Wyss InstituteBrain Disease – Wyss Institute

Destigmatizing mental health and democratizing brain-related research

Jessica Leff — Wed, 27 May 2026 13:50:06 +0000

By Jessica Leff More than one in five U.S. adults experience mental illness each year, but in 2024, only 52.1% of them received treatment. One reason people are reluctant to seek help is because of the stigma surrounding mental health. Often, that stigma comes from a lack of understanding and fear. Unfortunately, stigma doesn’t only impact those with mental illnesses, but it also affects…

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Ultrasensitive test detects biomarkers for specific form of dementia

Mariel Schoen — Tue, 05 May 2026 13:55:08 +0000

By MGB Communications (BOSTON) — Dementia affects over 57 million people worldwide, a number expected to nearly double in the next 20 years. This permanent loss of cognitive abilities affects daily function and can be caused by multiple brain pathologies, including well known ones like Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Right now, biomarkers permit diagnosis of AD but not rarer pathologies like…

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Alex Li on enabling technology translation

Jessica Leff — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 12:50:55 +0000

The Humans of the Wyss (HOW) series features members of the Wyss community discussing their work, the influences that shape them as professionals, and their collaborations at the Wyss Institute and beyond. Alex Li has always been fascinated by the idea of using living systems to make a positive impact. He initially pursued his interest in science, but after working at a venture capital firm…

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Cure ALD – Behind the Research | Alex LeNail – Safer Gene Therapy

Jessica Leff — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 15:26:58 +0000

Learn about Wyss Postdoctoral Fellow Alex LeNail‘s background and how he plans to develop a safer gene therapy for ALD (adrenoleukodystrophy) patients. If successful, this could go to clinical trials and give families hope for a cure. This video series tells the story of the scientists behind the breakthroughs, and why community-driven fundraising is the engine behind their discoveries. …

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Breaking barriers in brain health

Mariel Schoen — Wed, 18 Mar 2026 22:28:15 +0000

For decades, some of the most urgent challenges in brain health have resisted progress across both academia and the pharmaceutical industry. At the Wyss Institute, we are tackling them head-on. A central focus is overcoming one of the field’s biggest obstacles: delivering drugs effectively to the brain and central nervous system. Today, this process remains inefficient…

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Brain Shuttles: A New Path Into the Brain with James Gorman of the Wyss Institute

Jessica Leff — Tue, 25 Nov 2025 19:34:19 +0000

The host of Business Trip, Matias Serebrinsky, interviews Wyss Senior Director of Translational R&D James (Jim) Gorman, M.D., Ph.D. Jim is a Principal Investigator of the Wyss Institute Brain Targeting Program (BTP). He leads a team developing new approaches to transport drugs through the blood-brain barrier (BBB) into the central nervous system. In this episode, they discuss why the BBB blocks…

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Gina Wang on having the NERVE to detect ALS

Jessica Leff — Fri, 21 Nov 2025 14:00:19 +0000

The Humans of the Wyss (HOW) series features members of the Wyss community discussing their work, the influences that shape them as professionals, and their collaborations at the Wyss Institute and beyond. Gina Wang approaches baking the same way she approaches scientific experiments. She tracks different variables and eventually finds the optimal way to bake a chiffon cake or detect abnormal…

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20-ish Questions with Ellen Roche

Jessica Leff — Fri, 21 Nov 2025 14:00:10 +0000

20-ish Questions shows a different side of Wyss Institute faculty, touching on aspects of their personal life, hobbies, interests, as well as their research. This round follows Ellen Roche, an Associate Faculty member of the Wyss Institute as well as the Latham Family Career Development Professor at the Department of Mechanical Engineering and the Institute for Medical Engineering and Science…

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Crossing the barrier: Wyss Brain Targeting Program is delivering on its promise

Seth Kroll — Wed, 22 Oct 2025 13:18:46 +0000

By Seth Kroll (BOSTON) — Launched in 2019 as an ambitious idea, the Wyss Brain Targeting Program was designed to address a critical challenge in neuroscience and brain health: how to safely and effectively deliver drugs across the blood-brain barrier (BBB). The BBB is a tightly regulated gateway that protects the brain from toxins and pathogens but also prevents nearly all large-molecule drugs…

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The Wyss Institute’s 2025-2026 Validation Projects

Jessica Leff — Thu, 14 Aug 2025 15:00:53 +0000

Throughout recent years, the Wyss’ Validation Project mechanism has proven to be a highly valuable instrument for selecting and kick-starting projects with early potential for positive impact on healthcare and the environment. Reaching deep into areas with major unmet needs across the diverse Grand Challenges laid out by the Institute, the newly selected projects are driven by multi-talented teams…

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