Catalyst Scholars

Direct experience in biomedical innovation research for undergraduate students, nursing residents, and trainees

The MIT Catalyst Scholars Program provides a unique opportunity for undergraduate students and trainees to gain direct experience in biomedical innovation research. The program is a collaboration with the Priscilla King Gray Public Service Center at MIT.

Scholars collaborate closely with MIT Catalyst Fellows—professionals from fields such as healthcare, engineering, business, and more—to tackle unmet medical needs. This program offers hands-on research experience where students identify clinical problems, explore innovative solutions, and engage in the testing and validation of ideas, all while developing critical skills in problem-solving, teamwork, and communication.

Scholars will play an integral role in real-world projects, contributing to cutting-edge healthcare innovations alongside professionals and experts from various disciplines. By working directly on high-impact biomedical challenges, Scholars will gain unparalleled exposure to the intersection of healthcare, science, and technology.

The Catalyst Scholars Program offers the rare opportunity to engage directly in biomedical innovation and research. Scholars are not just observing innovation—they are actively contributing to the identification and development of solutions for real healthcare problems. The experience emphasizes a rigorous process of validation, ensuring that the challenges Scholars tackle are meaningful and impactful. Scholars will work on projects that are designed to move from research to development, with many advancing to commercial viability, far surpassing the typical success rate of biomedical ventures.

“At MIT, we’re proud of how well we solve problems, but that really depends on making sure that the problem is actually worth solving. Scholars learn to approach healthcare challenges with a critical mindset, ensuring their solutions are impactful and well-founded.”
Martha Gray, Director of MIT linQ

Who should join as a Catalyst Scholar

This program is perfect for those passionate about biomedical innovation and eager to contribute to healthcare solutions, complementing their education or work. Scholars will engage in deep, hands-on work alongside seasoned professionals, gaining invaluable experience in identifying and addressing critical healthcare needs. Ideal candidates will have a curiosity about healthcare, a desire to solve complex problems, and an interest in interdisciplinary collaboration. The program is designed for students who thrive in environments that encourage critical thinking and iterative learning.

“We provided a fresh perspective and were able to pinpoint problems that they hadn’t really thought about because when they’re so immersed in the field, they think there’s no other way to do this.”

Daisy Wang, PKG Scholar

What do Catalyst Scholars experience?

As a Catalyst Scholar, you will be involved in critical steps of the biomedical innovation process—from identifying unmet clinical needs to conducting primary research, reviewing literature, and engaging with healthcare professionals. You will work with Catalyst Fellows and faculty, testing assumptions, gathering data, and contributing to the development of tangible solutions.

Scholars gain hands-on experience by conducting stakeholder interviews, visiting clinical environments, and collaborating with multidisciplinary teams made up of students, faculty, healthcare providers, and experts in various fields. This experience is designed to immerse you in real-world healthcare challenges and provide the practical skills needed to tackle them.

Catalyst IAP (PKG)

“The experience I had with Catalyst as a nursing scholar allowed me to be innovative and challenge the way I think about healthcare solutions. It allowed me to have a creative mindset and analyze the issues at hand before developing an effective action plan.”

Cheyenne Bolanos, MSN, RN, VA Nursing Scholar

Scholars program director

Freddy Nguyen, MD, PhD

Physician-Scientist Fellow, MIT

Director, MIT Catalyst Scholars Program

CEO, Co-Founder, Nine Diagnostics

Biography

Dr. Freddy T. Nguyen, MD, PhD, is a Research Fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and CEO and Co-Founder of Nine Diagnostics. His current focus area is in functional precision medicine to develop new technologies to provide quicker and more dynamic information to determine the most effective treatment for the right patient at the right time. His prior work has focused on optical techniques (fluorescence, Raman, diffuse reflectance, and light scattering) and nanotechnologies for cancer diagnostics and therapy effectiveness.

He was previously the Transfusion Medicine Fellow in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Dartmouth, Pathology Resident and Chief Resident at Mount Sinai Hospital, Arnold O. Beckman Postdoctoral Fellow at MIT, In Vivo Microscopy Fellow at the Wellman Center for Photomedicine at the Massachusetts General Hospital, and post-doctoral research fellow in the Department of Chemical Engineering at MIT. He received his Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and his M.D. from the College of Medicine at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He received his B.S. in Chemistry and B.A. in Mathematics from Rice University.