"MIT's dedication to advancing human health spans decades and encompasses the entire institution," stated W. Eric L. Grimson PhD '80, during the virtual MIT Better World (Health) event in February. "Over one-third of our faculty, representing every department at MIT, are actively engaged in research directly connected to health science and innovation." Grimson, who serves as MIT's chancellor for academic advancement and the Bernard M. Gordon Professor of Medical Engineering, highlighted the numerous accomplishments of MIT scholars in healthcare: "As the center of the world's most dense innovation cluster, MIT demonstrates remarkable agility and creativity, particularly in life sciences."
The online event welcomed MIT alumni and supporters worldwide, featuring presentations from university leaders, faculty members, and alumni focusing on health-related research at the Institute. With participants from 27 countries exceeding 1,000, the evening commenced with video messages from nearly a dozen alumni working in diverse healthcare roles across the globe. Their graduation years spanned five decades, from 1967 to 2019.
Grimson then introduced the featured speakers: Daniel P. Huttenlocher SM '84 PhD '88, dean of the MIT Stephen A. Schwarzman College of Computing and Henry Ellis Warren (1894) Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science; Mariana Arcaya MCP '08, associate professor of urban planning and public health; and Steven Truong '20, a Marshall Scholar investigating computational biology at the University of Cambridge in England.
Huttenlocher elaborated on artificial intelligence's transformative role in health research. He noted that last year, faculty at MIT's Abdul Latif Jameel Clinic for Machine Learning in Health discovered a novel antibiotic candidate effective against drug-resistant bacteria. "When searching for new antibiotics, the possibilities are so vast that testing even a small fraction becomes impractical," he explained. "This is precisely where machine learning becomes invaluable."
He also addressed the Schwarzman College's mission to educate "computing bilinguals" — individuals equipped with expertise in computing and AI alongside their specialized fields — and emphasized the critical need for cross-disciplinary collaboration. "By truly integrating computing throughout MIT, we'll achieve unprecedented advances in creating a better world."
"The research we've explored tonight exemplifies MIT's dedication to inquiry and innovation in pursuit of a healthier, more equitable world."
When the COVID-19 pandemic emerged, Arcaya noted, "it was predictable who would suffer first and most severely." She explained that social epidemiologists have consistently demonstrated that socially vulnerable populations face heightened disease risks. Through participatory action research in Massachusetts communities like Chelsea and Everett, Arcaya's students discovered that the exorbitant cost of Boston-area housing has compelled many residents to live in overcrowded apartments or become transient, elevating their exposure risk. Her team's findings, which linked rapidly increasing property values in previously affordable neighborhoods with higher COVID-19 infection rates, made a persuasive case for public policies protecting affordable housing. "Centering residents in place-based research enhances social science," she asserted.
Truong presented a startling statistic: Individuals of Asian descent are three times more likely than their white counterparts to have undiagnosed diabetes, as they often lack the obesity typically associated with the condition. "My father exemplified this issue," he shared. "Because he didn't fit the 'typical' profile of an American with diabetes, physicians didn't test him for it. Consequently, his diagnosis came so late that his body had already sustained significant damage." While his father's passing strengthened Truong's resolve to study the genetic foundations of diabetes in Vietnamese populations, he acknowledged the limitations of extensive data resources like the UK Biobank, which primarily represents the UK's current demographic composition: 95% white. "I've initiated research in Vietnam; I hope it not only illuminates these questions but also raises awareness about representation issues broadly," he told attendees. "I encourage you to support underrepresented groups in whatever fields you work in."
"The work we've heard about tonight," Grimson observed as the main program concluded, "embodies MIT's commitment to curiosity and discovery in pursuit of a better, healthier world."
