Ragon Institute

Congratulations to Batista Lab research fellow Raphael Reyes, who has been awarded the 2026 Warren Alpert Distinguished Scholar Fellowship in Immunotherapy.

The fellowship provides a stipend over two years to support his research exploring how the immune system helps maintain a healthy vaginal microbiome, work that could open new pathways for protecting against vaginal dysbiosis and its associated health consequences. This research is being conducted in collaboration with the Kwon Lab at Ragon.

Learn more: https://ragoninstitute.org/2026/06/batista-lab-research-fellow-awarded-2026-warren-alpert-distinguished-scholar-fellowship-in-immunotherapy/

Call for applicants: The Ramón Areces Foundation Research Fellowship

The Ragon Institute is now accepting applications for this two-year postdoctoral fellowship, which provides full salary and benefits to study under the guidance of a Ragon faculty member. Fellows pursue research in HIV/AIDS, infectious disease, vaccine development, cancer, and other areas of immunology central to the Ragon's mission.

Funded by the Madrid-based Ramón Areces Foundation, the fellowship supports scientific research by researchers who have studied in Spain. We welcome candidates with backgrounds in virology, immunology, computational and structural biology, engineering, microbiology, and related fields who have completed (or are completing) their PhD, MD, or MD/PhD.

To apply, submit a CV, a one-page statement of purpose identifying your proposed host lab, and a letter of support at https://ragoninstitute.org/ramon-areces-foundation-research-fellowship/

Applications accepted through September 30, 2026.

Meet Liza Reizis (pronounced Lee-za), a third-year PhD student in the MIT Biology program and member of the Batista Lab here at the Ragon.

Liza spends the workday studying B-cells, but outside the lab their interests are remarkably varied. An avid runner who can often be found on the Somerville bike path or jogging along the Charles River, Liza heads the Ragon Runners, having revived the Institute's run club and created a fun, welcoming space for colleagues to connect and get some fresh air. A self-described fan of everything outdoors, Liza enjoys hiking and has spent time working on remote farms, caring for goats, sheep, horses, even bees!

When asked their favorite part about working at the Ragon, Liza rattled off a short list of little wonders: the patio off the cafe, the endless supply of free Earl Grey, the incredible science (of course), and the people they have met through Ragon Runners. We couldn't be luckier to have people like Liza building our community!

Congratulations to Gaurav Gaiha, MD, DPhil, who has been named an inaugural 2026 Mass General Brigham Research Scholar! For the next five years, he will hold the title of the Giammaria and Sabrina Giuliani MGB Research Scholar.

The MGB Research Scholars program is Mass General Brigham's premier awards program for research, providing flexible, unrestricted funding to early- to mid-career investigators pursuing innovative ideas, building on the highly successful MGH Research Scholars program launched in 2011. Gaiha's lab at the Ragon Institute studies how CD8+ T cells control viruses and has used these insights to design novel vaccines currently under clinical investigation.

Ragon faculty member Daniel Lingwood, PhD, was named a 2025 MGH Research Scholar and holds the title of Phillip and Susan Ragon MGH Research Scholar for 2025-2030.

Caroline Mitchell, MD, an associate member of the Ragon, was also named to the 2026 MGB Research Scholars class.

Read more: https://ragoninstitute.org/2026/06/gaurav-gaiha-named-the-2026-giammaria-and-sabrina-giuliani-mgb-research-scholar/