MIT’s McGovern School is Shaping Brain Science and Improving Human Life Globally | MIT News

In 2000, Patrick J.’s $350 million commitment began with a simple and bold vision: to understand the human brain in all complexities and to use this understanding to improve humanity.
Twenty-five years later, McGovern College has demonstrated the power of interdisciplinary collaboration, continuing to shape our understanding of the brain and improve the quality of life for people around the world.

At the beginning

“It is a real historical moment at MIT anyway,” said Charles M. Vest, the 15th President of MIT, when celebrating the McGovern Gift Agreement at an event in 2000. “The creation of McGovern College will launch one of the most profound and important scientific enterprises of the century, and it is certainly the cornerstone of MIT’s scientific contribution.”
Vest tapped Phillip A. Sharp, MIT Institute professor emeritus of biology and Nobel laughate, to lead the institute, and appointed six MIT professors — Emilio Bizzi, Martha Constantine-Paton, Ann Graybiel PhD ’71, H. Robert Horvitz ’68, Nancy Kanwisher ’80, PhD ’86, and Tomaso Poggio — to represent its founding faculty. 2003 began in Building 46 in 2003, a 376,000-square-foot research complex located on the northeast edge of the campus. MIT’s new “Northern Portal” will eventually house the McGovern School, the Picoll Institute for Learning and Memory, and the MIT’s Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences.

Robert Disimone is a Doris and Don Berkey professor of neuroscience at MIT, succeeded Sharp as director of the McGovern Institute in 2005 and formed a prominent roster of 22 faculty, including Nobel Laureate, a breakthrough prize winner, two national science/science/science/science and technology awards, as well as 15 American Academy of Arts and American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
A quarter century of innovation

On April 11, 2025, the McGovern Institute celebrated its 25th anniversary, a half-day workshop, featuring a speech by MIT Institute Professor Robert Langer, alumni speakers and Desimone from various McGovern Labs, and the 20th anniversary of the director of the institute.

Desimone highlighted the Institute’s recent discoveries, including the development of the CRISPR genome editing system, which ultimately led to the world’s first approval of CRISPR gene therapy in humans, an outstanding achievement that has attracted attention in a new era of transformative medicine. Among other milestones, McGovern researchers have developed the first prosthetic limb that is fully controlled by the human nervous system. A flexible detection that can mine intestinal communication; an extended microscopy technology paves the way for nanoscale imaging for biology laboratories around the world. And advanced computing models that demonstrate how we see, hear, use language, and even think about what others are thinking. Also transformative is McGovern College’s work in neuroimaging, revealing the architecture of human mind and establishing markers to indicate symptoms even before it appears, which suggests the early appearance of mental illness.

Synergy and Open Science
“I’m often asked what makes us different from other neuroscience institutions and programs around the world,” Desimone said. “My answer is simple. At McGovern College, the whole is larger than the sum of its parts.”
Many of the McGovern Institute’s findings depend on collaborations across multiple laboratories, from bioengineering to human brain imaging and artificial intelligence. In modern brain research, significant advancements often require the shared expertise of people working in the fields of neurophysiology, behavior, computational analysis, neuroanatomy, and molecular biology. McGovern’s faculty and graduate students represent more than a dozen different MIT departments, and this synergy leads to insight and innovation far exceeding the goals that any single discipline can achieve.
The McGovern spirit is also integrated into the spirit of open science, and the newly developed technology is shared with colleagues around the world. Through hospital partnerships, for example, McGovern’s researchers are testing their tools and therapeutic interventions and accelerating their discoveries into real-world solutions.

McGovern’s Legacy

Over the past 25 years, hundreds of scientific papers have appeared in McGovern Labs, but most teachers will think that the people who really define McGovern Labs – young researchers. Award-winning teachers often attract the brightest young people, but many McGovern teachers also serve as mentors, creating a diverse, dynamic scientific community that sets the global standard for brain research and its applications. For example, Kanwisher has mentored more than 70 doctoral students and postdoctoral students who continue to be leading scientists around the world. Her three former students, Evelina Fedorenko Phd ’07, Josh McDermott Phd ’06, and Rebecca Saxe Phd, John W. Other McGovern alumni shared stories about coaching, science and real-world impacts at the 25th Anniversary Symposium.

Looking ahead, the McGovern community is more committed than ever to unraveling the mysteries of the brain and making a meaningful impact on individuals’ lives globally.
“By promoting team science, open communication and interdisciplinary partnerships, our culture demonstrates how to expand personal expertise through collective efforts. I am honored to be the co-founder of this incredible institution – to the next 25 years!” said McGovern, co-founder of the Institute.