The Wellman Center
at Massachusetts General Hospital
The Wellman Center is an MGH thematic research center that specializes in the development and application of new technologies to advance medical science and solve clinical needs. The Center has historic strength in optics and photonics but also utilizes a broad spectrum of engineering, chemistry, physics, advanced biological techniques and computational approaches to bring solutions to patients.
Wellman faculty collaborate broadly across multiple clinical departments at Mass General Brigham, often bringing advanced technologies to unique clinical insights provided by front-line clinicians. The Center also collaborates far beyond MGB, with a deep history of collaborative work with the Department of Defense and with other academic and research institutions.
The wide array of applications tackled at Wellman include diagnostics and treatments that touch nearly every part of the human body. These include new tools and methods for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer and cardiovascular disease, wounds and burns, hemhorrage and coagulopathy, non-opiod treatment of pain, scar remodeling, and non-invasive blood and biomarker diagnostics.
These research efforts have developed multiple platform technologies for structural and functional imaging, such as Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) and Optical Frequency Domain Imaging (OFDI), Diffuse Optical Spectroscopy (DOS) and Spatial Frequency Domain Imaging (SFDI). Thus far, Wellman research has created over 26 clinical innovations in use worldwide, 20 platform technologies that have multiple applications, and over 40 startup companies.
Problems Worth Solving
- Novel therapies with light: Photodynamic therapy (PDT), photobiomodulation, fractional laser therapy, laser hair removal, tattoo removal, blue light anti-microbial therapy
- Cardiovascular disease: coronary imaging and diagnostics; circulatory shock and heart failure
- Cancer: in vivo imaging diagnostics; cancer biology and genetics; novel therapeutics
- Monitoring human physiology: critical care, circulatory shock, tissue perfusion and oxygenation, sleep apnea
- Trauma: wound repair, hemorrhage, traumatic brain injury (TBI), scarring, and hearing
- Surgical guidance: imaging methods; new therapies for repair of nerves, tendons, & blood vessels
- Transplantation: Tissue copying and autologous transplantation
- Pain management: Non-opioid pain methods
- Performance: Recovery from injury; Rehabilitation medicine and soldier readiness
- Infectious disease: influenza, sepsis, multi-drug resistant organisms; diagnosis, prevention, novel therapies
- Advanced in vivo microscopy techniques: high speed imaging, single-cell and subcellular resolution imaging, functional imaging, endoscopic and intravascular imaging
News
2025-10-10 - Wellman 50th Anniversary Celebration:
On Friday, September 26, 2025, at the Wyndham Boston Beacon Hill, the Wellman Center for Photomedicine celebrated five decades of innovation and excellence. The day featured thought‑provoking presentations, interactive exhibits, and inspiring talks from distinguished colleagues and alumni, culminating in a festive dinner to reconnect and honor our shared legacy. The Tearney Lab demo team made a big impression, showcasing cutting-edge medical devices that turned heads.
Warm thanks to everyone who joined. Here’s to the next 50 years!
2025-10-10 - Photobiomodulation Research Featured on LinkedIn and Twitter:
We’re proud to announce that groundbreaking work in Photobiomodulation by Prabhat Upadhyay, PhD, from Dr. Wu's Lab, has been featured on LinkedIn and Twitter. These posts highlight the innovative research efforts and the exciting potential of Photobiomodulation to advance health and wellness.
The recognition from the wider scientific and professional communities reflects the dedication and expertise of the team. Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter to stay connected with the latest updates, insights, and breakthroughs from our lab.
2025-10-01 - Tearney Lab Shines at This Year’s Phillips Society Luncheon:
Dr. Tearney, Anita Chung and Lindsay Ambrosino delivered fantastic presentations at this year's Phillips Society Luncheon! Guests were truly impressed, with many commenting on how engaging and inspiring the program was. Their efforts played a key role in making the event a great success.
