The MIT Clinical Research Center is an NIH-funded research facility on campus that provides an infrastructure for interested scientists to perform biomedical and nutritional research involving human subjects.
Its existence allows students at all levels to gain experience with human subjects and human disease. Research projects in progress are in the areas of human nutrition and metabolism, psychiatry, neurology, endocrinology, physiology, infectious diseases (HIV), neuropsychology, biomechanical engineering, and obesity.
Most projects involve collaboration between physicians and clinical research scientists; some involve local hospitals such as Massachusetts General Hospital. The facilities of the center are open to all departments in the Institute, and its principal investigators are faculty members and research scientists from many different departments. The center has state-of-the-art instruments to assist in data collection for resting energy expenditure, body composition, hydration status and bone density. The center also provides a core lab to support processing of samples and conducting assays as necessary for each study. Nursing staff trained in both clinical practice and research procedures provide support to investigators for medical, biotech, and engineering clinical research.
Research opportunities are available for undergraduate and graduate students contemplating careers in the medical sciences and for postdoctoral physicians. The Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) allows undergraduate students the opportunity to participate in the research process at the Clinical Research Center—either for credit, pay or on a volunteer basis. Undergraduates also have the opportunity to enroll in HST.S12 Introduction to Human Clinical Investigations, taught by Dr. Ravi Thadhani, MIT CRC codirector, and held at the CRC.
For further information, contact the program codirectors, Drs. John Gabrieli and Ravi Thadhani, or the administrative officer, Suzanne Miller, Room E17-445, 617-253-3091.