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.
Clinical Impact
Major Research Programs
- Advanced in vivo microscopy techniques: high speed imaging, single-cell and subcellular resolution imaging, functional imaging, endoscopic and intravascular imaging
- 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
News
2025-04-04 - Dr. Conor Evans Receives the 2025 MGH Research Scholars Award:
The MGH Research Scholars program was launched in 2011 by the hospital and the Research Institute Advisory Council to provide forward-thinking researchers with the unrestricted funding they need to take their work into new and uncharted territories.
Congratulations to Dr. Conor Evans on receiving the 2025 MGH Research Scholars Award!
2025-02-11 - Dr. Tayabba Hasan awarded the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring:
Dr Tayyaba Hasan PhD was recently awarded the prestigious PAESMEM Award by The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) in concert with the National Science Foundation (NSF). The specific award: Individual category: Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring (PAESMEM). This achievement reflects the significant contributions she has made to the field of mentoring and her contributions in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Dr. Hasan is one of only 12 individual recipients for this year in the nation.
Established by Congress in 1995, this award honors the hard work and dedication mentors exhibit in broadening participation in STEM pathways. PAESMEM specifically honors individuals and organizations that have demonstrated excellence in mentoring individuals from groups that are underrepresented in STEM education and the workforce. Over the course of Dr. Hasan’s career, she has graciously mentored over 300 candidates who are successfully making huge impacts in their fields.
