MIT’s McGovern Institute: Pioneering Brain Science and Transforming Lives Globally
For a quarter-century, the McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT has stood as a beacon of interdisciplinary collaboration, driving advancements in our understanding of the human brain and improving lives worldwide. Founded in 2000 by Patrick J. McGovern ’59 and Lore Harp McGovern with a visionary $350 million gift, the institute’s mission is to unravel the complexities of the brain and translate that knowledge into tangible benefits for humanity. Their gift agreement was celebrated as a truly historic moment for MIT, an endeavor that would become a cornerstone of the university’s scientific contributions for decades to come (Vest, 2000).
MIT’s 15th president, Charles M. Vest, recognized the gift’s historical value at the time of its announcement. He tapped Phillip A. Sharp, MIT Institute professor emeritus of biology and Nobel laureate, to lead the institute. Initial faculty members included Emilio Bizzi, Martha Constantine-Paton, Ann Graybiel PhD ’71, H. Robert Horvitz ’68, Nancy Kanwisher ’80, PhD ’86, and Tomaso Poggio. Construction of Building 46, a 376,000-square-foot research complex, began in 2003, becoming the new home for the McGovern Institute, the Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, and MIT’s Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences.
Robert Desimone, the Doris and Don Berkey Professor of Neuroscience at MIT, succeeded Sharp as director in 2005. Desimone assembled a distinguished faculty of 22 members, including a Nobel laureate and numerous other award-winning scientists.
On April 11, 2025, the McGovern Institute marked its 25th anniversary with a symposium featuring presentations by MIT Institute Professor Robert Langer and alumni from McGovern labs. Desimone highlighted recent discoveries, including the CRISPR genome-editing system, the first prosthetic limb fully controlled by the body’s nervous system, a flexible probe for gut-brain communication, expansion microscopy, and advanced computational models of cognitive functions. Work in neuroimaging has also uncovered the architecture of human thought and early markers of mental illness.
Desimone emphasizes that the institute’s strength lies in its collaborative spirit, where discoveries often emerge from partnerships across multiple labs and disciplines. This synergy, combined with a commitment to open science, allows McGovern researchers to share technologies and accelerate the translation of discoveries into real-world solutions through hospital partnerships and clinical testing.
The McGovern Institute’s impact extends beyond scientific papers. Many faculty members emphasize the importance of mentorship in shaping the next generation of brain researchers. Professor Nancy Kanwisher, for example, has mentored over 70 doctoral students and postdocs who have become leading scientists globally. Evelina Fedorenko PhD ’07, Josh McDermott PhD ’06, and Rebecca Saxe PhD ’03, are now her colleagues at the McGovern Institute.
As the McGovern Institute looks to the future, it remains dedicated to unraveling the mysteries of the brain and making a global impact. Lore Harp McGovern emphasizes the institute’s culture of team science, open communication, and cross-discipline partnerships, which amplifies individual expertise through collective effort.
