at Harvard Medical School
Veritas Science Center
August 2026
Letter from the Dean
Within the Veritas Science Center (VSC) at Harvard Medical School (HMS), scientists across genetics, immunology, and microbiology work together to tackle some of the most pressing questions in medicine—from uncovering how diseases begin to identifying new paths to prevention and treatment. Progress thrives on these cross-disciplinary connections, as investigators share methods, data, and expertise throughout the VSC.
Sincerely,
George Q. Daley, MD, PhD
Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Harvard University
Caroline Shields Walker Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School
The stories highlighted in this report capture the breadth of that effort. They feature discoveries that laid the foundation for cancer immunotherapy, advances that contributed to the first FDA-approved CRISPR gene therapy, innovative ways to apply artificial intelligence in medicine, and research that links the microbiome, the immune system, and the brain. Together, these advances demonstrate the scope and impact of research underway across HMS.
Your commitment to HMS affirms our shared belief in the power and promise of science. Thank you for your partnership in advancing this work.
Dear Ping and Renee,
The Veritas Science Center (VSC) is a 525,000-square-foot research hub that brings together HMS scientists across genetics, immunology, and microbiology to advance discovery in a highly collaborative environment.
Approximately 90 labs
Home to HMS’s Departments of Genetics, Immunology, and Microbiology
Nearly 1,000 researchers, including junior faculty, postdoctoral fellows, and graduate students
About the Veritas Science Center
Step onto the Harvard Med Campus: Exploring the Veritas Science Center
Research, collaboration, and convening spaces, including core facilities, a 25,000-square-foot vivarium, sky lounges, an outdoor plaza, a fitness center, and the Joseph B. Martin Conference Center with a nearly 500-seat amphitheater and meeting spaces
Every day, you can feel the energy that comes from scientists across disciplines working together and sharing ideas. The proximity of so many talented colleagues sparks creative collaborations and accelerates the pace of discovery.
Arlene Sharpe, MD ’82, PhD ’81,
Kolokotrones University Professor
Chair, Department of Immunology, HMS
As both a research hub and gathering place, the VSC supports the exchange of ideas, the celebration of milestones, and the collaborations that advance discovery across HMS and its affiliate hospitals.
Discovery and Community at the VSC
Five Frontiers
The following stories offer a closer look at five fields where HMS researchers are advancing discovery from the lab toward real-world impact.
Research at HMS suggests the microbiome’s medical significance extends beyond gastrointestinal conditions to the immune system, metabolism, and the brain, with implications for conditions including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and autism.
The Microbiome and the Brain
Stuart Orkin and Vijay Sankaran’s research into the genetic switch controlling hemoglobin production opened new directions in sickle cell research and ultimately led to CASGEVY, the world’s first FDA-approved CRISPR gene therapy, earning Dr. Orkin the prestigious Breakthrough Prize in 2026.
CRISPR and the Cure Frontier
Married researchers Arlene Sharpe and Gordon Freeman discovered that certain malignant tumors exploit the immune system’s PD-1/PD-L1 signaling pathway to avoid detection—a finding that paved the way for cancer immunotherapies now approved for more than 25 forms of the disease.
Cancer Immunotherapy Revolution
At HMS, researchers are using artificial intelligence (AI) to advance drug discovery and improve clinical decision-making—from tools that identify treatments capable of reversing disease in cells to AI systems that match or exceed physician performance on clinical reasoning tasks.
Artificial Intelligence and The Future of Medicine
HMS researchers Allon Klein and Olivier Pourquié co-founded Cellular Intelligence to address one of regenerative medicine’s most enduring challenges: turning promising cell therapies into treatments that are predictable and scalable enough to reach patients.
Translational Innovation
