The Biomedical Research Institute's (BRI) research centers were designed to enhance, synergize, and stimulate interdepartmental and individual research at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. The centers bring scientists together to develop collaborative research initiatives not tenable by individuals and single departments alone.
The BRI’s eight disease-focused research centers are supported by three resource- and technology-based programs, which provide tools applicable across the scientific disciplines. Together, this infrastructure encourages communication and interactions among scientists and clinicians and facilitates opportunities for clinical, translational, and basic research.
The BRI Research Centers
Cancer Research Center
The Cancer Research Center's mission is to promote excellence in basic and translational cancer research at BWH; to foster the interdisciplinary interactions necessary to solve central questions pertaining to cancer pathogenesis, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment; to determine the impact of cancer and its treatment on patient quality-of-life; and to communicate these advances to the community of scientists, physicians, policy makers, and the general public. The center’s co-chairs are Drs. Jon Aster, Sue Hankinson and David Sugarbaker.
Cardiovascular, Diabetes and Metabolic Disorders Research Center
The Cardiovascular, Diabetes, and Metabolic Disorders Research Center’s mission is to integrate research efforts in cardiac and vascular disease, diabetes, obesity, and metabolic syndrome to impact morbidity and mortality related to these disorders. The center seeks to utilize this interdisciplinary and collaborative research approach to accelerate advances in diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of cardiovascular and metabolic disorders. The center’s co-chairs are Drs. Antonio Bianco, Andrew Lichtman, and Marc Pfeffer.
Center for Human Genetics at the BRI
The mission of the Center for Human Genetics at the BRI is to discover genetic variations that underlie, influence, and cause disease, and to use this knowledge for prevention and treatment. The center is co-chaired by Drs. David Hafler, Elizabeth Karlson and Christine Seidman.
Infectious and Immunologic Diseases Research Center
The Center’s mission is to promote excellence in basic and translational clinical science; to enhance collaborative opportunities among infectious and immunologic diseases researchers; to communicate these advances to scientists, physicians, policy makers, and the general public; and to enhance philanthropic support for infectious and immunologic diseases research. The center co-chairs are Drs. Elliott Kieff, Vijay Kuchroo, and Arlene Sharpe.
Musculoskeletal Research Center
The Musculoskeletal Research Center will stimulate interdepartmental and individual research focusing on bones, joints, muscles, and the disorders that affect them. It encourages communication and interactions among scientists and clinicians and facilitates opportunities for clinical, translational, and basic research. The center co-chairs are Drs. Michael Brenner, Julie Glowacki, and Philipp Lang.
Neurosciences Research Center
The center provides a multidisciplinary biomedical research approach that encompasses the bench to bedside approach to solving nervous system disorders. The center seeks to capitalize on the historical achievements of the Brigham neuroscience community to create a level of interdepartmental cooperation and leverage our multidisciplinary strengths to reach a deeper understanding of the nervous system in health and disease. The center co-chairs are Drs. Peter Black and Dennis Selkoe.
Stem Cell, Regenerative Medicine & Tissue Engineering Research Center
This center’s mission is to take a multidisciplinary approach integrating the talents of engineers, physicists, and mathematicians with those of biologists and clinicians to develop the knowledge base and engineer biological systems with the goal to repair and generate organs. The center co-chairs are Drs. Joseph Bonventre, Gary Gilliland and Charles Vacanti.
Connors-BRI Center for Research on Women's Health and Gender Biology
The center’s goal is to lead in the discovery of mechanisms that will explain sex differences in morbidity and mortality and disorders specific to women. The center will foster translational models of investigating sex-specific vulnerabilities to illnesses and promote outcomes research that addresses issues important to women’s health and health care. The center co-chairs are Drs. Julie Buring and Jill Goldstein.
The BRI Research Programs
Biomedical Imaging Program
The Biomedical Imaging Program’s goal is to build bridges between imaging scientists, and basic and translational researchers. The Program is co-chaired by Drs. Steven Seltzer and Clare Tempany-Afdhal.
Clinical Research Program
The Clinical Research Program’s multidisciplinary infrastructure provides access to exceptionally knowledgeable staff and coordinated programs to assist with every component of any given clinical research study, from translation to outcomes. The Clinical Research Program is chaired by Dr. Gordon Williams.
Pre-Clinical Models Program
The Pre-Clinical Models Program provides support on pre-clinical model resources to all BRI Research centers. The Program is chaired by Dr. Arlene Sharpe.
Send Feedback to: BRI Portal Coordinator at bwhresearch@partners.org
This page was last modified on 12/28/2007.
