Brain and Behavior
Advancing brain and mental health through collaborative research that spans neuroscience, psychiatry, and population health—tackling challenges from neurodegeneration to trauma and mood disorders.
Tufts University-Tufts Medicine Research Enterprise
The Tufts University-Tufts Medicine (TU-TM) Research Enterprise is a collaborative initiative that unites the academic and research strength of Tufts University with the research and clinical expertise of Tufts Medicine to advance biomedical discovery to improve health outcomes. This alliance is designed to foster multidisciplinary collaboration, accelerate innovation, and translate research into real-world impact.
The enterprise is guided by five strategic pillars: Brain and Behavior; Cancer Biology, Care, and Survivorship; Cardiovascular Disease and Critical Care; Transplant Immunity and Infection; and Women’s Health, Nutrition, and Sex Differences. Through these focus areas, the initiative aims to encourage transdisciplinary translational collaboration and create centers of excellence that position our organizations as leaders in the biomedical research landscape.
Where we are going: Deepening the collaboration between Tufts University and the Tufts Medicine health system to build a biomedical research enterprise globally recognized as best in class via transformative growth in strategic areas of translational biomedical research leading to advances in health.
How we’ll get there: Through alignment and strategic investment that drives discovery, fosters collaboration, and accelerates translation to magnify the impact on health locally, nationally, and globally.
Vision: The Tufts University-Tufts Medicine Research Enterprise will advance health justice through transdisciplinary research integrating our collective strengths across the translational spectrum to solve the most pressing health problems of our society.
Strategic Pillars
The TU-TM Research Enterprise is organized around five pillars—each designed to align our academic, research, and clinical strengths to catalyze translational breakthroughs and real‑world impact.
Cancer Biology, Care, and Survivorship
Integrating experts from discovery through implementation sciences, to advance cancer prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and long‑term survivorship.
Cardiovascular Disease and Critical Care
Transforming cardiovascular care through research that bridges fundamental biology, advanced therapies, and innovative technologies to improve outcomes in heart disease and critical care.
Transplant Immunity and Infection
Aligning our experience as leaders in transplantation with experts in immunology and world-class microbiologists, to drive innovation in transplant medicine and transform patient care before, during, and after organ transplantation.
Women’s Health, Nutrition, and Sex Differences
Building on a long history of advancing women’s health through research on maternal health, nutrition, gynecologic oncology, and sex differences—driving discoveries that improve women’s health across the lifespan.
Explore Faculty Opportunities
We’re seeking exceptional faculty to help shape the future of biomedical research across our five strategic pillars. For more information click here.
FAQs
Have questions about collaboration, funding, or hiring?
Leadership
Iris Z. Jaffe, MD, PhD
Executive Director, TU-TM Research Enterprise
Executive Director, Molecular Cardiology Research Institute, Tufts Medical Center
Elisa Kent Mendelsohn Professor of Medicine and Molecular Cardiology, Tufts University School of Medicine
Pillar Leadership
Brain and Behavior
Chris Dulla, PhD
Co-Leader, Brain and Behavior, TU-TM Research Enterprise
Annetta and Gustav Grisard Chair and Professor of Neuroscience, Tufts University School of Medicine
Brent P. Forester, MD, MSc
Co-Leader, Brain and Behavior, TU-TM Research Enterprise
Dr. Frances S. Arkin Chair and Professor of Psychiatry, Tufts University School of Medicine
Chief and Chair, Department of Psychiatry, Tufts Medical Center
Director of Behavior Health and Co-Physician Executive of Neuroscience and Behavioral Health Service Line, Tufts Medicine
Cancer Biology, Care, and Survivorship
Mark D. Bonnen, MD
Co-Leader, Cancer Biology, Care, and Survivorship, TU-TM Research Enterprise
Professor of Radiation Oncology, Tufts University School of Medicine
Physician Executive, Cancer Service Line, Tufts Medical Center
Karl Munger, PhD
Co-Leader, Cancer Biology, Care, and Survivorship, TU-TM Research Enterprise
Chair and Professor of Developmental, Molecular and Chemical Biology, Dorothy Todd Bishop Research Professor, Tufts University School of Medicine
Cardiovascular Disease and Critical Care
Robert Blanton, Jr., MD
Co-Leader, Cardiovascular Disease and Critical Care, TU-TM Research Enterprise
Associate Professor of Medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine
Associate Director, Molecular Cardiology Research Institute, Tufts Medical Center
Benjamin S. Wessler, MD
Co-Leader, Cardiovascular Disease and Critical Care, TU-TM Research Enterprise
Associate Professor of Medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine
Director, Valve Center, Tufts Medical Center
Transplant Immunity and Infection
Yanik Bababekov, MD, MPH, FACS
Co-Leader, Transplant Immunity and Infection, TU-TM Research Enterprise
Assistant Professor of Surgery and Public Health & Community Medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine
Director of Quality, Department of Surgery, Tufts Medical Center
John Leong, MD, PhD
Co-Leader, Transplant Immunity and Infection, TU-TM Research Enterprise
Chair and Professor of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Edith Rieva and Hyman S. Trilling Professor, Tufts University School of Medicine
Women’s Health, Nutrition, and Sex Differences
Jamie Maguire, PhD
Co-Leader, Women’s Health, Nutrition, and Sex Differences, TU-TM Research Enterprise
Kenneth and JoAnn G Wellner Professor of Neuroscience, Tufts University School of Medicine
Perrie O'Tierney-Ginn, PhD
Co-Leader, Women’s Health, Nutrition, and Sex Differences, TU-TM Research Enterprise
Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tufts University School of Medicine
Executive Director, Woman, Mother + Baby Research Institute (WoMB), Tufts Medical Center
Administration
Holland Bowles
Project Administrator, TU-TM Research Enterprise
Contact Us
Interested in collaborating or learning more?
Email: researchenterprise@tufts.edu
About Tufts University
Tufts University is a leading research institution with a focus on interdisciplinary science and education. It is the only US university with a nutrition school and one of the few private universities with a medical school, a dental school, and a veterinary school, creating unique opportunities for cross-disciplinary collaboration.
About Tufts Medicine
Tufts Medicine brings together the best of academic and community medicine to deliver exceptional, connected and accessible care. Comprised of Tufts Medical Center, the principal teaching hospital of Tufts University and the Tufts University School of Medicine, Lowell General Hospital, MelroseWakefield Hospital, Lawrence Memorial Hospital of Medford, Care at Home, and an integrated network of 2,300 physicians, we treat the most complex conditions, keep our communities healthy and bring research breakthroughs to life.