Mass General Research Institute

The ability to pursue family planning goals is integral to gender equity in any field. In a new study led by investigators from Massachusetts General Hospital that surveyed more than 80% of all surgical residents in the United States, females were more likely to suffer obstetric complications and postpartum depression than male residents’ partners. Female residents were also more likely to experience pregnancy/parenthood-related mistreatment than male residents, and such mistreatment was associated with burnout, thoughts of leaving the profession, and thoughts of suicide. The findings are published in JAMA Surgery. "Although many training programs have achieved gender parity, gender disparities related to the experience of parenthood during general surgery residency persist,” said senior author Erika Rangel, M.D., M.S., FACS. Read more about the study: https://lnkd.in/g24yWHcQ

Have you ever wondered about your risk of developing stroke, dementia, depression or other brain diseases? Massachusetts General Hospital researchers have actually developed a new quiz you can take that can help predict your risk of all of those conditions, called the McCance Brain Care Score™. The quiz evaluates 12 modifiable physical, lifestyle and social factors that can help patients protect their brain health, and they have now shown that it can predict risk of late-age depression as well. To take the quiz and read more about the McCance Brain Care Score™ see here: https://lnkd.in/g7_XWQjv Mass General Brigham authors include Jonathan Rosand, MD, MSc, Sanjula Dhillon Singh, MD, PhD, MSc, and colleagues at the McCance Center for Brain Health at MGH, along with Christopher D. Anderson, MD, MMSc, FAAN, and colleagues from Brigham and Women's Hospital.

Mass General Brigham's new rapid genotyping test cuts brain tumor diagnosis time from 10 days to 2, avoiding invasive biopsies. It accurately identified tumors in 42% of cases with zero false positives. Learn how this collaboration is improving patient care. http://spklr.io/6041SsaN

Recent research by Matthew Sacchet, PhD, and colleagues establishes strong proof of concept for the study of advanced #meditation in controlled #neuroimaging settings. Dr. Sacchet, director of the Meditation Research Program in the Martinos Center, discusses the work in this Q&A. https://lnkd.in/eQMDkAYx

Maurizio Fava, MD, psychiatrist-in-chief at Mass General, discusses our hospital being ranked #1 in the nation for Psychiatry in 2024-25 by U.S. News & World Report in this Q&A. When asked what makes psychiatry stand out, he said “I think the most unique aspect of our department is our ability to leverage research to improve patient care. Our 68 adult and pediatric clinical and research programs, specialized in the care and research of patients suffering from many different psychiatric disorders, can bring highly innovative approaches to the bedside.” Read the full Q&A: http://spklr.io/6043SscX

Many #pregnant people have chronic medical conditions, and although they are usually closely monitored during pregnancy, they often face barriers when transitioning to primary care following delivery. A new study in JAMA Network Open found that an intervention involving automated appointment scheduling and reminder messages may improve post-partum health and well-being for these individuals. “Individuals with chronic and mental health conditions typically have frequent contact with obstetrical care providers while pregnant but often are largely left to navigate ongoing care needs on their own after delivery—referred to as the ‘postpartum cliff’,” explained lead author Mark Clapp, MD MPH, a maternal-fetal medicine specialist in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Massachusetts General Hospital and an assistant professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology at Harvard Medical School. Read more about the study: https://lnkd.in/gAWq5MPs Authorship: Mark A. Clapp, Alaka Ray, Pichliya Liang, Kaitlyn James, Ishani Ganguli, and Jessica Cohen.

A big thank you to all our employees who make a difference in our patients’ lives every day! Mass General is proud to be a U.S. News & World Report Honor Roll Hospital and ranked #1 in Psychiatry in the nation. Learn more: http://spklr.io/6047Sqz3

In a new study published in the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) Journal, researchers discovered that a new immune cell therapy could become a potential treatment for #ALS. The study showed that repeated infusions of certain immune cells delayed ALS onset and extended survival in an animal model, and also reduced markers of inflammation in an individual with the disease. “This makes the first step towards a phase I clinical trial of our new cell therapy for ALS, which is now in the planning stage,” said senior author Mark Poznansky, MD, PhD, Director of the Vaccine and Immunotherapy Center, an attending physician in General and Transplant Infectious Diseases Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, and a professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. Read more: https://lnkd.in/dqeBQJkT

Our new study led by Tori S. in this week's JAMA Network Open 📚 studied opioid prescribing in US teens undergoing surgery... Key Findings: Decline in Opioid Prescriptions: From 2015 to 2020, opioid prescriptions for adolescents post-surgery decreased significantly. Persistent Use: Despite the decline, 3% of youth continued to refill opioid prescriptions 3-6 months after surgery, suggesting they continued to use opioids in the long term. Preoperative Prescriptions: About 1 in 6 opioid prescriptions were filled before surgery, often for procedures not associated with severe pain that may not even need opioids. Treating pain after surgery is critical, and sometimes requires opioids. Still, we need to align opioid prescribing practices with best practices to reduce any unnecessary opioid prescriptions, and help ensure the safety and well-being of teens. Read the full study here: https://lnkd.in/epXBBbTR #Research #Healthcare #PublicHealth

Did you know that researchers use organoids, or miniature versions of organs to help progress medical research? In this image titled, Lab-Grown Fruits: Kidney Organoids, submitted by Murat Tekguc, MD, PhD, we can see the microstructure of one such organoid, created from stem cells in their lab. This image specifically depicts the structural components that make up the functional units in the kidney. The Morizane Lab specializes in kidney disease research using stem cell-derived tissues, specifically generating 3D kidney organoids from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs). These kidney organoids contain multiple cell types and are used for drug development and regenerative medicine. Read more about their lab: https://buff.ly/4bJLgNO