News & Events

We are proud to celebrate CCTR Director Dr. Elazer Edelman on receiving MIT's highest faculty honor. Dr. Edelman, an engineer and cardiologist, has been named the recipient of the 2026–2027 James R. Killian Jr. Faculty Achievement Award — a distinction awarded by his own MIT colleagues in recognition of a lifetime of extraordinary work. His contributions include helping develop cardiovascular stents that have now been used by more than 100 million people worldwide, along with significant advances in tissue engineering and the biological understanding of cardiovascular disease. As Director of the Center for Clinical and Translational Research, Dr. Edelman brings that same spirit of discovery to advancing clinical research at MIT and expanding access to innovative therapies. Congratulations, Dr. Edelman, on this well-deserved honor!

Researchers from MIT's Center for Clinical and Translational Research and Institute for Medical Engineering and Science have published new work showing that a non-contact radar sensor can assess fall risk in older adults as effectively as traditional laboratory equipment — no wearables, no clinic visit required.

In collaboration with Tufts Medical Center NICU and funded through Tufts CTSI, CCTR helped guide research and instrumentation of a multimodal sensing system to capture realistic neonatal data in the natural NICU environment. This system used both radar and video camera input to estimate respiratory rate (RR) and detect movement in neonates. Remote sensing of vital signs using video and radar in the NICU, with potential for elderly and veterinary clinics, offers an alternative to the gold standard adhesive contact sensors routinely used today. 

Engineers have shown they can accurately measure blood glucose by shining near-infrared light on the skin. “If we can make a noninvasive glucose monitor with high accuracy, then almost everyone with diabetes will benefit,” says Research Scientist Jeon Woong Kang. Study testing is ongoing at the MIT CCTR for a wearable monitor in healthy and prediabetic volunteers.

No longer dismissed, chronic Lyme disease (Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome) is finally gaining medical recognition and research investment, largely influenced by the widespread experience of "long Covid." Studies, like those led by the Tal Research Group at MIT, are actively investigating the lingering, debilitating symptoms to unlock effective treatments and provide validation for long-suffering patients.

Tal Research Group, responsible for the Maestro study being run with the help of the CCTR, recently posted a preprint related to information discovered in another study currently headed by the lab. In a mouse model, the researchers observed persistent infection of the female reproductive tract up to 15 months post-inoculation, leading to uterine glandular cysts, endometrial hyperplasia, and vaginal epithelial changes. Additionally, analysis of electronic health records indicated that Lyme disease is associated with higher risks of menorrhagia, miscarriage, uterine fibroids, and endometriosis.

REEV has recently closed a $9.2 million funding round. The company is developing DREEVEN, an AI-powered robotic knee brace designed to reduce muscle fatigue and restore mobility for individuals with multiple sclerosis or those recovering from a stroke or spinal cord injury.

At a recent networking event for Massachusetts eHealth Institute (MeHI) startup and sandbox partners, Tatiana Urman, MSN, participated in a panel discussion and spoke about the Center for Clinical and Translational Research (CCTR).

Long-haul covid and chronic Lyme disease are surprisingly similar. In collaboration with the CCTR, MIT immunoengineer Mikki Tal is on the case.

Join the Massachusetts eHealth Institute (MeHI) and the MIT Center for Clinical and Translational Research (CCTR) on February 28th from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. for the third event in the Mass Digital Health Sandbox Networking Series.