Five MIT Affiliates Elected to National Academy of Medicine for 2025

On October 20, 2023, the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) announced the election of 100 new members, including two prominent faculty members from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and three distinguished alumni. This election is regarded as one of the highest honors in the fields of health and medicine. It recognizes those who have made significant contributions to their disciplines and demonstrated a commitment to service.

Among the newly elected members, Dina Katabi and Facundo Batista represent MIT, showcasing the institution’s influence in advancing health and medical research. Facundo Batista serves as the associate director and scientific director of the Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard. He holds the position of the first Phillip T. and Susan M. Ragon Professor in the MIT Department of Biology. The NAM acknowledged Batista for “his work unraveling the biology of antibody-producing B cells to better understand how our body’s immune systems respond to infectious disease.” His recent research focuses on developing preclinical vaccines and therapies for critical diseases such as HIV, malaria, and influenza.

Batista earned his PhD from the International School of Advanced Studies and established his lab in 2002, while also holding a professorship at Imperial College London. In 2016, he transitioned to the Ragon Institute to further his research in B cells and vaccine development, including work on SARS-CoV-2. He is a fellow of several prestigious organizations, including the U.K. Academy of Medical Sciences and the American Academy of Microbiology.

Dina Katabi, who completed her SM and PhD at MIT, is the Thuan (1990) and Nicole Pham Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. Her extensive research covers digital health, wireless sensing, mobile computing, machine learning, and computer vision. The NAM recognized Katabi for “pioneering digital health technology that enables non-invasive, off-body remote health monitoring via AI and wireless signals, and for developing digital biomarkers for Parkinson’s progression and detection.” Her work has significantly advanced the objective measurement of disease progression and treatment responses in clinical trials.

Katabi also directs the MIT Center for Wireless Networks and Mobile Computing and is a member of the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL), where she leads the Networks at MIT Research Group. She is a recipient of numerous accolades, including being a MacArthur Fellow and a member of the National Academy of Sciences.

In addition to Katabi and Batista, three other MIT alumni were elected to the NAM for 2025. They include Christopher S. Chen, who holds degrees from the Department of Mechanical Engineering and the Harvard-MIT Program in Health Sciences and Technology; Michael E. Matheny, also an alumnus of the Harvard-MIT Program in Health Sciences and Technology; and Rebecca R. Richards-Kortum, who earned her degrees in Physics and the Harvard-MIT Program in Health Sciences and Technology.

Established in 1970 as the Institute of Medicine, the NAM addresses critical issues in health, science, medicine, and related policy, inspiring action across various sectors. Victor J. Dzau, President of NAM, expressed his honor in welcoming the new members, emphasizing their excellence in addressing public health challenges, leading discoveries, and improving health care outcomes. He stated, “Their demonstrated excellence in tackling public health challenges… will critically strengthen our collective ability to tackle the most pressing health challenges of our time.”

The election of these individuals highlights MIT’s significant role in shaping the future of health and medicine, underscoring the impact of their research and innovations on global health challenges.