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Mass General Brigham Researchers Honored with National Medals

President Joe Biden has announced the latest recipients of the National Medal of Science and National Medal of Technology and Innovation — the nation's highest honors for achievement and leadership in advancing the fields of science, technology and innovation. The awardees received their medals at a ceremony held at the White House on January 3.

Two Mass General Brigham researchers were recognized as recipients. Emery Brown, MD, PhD, (Anesthesiology, Massachusetts General Hospital) is a laureate for the National Medal of Science and David R. Walt, PhD, (Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital) is a laureate for the National Medal of Technology and Innovation.

Emery Brown, MD, PhD headshot
Emery Brown, MD, PhD

Established in 1959 by the U.S. Congress, the National Medal of Science is the highest recognition the nation can bestow on scientists and engineers. The presidential award is given to individuals deserving of special recognition by reason of their outstanding contributions to knowledge in the physical, biological, mathematical, engineering, or social and behavioral sciences, in service to the nation.

The National Medal of Technology and Innovation (NMTI) is the nation’s highest honor for technological achievement, bestowed by the President on America's leading innovators. The medal is awarded to individuals, teams (up to four individuals), companies or divisions of companies for their outstanding contributions to America’s economic, environmental and social well-being.

Brown is a physician investigator in the Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, the Warren M. Zapol Professor of Anaesthesia at Harvard Medical School, the Edwin Hood Taplin Professor of Medical Engineering and Computational Neuroscience, and an Investigator in the Picower Institute at MIT. Brown has used human and animal studies, along with mathematical modeling and the application of novel signal processing techniques, to characterize the neurophysiology of anesthetic actions in the brain.

His research has demonstrated that changing brain dynamics is one of the principal mechanisms through which anesthetics produce altered states of arousal such as unconsciousness. Because these dynamics are readily visible in the electroencephalogram (EEG), Brown has shown that the EEG can be used in real time to monitor the state of unconsciousness and guide drug dosing during general anesthesia.

Brown has also implemented a closed-loop anesthesia delivery system to precisely control anesthetic state; designed a neurophysiologically based paradigms for combining anesthetics to control unconsciousness and nociception; and designed novel approaches to accelerate recovery of consciousness following general anesthesia. 

David R. Walt, PhD headshot
David R. Walt, PhD

Walt is an investigator in the Department of Pathology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a professor of Pathology at Harvard Medical School, the Hanjörg Wyss Professor of Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard Medical School, and a core faculty member at the Wyss Institute at Harvard University.

Walt pioneered the use of microwell arrays for single-molecule detection and genetic measurements, which has revolutionized the process of genetic and proteomic analysis, enabling the cost of DNA sequencing and genotyping to plummet nearly a millionfold in the last decade.

The Walt Lab develops new diagnostics tools and new biomarker assay technologies based on single molecule detection that can address unmet clinical needs in diagnostics. The lab is focused on early detection of cancer, detection of active tuberculosis and other infectious diseases, and diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases. His lab has also been deeply involved in developing new tools to understand and diagnose COVID-19.