Researchers from Atlantic Quantum, an MIT startup building quantum computers, have published new research showing “the architecture of the circuits underlying its quantum computer produces far fewer errors than the industry standard,” reports Rashi Shrivastava for Forbes.
STAT reporter Annalisa Merelli writes that the 2023 Lasker Award has been given to Prof. James Fujimoto, research affiliate Eric Swanson SM ’84 and David Huang PhD ’93 for their work advancing the diagnosis of eye disease. Fujimoto, Swanson and Huang developed “optical coherence tomography (OCT) — the first noninvasive technology allowing doctors to see high-resolution images of the retina.”
Prof. James Fujimoto, research affiliate Eric Swanson SM ’84 and David Huang PhD ’93 have won a Lasker Award for their work inventing optical coherence tomography, which can “detect conditions like macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy earlier than previous methods, preventing blindness,” reports Noah Weiland and Cade Metz for The New York Times. “O.C.T. now is commonly used in ophthalmology offices, where the patient simply rests a chin and forehead against an instrument for a brief scan,” write Weiland and Metz. “The method, invented in 1991, offers a staggering amount of detail about the retina.”
Prof. James Fujimoto, research affiliate Eric Swanson SM ’84 and David Huang PhD ’93 have been honored with the Lasker Award for their work for their work inventing “imaging technology that revolutionized how ophthalmologists diagnose diseases of the eye," reports Jonathan Saltzman for The Boston Globe. The scientists were recognized for developing “optical coherence tomography, or OCT, the first technology that enabled doctors to see a two- and three-dimensional cross-sectional image of the retina,” Saltzman explains. “This painless scan takes less than 10 minutes, and is now the standard of care for diagnosing retina diseases.”
Dan Stack PhD ’20 speaks with TechCrunch reporter Tim De Chant about his startup Electrified Thermal Solutions, which is developing electrified firebricks to help decarbonize building materials.
Maria Telleria ’08, SM’10, PhD ’13 speaks with Forbes contributor Stuart Anderson about her experience immigrating to the U.S. as a teenager, earning her PhD at MIT, and co-founding a company. “I don’t think I would have had these opportunities if I could not have come to the United States,” said Telleria. “I think it helped me grow by being exposed to two cultures. When you have had to think in two different ways, I think it makes you better understand other people and why they’re different. Coming to America has been an amazing opportunity.”
MIT alumnus Julian Bussgang SM ’52 - an entrepreneur, researcher and teacher who wrote about his experience escaping Poland during the Holocaust - has died at age 98, reports Bryan Marquard for The Boston Globe. “I have been one of the lucky ones. I survived,” wrote Bussgang in his memoir, adding that “the Holocaust still affected me. Lurking in the depth of my soul, there is a gnawing sorrow and haunting memories.”
Forbes contributor Michael Nietzel spotlights how MIT was named among the top universities in the U.S. for the economic value it returns to its students, according to a new ranking by Degreechoices. “At MIT, students earn $111,222 on average ten years after attending, and it takes those receiving federal aid under a year, on average, to pay back their total cost of attendance,” writes Nietzel. “Those numbers are consistent with MIT’s reputation for producing a large number of STEM graduates with very strong earning power.”
Arthur Musah '04, MEng '05 speaks with Boston Globe reporter Kajsa Kedefors about his new documentary, “Brief Tender Light,” which follows the lives of several African-born students from their first year at MIT through graduation and to their first jobs. Musah, “weaves in his own reflections in voice-overs throughout the film, exploring what it means to be an international African student at an elite American institution,” explains Kedefors. “He speaks to the pressure the students in the film share from back home: the idea that education is valuable and rare — that they should bring back what they learned to better the community.”
Olivier Faber MArch ’23, Tim Cousin MArch ’23 and Eytan Levi MArch/MSRED ’21 co-founded Roofscapes Studio – an MIT startup that is transforming rooftops into green roofs to provide outdoor spaces in cities and combat the effects of climate change, reports Julia Chatterley for CNN.
Boston Globe reporter Kara Miller spotlights Prof. Basima Tewfik and her work studying imposter phenomenon. Tewfik has found that imposter phenomenon, “may make you better at interacting with other people, which, in turn, could make you more effective at your job — an outcome that has never before been identified," writes Miller.
Prof. Tod Machover speaks with Boston Globe reporter A.Z. Madonna about the restaging of his opera ‘VALIS’ at MIT, which features an AI-assisted musical instrument developed by Nina Masuelli ’23. “In all my career, I’ve never seen anything change as fast as AI is changing right now, period,” said Machover. “So to figure out how to steer it towards something productive and useful is a really important question right now.”
Venti Technologies, which was co-founded by MIT researchers and alumni, is working to build autonomous vehicles for industrial and global supply chain hubs, reports Bruce Rogers for Forbes. “Working with the world's leading port operator provides Venti the opportunity to bring the economics of autonomous vehicles to over 60 ports globally,” writes Rogers. “These ports operate 24/7 requiring 2-3 shifts of human drivers.”
Jasmin Moghbeli '05 is the mission commander for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-7 mission to the International Space Station, reports Russ Reed for WCVB-TV. “This marked Moghbeli's first trip into space since she was selected to be a NASA astronaut in 2017,” writes Reed. “Belief in yourself is something really powerful,” Moghbeli said before the flight.
Jasmin Moghbeli '05 is serving as mission commander on the SpaceX Crew-7 mission to the International Space Station, which includes astronauts from 4 different countries, reports Jackie Wattles for CNN. “We are extremely proud — and I know I personally am humbled — to be a member of this incredible crew, where if you look at our four patches you’ll see a different nation’s flag on each one,” Moghbeli said of the flag patches adorning the astronauts’ suits. “We hope this represents what we can accomplish when we work together in unity and cooperate together. And we think this really is what the International Space Station is all about.”