MIT researchers have discovered that two common genetic mutations that cause Rett syndrome each set off a molecular chain of events that compromises the structural integrity of developing brain blood vessels, making them leaky. The study traces the problem to overexpression of a particular microRNA (miRNA-126-3p), and shows that tamping down the miRNA’s levels helps to rescue the vascular defect.Rett syndrome is a severe developmental disorder affecting both the brain and body. It is caused by various mutations in the widely expressed MECP2 gene, but the first symptoms don’t become apparent until affected children (mostly girls) reach 2-3 years of…

When patients undergo general anesthesia, doctors can choose among several drugs. Although each of these drugs acts on neurons in different ways, they all lead to the same result: a disruption of the brain’s balance between stability and excitability, according to a new MIT study.This disruption causes neural activity to become increasingly unstable, until the brain loses consciousness, the researchers found. The discovery of this common mechanism could make it easier to develop new technologies for monitoring patients while they are undergoing anesthesia.“What’s exciting about that is the possibility of a universal anesthesia-delivery system that can measure this one signal…

With the impact artificial intelligence is having on how companies operate, the environment for how MIT students are learning entrepreneurship and choosing to create new ventures is seeing rapid changes as well. To address how these student startups are being built, the Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship undertook a months-long series of discussions with key stakeholders to help shape a new direction for delta v, MIT’s capstone entrepreneurship accelerator for student founders.Two of Boston’s most successful tech entrepreneurs have stepped forward to fund this growth of new MIT ventures through a combined $6 million gift that supports the delta v accelerator…

With time dwindling in the Olympic women’s ice hockey gold medal game on Feb. 19, players for Team USA and Team Canada lined up for a key faceoff in Canada’s end. Canada had a 1-0 lead. USA had 2:23 left, and an ace up their sleeve: analytics.USA Coach John Wroblewski pulled the goalkeeper, to get a player advantage, and had forward Alex Carpenter take the faceoff. Statistics show that Carpenter is not only very good at winning faceoffs; she also wins a lot of them cleanly. That allows her team to quickly regain possession, without too many teammates nearby. Knowing…

It’s not every day that aspiring teenage engineers can see firsthand how planes are built. But a collaboration between nonprofit Engineering Tomorrow, aerospace firm Boeing, and alumni of the MIT Leaders for Global Operations (LGO) program working at Boeing is aiming to turn curiosity about aerospace engineering into possible careers for young students.Boeing is LGO’s longest-standing industry collaborator, hosting LGO internships, recruiting LGO alumni, and hosting plant treks for future engineers. Engineering Tomorrow, a nonprofit dedicated to inspiring the next generation of engineers, frames the U.S. engineering workforce shortage as an economic and national security issue — and says the…

The Financial Times has placed MIT Sloan School of Management at the top of its recently released 2026 Global MBA Ranking. It is the school’s first time gaining the No. 1 spot in the list.In its announcement of the rankings, the publication noted MIT’s school of management tops the list “at a time of sharpening focus from students on the importance of technology, including artificial intelligence, as they prepare for disruptions in the workplace.”Global education editor Andrew Jack said in the Financial Times News Briefing podcast that MIT is “very much at the center of the tech revolution that we are seeing.” He…

Greg Knutson is a military veteran who recently transitioned from 22 years of flying helicopters for the U.S. Navy to director of business development for Airbus U.S. Space and Defense. Now a second-year student in the MIT Sloan School Executive MBA program and a Pat Tillman Scholar, Knutson works to advance autonomous aircraft technology — while managing frequent travel, coursework and projects at MIT, and time with his wife and children in Houston. He also volunteers as a water polo coach, U.S. Naval Academy recruiter, and holds leadership positions in MIT’s Space Industry and Venture Capital clubs.For Knutson, the juggling act…

This year in a rural school district in southeastern Montana, one high school student is taking calculus. For many people, calculus is daunting enough, even when teachers are used to offering it and peers are around to help. Studying it solo can be even harder. Yet this lone student has an unusual source of support: weekly tutoring directly from an MIT undergraduate, by Zoom, a long-distance but helpful way to stay on track.It’s part of a new program called the MIT4America Calculus Project, launched from the Institute last summer, in which MIT undergraduates and alumni work with school districts across…

Zora Neale Hurston remains one of America’s best-known authors. Charles Henry Turner developed landmark studies about the behavior of bees and spiders. Brian Wilson founded the Beach Boys. George Nissen invented the trampoline. What do they all have in common?Well, for one thing, they were all innovative Americans — creators and discoverers, producing work no one anticipated. For another, they are all now celebrated as such, in verse, by Joshua Bennett.That’s right. Bennett — an MIT professor, lauded poet, and literary scholar — is marking the 250th anniversary of the founding of the U.S. with a book-length work of poetry…

MIT senior Srihitha Dasari never imagined she would be speaking in front of the United Nations about health care, technology, and the power of co-designing public health interventions in collaboration with impacted communities. But when she stepped up to the podium to speak about digital well-being and community-centered health care design, she carried with her more than research findings. She brought several years of experiential learning in public health environments, ranging from visiting exam rooms of New England’s largest safety net hospital to collaborating with nurses in rural Argentina and working on maternal health in India and Nepal. Dasari arrived at MIT…