician/scientists—in the lab, in the clinic, and at the bedside—work tirelessly to understand the effects of debilitating diseases and our patient’s needs to help guide our studies and improve patient care.
Pushing the boundaries of discovery
As a world-recognized leader in research, we are home to one of the largest hospital system-based research enterprises in the U.S., with an annual research budget of nearly $2 billion. Here, our researchers and clinicians are conducting thousands of studies in every major medical therapeutic and technology disciplines. We are currently enrolling our patients in over 2,700 ongoing clinical trials, including nearly 100 for COVID-19, to accelerate bringing new treatments and therapies to our patients and the world.

Innovating lung transplant protocols during the COVID-19 surge
Hospitals across the country pushed the pause button on elective surgeries and non-emergency procedures during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, patients requiring lifesaving organ transplants couldn’t wait. To meet these patients’ urgent needs, the transplant team at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital Lung Center sprang into action, quickly creating new protocols to help the sickest of the sick
A legacy of medical innovation
Mass General Brigham is one of the nation’s leading biomedical research organizations with several Harvard Medical School teaching hospitals.
Research is a mainstay in our culture. A passion for learning, questioning, discovery, and furthering knowledge is part of our makeup.
The greatest minds at our hospitals have a history of pushing the boundaries of medicine and leading innovative science for over 200 years. We have a legacy of medical achievement, with numerous medical firsts and 13 Nobel Laureates.

Orthopedic surgeon designs shoulder surgeries that relieve pain and increase mobility
Bassem Elhassan, M.D., of the Shoulder Service at Massachusetts General Hospital, has developed novel surgical approaches to improve range-of-motion and alleviate pain for patients with certain types of shoulder injuries. The techniques repair, rather than replace, shoulder muscle.
Our location in the Massachusetts biotech and academic medical communities creates enhanced collaborations with partners from academia, industry, and venture capital to help stimulate the development of our discoveries into lifesaving therapies for our patients.
Learn more about our hospital-based research:
Mass General Research Institute Brigham Research Institute Spaulding Research Institute Mass Eye and Ear McLean Hospital Newton-Wellesley Hospital