麻州府組5人委員會 搜尋下任糾正署署長

Healey-Driscoll Administration Announces Search Committee for Department of Correction Commissioner   

BOSTON – Today, the Healey-Driscoll Administration announced an update on the search process to identify the next Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Correction, following the retirement of Commissioner Carol Mici last month. The Administration has formed a six-member search committee, composed of diverse professionals and community leaders with wide-ranging expertise and lived experience, to guide a robust process to identify the new executive and administrative leader of the Department of Correction.     

With administrative support from the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security (EOPSS), the Committee will guide the search process and provide multiple opportunities for stakeholder engagement. During the ongoing search, the Department remains under the leadership of Interim Commissioner Shawn Jenkins.   

Search Committee members include:   

·          Deirdre Calvert, Director of the Massachusetts Bureau of Substance Addiction Services 

·          Reverend Rahsaan D. Hall, President and CEO of the Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts 

·          David C. Henderson, MD, Psychiatrist-in-Chief at Boston Medical Center and Professor and Chair, Department of Psychiatry, at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine 

·          Sakieth Sako Long, Director of Operations for the Northeast Region at the Massachusetts Department of Youth Services 

·          Scott Semple, Retired Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Correction 

·          Yolanda Smith, Executive Director of Public Safety at Tufts University and former Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department Superintendent and Chief of Staff 

“Massachusetts leads the nation with historically low rates in incarceration and recidivism. The next DOC commissioner has a unique opportunity to shape the future of corrections in Massachusetts, advance the Department’s rehabilitative mission, and ensure the health and well-being of those working and living in DOC facilities,” said Governor Maura Healey. “We are grateful to the remarkable members of the search committee for their service and commitment to identifying strong applicants with the vision and values to lead the Department of Correction into the future.”     

“The selection of the Department’s future leader marks a pivotal moment for the DOC and a transformative opportunity to advance criminal justice reform, operational enhancements, rehabilitation, and recidivism,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “We look forward to engaging with the search committee and appreciate their dedication to conducting a thorough and expedient search to identify highly qualified and diverse candidates.”   

The search committee will begin the process by seeking stakeholder input about the most valued qualities and criteria for the DOC’s next commissioner. The search committee will then conduct a robust search and interview process for qualified candidates, culminating in a selection of finalists to be recommended to the Governor.  

廖國瑋鋼琴獨奏會 樂評稱讚演繹精妙

廖國瑋以鋼琴演奏舒曼作品。(中華表演藝術基金會提供)

              (Boston Orange) 中華表演藝術基金會4月13日晚在紐英崙音樂學院喬登廳舉辦的廖國瑋 (Kuok-Wai Lio) 鋼琴獨奏會，讓200多名觀眾熱情歡呼，掌聲久久不歇。

在這場盛大而成功的音樂會中，廖國瑋演奏了舒曼的《兒童場景》Op.15、《克萊斯勒》Op.16，以及《幻想曲》Op.17等著名作品。

波士頓音樂情報 (The Boston Musical Intelligener) 樂評在這場音樂會後，撰文詳細討論廖國瑋演奏的每一首曲目，稱讚廖國瑋的表演精湛絕倫，既敏感、深思、創新，還手指靈活，在琴鍵上飛躍、觸控，令人驚嘆。他形容廖國瑋的藝術才華在《幻想曲》的靜謐時刻尤為突出，輕鬆自如的塑造精妙旋律，還把第三樂章中的空靈溫柔演繹得令人心馳神往。 彈奏安可曲時，廖國瑋為觀眾獻上巴赫《哥德堡變奏曲》中的詠嘆調，又讓觀眾為曲神傷，報以更熱烈掌聲中。

國際鋼琴雜誌英國版的資深樂評家史蒂芬·威格勒 (Stephen Wigler) 則在題為“深入其中”的評論中說，” 在19世紀的偉大鋼琴作曲家中，舒曼的作品可能是最難演奏得好的。這不僅僅是音樂界廣泛承認的技術困難，更關乎詮釋演奏者的勇氣。舒曼有探索靈魂深處的傾向，演奏其作品需要勇氣，而全場都演奏舒曼曲目，可得有更大勇氣。廖國瑋選擇一連彈奏三曲舒曼作品，簡直是瘋狂的勇敢，尤其是這幾首曲目不僅演奏時危險而艱難，還得在結束時那麼安靜。然而，事實證明，廖國瑋在智慧和情感之間取得了極佳平衡，能夠以非凡的流暢度，藉由音調的微妙變化，讓昂揚的音樂瞬間平息，讓熟悉這作品的人都聽出全新的狂喜。當晚的音樂會以舒曼最偉大作品《幻想曲》結束。”我從未聽過比當晚更美麗的表演，它揭示了人在進入寂靜的旅程中層層不同的深度。”

溫哥華太陽報 (The Vancouver Sun) 更是稱讚廖國瑋為“音樂家中的音樂家”，《紐約時報》也稱其演奏“細膩動人”。

澳門出生，畢業於柯蒂斯 (Curtis)音樂學院的廖國瑋，在音樂演奏路上，履歷標青，曾以獨奏身份和世界各地的管弦樂團合作演出。他在2013 年曾獲著名的艾弗里·費舍爾職業獎 (Avery Fisher Career Grant )，費城音樂基金協會職業發展獎，師從過Gabriel Kwok, Gary Graffman, Claude Frank, Peter Frankl, Boris Berman, Jack Winerock 等人。應安德拉斯·席夫 (Andras Schiff) 之邀，到歐洲參加許多大師班，並應里昂·弗萊舍爾 (Leon Fleisher) 之邀參加了一個指導計劃之外，他曾與喬納森·比斯 (Jonathan Biss) 和伊農·巴納坦 (Inon Barnatan) 一起在溫哥華舒伯特音樂節 (Schubertiade)上演出，並被選中在紐約代替傳奇的拉杜·盧普 (Radu Lupu)，廣受好評。

13日晚在音樂會結束後，有20位跨代的知名音樂家齊聚一堂，慶祝他的演奏會辦大為成功。

中華表演基金會表示，這場音樂會的視頻將上載到中華表演藝術基金會 YouTube頻道上 (Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@FCPA/videos) 免費供大家欣賞。查詢或關注中華表演基金會，可上社交網站Instagram: @ cathychanfcpa。

麻州公共設施處響應全美"關注挖掘安全月"

 DPU Joins Dig Safe Awareness National Campaign 

Governor Healey signs proclamation declaring April as Dig Safe Month  

BOSTON — Governor Healey and the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities (DPU) join other New England states and utility companies around the country to highlight April as Dig Safe Awareness Month. The public awareness campaign, spearheaded by the nonprofit Dig Safe, Inc., reminds excavators, contractors, and residents to call 811 before starting any outdoor digging projects. 811 is the line for Dig Safe, an organization that notifies gas, electric, telephone, and cable companies about any intended digging project to ensure underground lines and pipes are not tampered with. At no cost to the excavator, professional locators visit the requested dig site to mark the approximate locations of underground utility lines with flags, spray paint, or both.  

Governor Healey and Lieutenant Governor Driscoll recently signed a proclamation announcing Dig Safe Awareness month across Massachusetts, joining with other states and utility companies around the country to remind excavators, contractors, and residents to be vigilant of utility lines when digging and call 811 before starting any outdoor digging projects.  The proclamation is just one of the many ways the state is promoting awareness of the free service that Dig Safe, Inc. provides. Road signs along Route 93, promoting trainings for first time offenders, emailing reminders to contractors, and a digital toolkit to promote Dig Safe on social media are ways in which the DPU is alerting the public to call 811 before digging.    

State law requires calling 811 at least three days before digging is to start. Accidentally striking an underground utility line can result in serious personal injury, property damage, and costly service disruptions for many. Additionally, failure to follow the provisions of the law and regulations can result in fines.     

“Utility accidents from damaged underground lines and pipes are both dangerous and costly,” said Chair James Van Nostrand. “Calling 811 is the best way to ensure a line won’t be hit when starting a new home project this year.”    

“Call 811: complying with the dig safe law is critical to preventing accidents, injury, and damage,” said Commissioner Cecile Fraser. “No one wants to disrupt utility services or worse, become seriously injured when tackling an outdoor project. Calling 811 ensures safety for all.”  

“Exercising caution by calling 811 keeps workers safe and prevents unnecessary costs for ratepayers,” said Commissioner Staci Rubin. “The spray paint markings promote safe digging practices.” 

Excavations are the leading cause of damage to underground utility infrastructure. In 2023, the Department investigated 1,421 excavation-related incidents involving possible violations to utility infrastructure in Massachusetts. Every digging project, no matter how large or small, warrants a call to 811. Examples of digging projects that require a call to 811 include: 

·      Installing a mailbox or fence; 

·      Building a deck; 

·      Installing a pool or basketball hoop; and, 

·      Planting trees and shrubs.    

For more information about 811 and safe digging practices, please visit https://www.mass.gov/dig-safe or www.digsafe.com.  

昆士市7-11便利店遭3名蒙面男子持槍搶劫

圖片來自Norwell警察局臉書

             (Boston Orange 綜合編譯) 麻州昆士市法蘭克林街上一家7-11便利店，在4月17日早上遭遇3名蒙面男子持槍搶劫。警方正在確認，這3名嫌犯是否和半小時前，在Norwell發生的一件類似搶案有關。

               根據警察公佈的訊息，昆士市警察追一輛藍色現代 (Hyundai)車，一路追到水街 (Water) 和自由街(Liberty)交界處。該車逃過了警察追捕，不過還沒開多久，就在水街上撞上消防栓和電線杆。

             車上男子拔起腿，從當地住家庭院奔逃。警察搜尋，未找到嫌犯，但在撞車現場的調查，讓警察相信車內男子就是搶劫7-11的人。

             稍後，就在撞車現場附近，有人舉報車輛被偷。警察正在查，偷車賊是否就是搶便利店的那3人。

             根據Norwell 警察局的臉書網頁，以及WCVB的報導，3名蒙面持械搶匪中，有2人是講西班牙文的西語裔人士，在凌晨4點18分左右，從Norwell華盛頓街95號的7-11便利店偷了500元，開著一輛黑色轎車，朝向Hingham方向離去。

慶祝"照顧行動月"滿週歲 Healey 上白宮宣揚麻州托兒照顧更可負擔

At White House Event, Governor Healey Highlights Massachusetts’ Nation-Leading Work to Make Child Care More Affordable 

Proposed Workforce Training System would ensure workers have access to training, as well as critical supports like child care  

BOSTON – Governor Maura T. Healey today participated in the Biden-Harris administration’s “Making Care Work” event, in honor of Care Workers Recognition Month and the Month of Action on Care. The event marked the one-year anniversary of President Biden’s Executive Order on Increasing Access to High-Quality Care and Supporting Caregivers. During her remarks, Governor Healey highlighted her administration’s nation-leading efforts to expand access to affordable, high-quality child care, including for workers, and her aggressive approach to competing for federal funding. White House Domestic Policy Advisor Neera Tanden, Director of the Gender Policy Council Jennifer Klein, Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, Administrator of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Shailen Bhatt, Governor Tina Kotek of Oregon, Governor Kathy Hochul of New York, tradeswomen, care advocates, and business community representatives also participated in the event. President Biden’s Care EO directed every cabinet-level agency to determine how they can require, preference, or

encourage their own federal funding applicants to provide supportive services, including care, for workers. Governor Healey outlined her administration’s efforts to provide supportive services to Massachusetts workers with the help of federal funding. 

The MassHire Hampden County Workforce Board and its community partners are currently seeking a $20 million U.S. Economic Development Administration grant through the CHIPS and Science Act called the Distressed Area Recompete Pilot Program. The proposal will create a Workforce Training System that will help provide child care, education, job training, and employment opportunities for workers in Springfield and Holyoke. The coalition applicants -- one of 22 other finalists across the country -- are currently working to finalize their application, which is due on April 25. 

Last year, as part of the Healey-Driscoll administration’s commitment to aggressively compete for federal funding, Massachusetts was awarded $19.7 million through the federal CHIPS and Science Act to establish the Northeast Microelectronics Coalition Hub (NEMC). NEMC is a regional hub that will advance the microelectronics needs of the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) while spurring new jobs, workforce training opportunities, and investment in the region’s advanced manufacturing and technology sectors. Governor Healey has made expanding access to affordable, high-quality child care a top priority of her administration. Massachusetts is the only state in the nation to continue funding child care stabilization grants via the transformative Commonwealth Cares for Children (C3) program at the level the federal government did after the federal funding expired. C3 has helped to keep over

7,000 child care programs open and supported over 42,000 educators. The Governor has also proposed a Gateway to Pre-K agenda that would set a pathway for universal high-quality, affordable preschool access statewide and increase child care financial assistance. 

Governor Healey’s remarks are below and a recording of the event can be found here.  

I really appreciate the opportunity to be here today and to join you, Director Klein, Secretary Raimondo, Administrator Bhatt and of course my fantastic colleagues who you just heard from, Governors Kotek and Hochul, who are doing great things on so many fronts and certainly committed to this particular issue. 

I also want to thank all the advocates, employers, and tradeswomen joining us today. Special shout out to Nancy Luc who you'll hear today from Building Pathways in Boston, which is a great program.    

I just want to say at the outset how grateful I am to President Biden and Vice President Harris for prioritizing job creation and investments in infrastructure, manufacturing, clean energy, and so much more. These investments have already produced historic economic growth across this country.    

They are empowering states like ours to not only create good jobs – but also fill those jobs, by reaching and supporting workers who have for far too long have been shut out.    

So, I just want to begin with thanks to the Biden-Harris administration for the many investments that we've been able to make as a result of their strategic investments and funding.  

When we talk about infrastructure, we're talking about child care, and that is something that the Biden Harris administration understands—that child care is an absolutely essential foundation for economic growth. You heard Governors Kotek and Hochul speak about that, and employers, both public and private, absolutely need to bring child care on board to work and power us forward. 

Here in Massachusetts, we've done a few things. We've leveraged ARPA funds to launch a stipend program for participants in workforce training programs – to help them by supporting their child care, transportation, and technology needs, among other resources.  

We are also partnering with labor on infrastructure projects: to support pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs that deploy the supportive services model as a proven strategy for diversifying good careers in the Trades. And when I talk diversifying, I'm really speaking to bringing more women into the trades and into these jobs.  

I also want to talk about how our federal partnership with the Biden administration has enabled us to do new innovations. We are thrilled to be a finalist in the Commerce Department’s Distressed Area Recompete Pilot Program through the CHIPS & Science Act. Just another example of the programming that is transformational that the Biden-Harris administration is making possible.  

We have an area in western Massachusetts that suffers from the highest level of poverty and unemployment in our state. It is also an area where there's a great opportunity for growth, one of our clean energy companies is about to build out there but we need to support a workforce. So, we now have a plan that we just built out with our regional workforce board that takes a new approach to addressing some of these deep inequalities of race and geography. 

Today I am announcing a $20 million plan that would create a workforce training system that provides not only access to skills and jobs there but also importantly child care, transportation and social support.  

The worker has to be the focal point here, making sure they have the support they need to be able to do these jobs and move into great careers. The focus on supportive services is really critical in this moment, not only for achieving equity but achieving sustained economic growth and recovery.  

Our economy is strong. The unemployment rate has been near historic lows. But many employers are having ahard time filling the jobs they have open because some of our residents are held back by barriers that are systemic. That is what these programs and opportunities through the Chips and Science Act enable.  

This partnership with the Biden Harris administration will enable us to provide affordable quality child care, that in particular has limited the ability of women to fully participate, achieve financial independence and overcome wage gaps. That is why it's a priority for the Biden-Harris administration and one that we embrace and that we will support. 

I am proud over the last two years to have been able to fund a program here we call the Commonwealth Cares program, which has kept 7,000 child care programs open here in Massachusetts and 4,200 child care educators working. We're also continuing to expand financial assistance for low- and moderate-income families. And we recently we have launched a plan called Gateway to Pre-K to achieve universal pre-kindergarten for 4-year-olds in our state. 

Ultimately this is not just awhole-of-government approach, but a whole-of-society need.   

So we are bringing everyone to the table to solve this child care challenge – educators, employers, advocates, and labor. And we’re grateful to the Biden Administration, and their partners inCongress, for prioritizing care and supportive services – today, and every day.    

This is an unprecedented step forward in national economic policy, one for which I am particularly very grateful for. Thank you for the opportunity to share our story with you today. 

波士頓市氣候長訂6月換人 Brian Swett將接掌內閣

               (Boston Orange 編譯) 波士頓市氣候長6月將換由萬寧路 (Tom Menino)市長時代的Brian Swett接任。吳弭市長指派的氣候長Mariama White-Hammond牧師將於4月26日離任，專心經營她創辦的”新根 AME教堂”。

              波士頓環球報今 (17)日刊登了這一消息。

              Brian Swett是在2012年時，首度由萬寧路聘為波士頓市的環境內閣首長，2014年馬丁華殊 (Martin Walsh) 接任市長後，他轉任旅遊局主任，接著2015年回到私營企業，目前是持續發展工程顧問公司Arup的首席顧問。

              Brian Swett將和波士頓市的新綠政策 (Green New Deal) 主任Oliver Sellers-Garcia組成新內閣，主導波士頓市的環境、能源及開放空間內閣。Oliver Sellers-Garcia將專注於經濟項目，例如清潔能源就業培訓，和公共衛生有關的倡議等。

              為波士頓市推出"氣候完備 (Climate Ready)"策略，辨識了波士頓市最易受氣候變化影響的溼度，海平面上升，極端炎熱等議題的Brian Swett說，以前波士頓市都處於計畫、制定目標階段，現在卻是要進入實施階段了。

              波士頓市長吳弭在她提出的2025會計年度預算中，列出了要爭取7500萬元聯邦氣候韌性補助款，推動她的環境及氣候議程。

利率高漲，房屋供應量大減 大波士頓居不易

               (Boston Orange 摘譯) 面對著居高不下的房價，持續看漲的貸款利率及房租，以及政府的估計全州約短缺20萬戶房屋，麻州無殼蝸牛們好為難。

               就連Sudbury這2023年中位價格已漲至113萬元的郊區，，地產經紀說，一有新房屋上市，潛在買家也立刻排成隊，有的甚至幾小時之內就售出，成交價格還經常比要價高15%。             

              過去幾年來，大波士頓的房屋市場，一直都供需不對稱，單家庭房屋的中位價格，去年已經漲到84萬5千元，比2020年漲了25%，但過去這2年，房屋買賣成交量卻下降了33%。

              造成這些情況的因素很多，貸款利率，例如30年期的固定利率，去年11月就已漲至7.8%，幾乎是2021年1月時的3倍，那些載2020和2021年以4%，或者甚至3%利率辦理了重新貸款的屋主們，幾乎都不願意出售手中的房屋。

              那些面對著麻州2睡房單位中位租金已高達每月3000元，波士頓許多社區更是每月超過3500元的承租戶們，就算想要買房子，也感嘆得準備的頭期款數額越來越大，簡直沒法存夠錢。

Healey-Driscoll Administration Announces $2.8 Million in Life Sciences Funding to Improve Women’s Health Outcomes

 Healey-Driscoll Administration Announces $2.8 Million in Life Sciences Funding to Improve Women’s Health Outcomes 

Funding announced during Governor Healey’s visit to Brigham and Women’s Hospital to spotlight Massachusetts’ leadership in life sciences and women’s health 

(Photo by Chutze Chou)

BOSTON — Today, Governor Maura T. Healey visited Brigham and Women’s Hospital to highlight Massachusetts’ leadership in life sciences and the Governor’s proposed 10-yearreauthorization of the Life Sciences Initiative in her Mass Leads Act. She was joined by Economic Development Secretary Yvonne Hao, Health and Human Services Secretary Kate Walsh, and President and CEO of Mass General Brigham Dr. Anne Klibanski for a tour of the Mary Horrigan Connors Center for Women's Health & Gender Biology. The Center is an anchor institution around women’s health and a key partner to the Massachusetts Life Science Center’s (MLSC) Women’s Health Initiative. During the visit, Governor Healey announced $2.8 million in new grants through the Women’s Health Project. The

grants include $2.6 million through the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center Women’s Health Innovation program to support institutions that are advancing projects to improve women’s health outcomes. Another $250,000 in grants were from the First Look Awards, which are administered with the Connors Center and support early-stage research that advances the understanding of diseases and conditions that disproportionately affect women. 

“Our hospitals and research institutions are key contributors to Massachusetts’ global leadership in health care and thriving sectors such as the life sciences,” said Governor Healey. “Every day, patients’ lives are being transformed thanks to the hard work and innovation taking place at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and across Mass General Brigham. The Mass Leads Act aims to accelerate these efforts, particularly in areas like women’s health that have been historically overlooked and inspire breakthroughs for a generation to come.” 

“We are incredibly proud to support our world-leading network of hospitals and research institutions that are improving patient outcomes on a global scale,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “Innovation is Massachusetts’ calling card now and into the future. The Mass Leads Act doubles down on our leadership opportunities in areas like women’s health to advance not only our life sciences sector, but also our health care system and broader economy.” 

The Governor is proposing a $1 billion, 10-year reauthorization of the Life Sciences Initiative, which will position Massachusetts to lengthen its lead as the global leader in this cutting-edge industry. In addition to competitiveness and innovation, equity is also prioritized in the new initiative, by creating better workforce pathways into careers in the industry and improving health outcomes for residents in Massachusetts.    

“The MLSC’s Women’s Health Initiative is a prime example of the unique leadership opportunity we have here in the Commonwealth,” said Secretary of Economic Development Yvonne Hao, who serves as Co-Chair of the MLSC Board of Directors. “Working closely with institutions like Brigham and Women’s Hospital and its other world-class peers, we can drive breakthroughs and take on the tough challenges that will change lives around the world. This type of ecosystem is why Massachusetts won the ARPA-H Investor Catalyst Hub and why the Mass Leads Act is such a critical proposal to lengthen our lead and continue making transformative investments.” 

“Health care and the life sciences are deeply intertwined. In Massachusetts, we’re lucky to excel in both. By leveraging the Healey-Driscoll Administration’s focus on equity in both health innovation and care delivery, we’re on the path to improving health outcomes for people in Massachusetts and across the country,” said Secretary of Health and Human Services Kate Walsh. “This is a special moment for Massachusetts. Our world-class leaders, ARPA-H hub, and proposed investments in the Mass Leads Act will ensure a new chapter of health innovation that leaves no patient behind.” 

 

MLSC launched its Women’s Health Initiative in 2020, to turn the tide against the severe lack of organized capital and incentives around a coordinated women’s health approach. Since 2020, the MLSC has deployed more than $19 million across 60 projects in collaboration with 15 companies, fostering advancements in translational research. With continued strategic investment in this area, Massachusetts is poised to become the leader in the women’s health space. The current programs offered through the Initiative focus on increasing the number of translatable opportunities in women’s health at Massachusetts research institutions.  

 

“We’re incredibly proud of the potential of these projects announced today to ensure that assachusetts remains the global life sciences hub,” said MLSC Acting CEO & Vice President of Economic Development and Partnerships Jeanne LeClair. “An important pillar of this hub remains our leadership in women’s health. Massachusetts is uniquely positioned to drive collaboration between industry, education, non-profit, and government in this and other key research areas.” 

“Opportunities like this are critical for the future and competitiveness of Massachusetts,” said Mass General Brigham President and Chief Executive Officer, Anne Klibanski. “I applaud the deep commitment the Healey-Driscoll Administration has shown to life sciences and economic development through the Mass Leads Act. Healthcare is the backbone of the state’s economy, and this essential funding supports Mass General Brigham’s mission to provide exceptional patient care, advance research and innovation, educate the next generation of healthcare leaders, and support the communities we serve.”  

Last year, Massachusetts was chosen by the federal Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), an agency within the National Institutes of Health, to host its Investor Catalyst Hub, demonstrating the effectiveness of the state’s investments in the life sciences. This past February, First Lady Dr. Jill Biden visited Massachusetts to announce ARPA-H’s Sprint for Women’s Health to push high-impact biomedical research forward to improve women’s health outcomes. The Investor Catalyst Hub played a lead role in managing the solicitation, which closed for submissions on Monday, April 15. It is expected that multiple Massachusetts-based institutions submitted proposals for funding.  The Governor’s proposed long-term commitment in the Mass Leads Act will position Massachusetts to win more investment in the life sciences industry, develop more life-saving cures, and create more jobs. It will build on the success of prior authorizations while making adjustments to account for present-day challenges and opportunities. The initiative has three core parts:   

1.       Capital: The Massachusetts Life Sciences Center will embrace a model that encourages multi-institution, cross-sector collaboration among key industries, such as biotechnology, manufacturing, medical technology, higher education, and healthcare. Through this realignment, the state will be better able to pursue health equity ventures, research and development, and capital eligible initiatives to support the ecosystem.   

2.       Tax Incentives: The Life Sciences Tax Incentive Program has proven successful in incentivizing the creation of jobs in the industry. This bill proposes to increase the statutory cap for life sciences tax incentives to create more capacity in the future and extends the program to 2033 to demonstrate the state’s commitment for the next decade. This will further enhance a valuable business development tool to attract and retain companies in Massachusetts.     

3.       Operating: This new strategy also projects annual appropriations for workforce development programming and other strategic initiatives, including support for early-stage companies. Notably, this component of the strategy incorporates an expansion of Pathmaker, a key component of the Healey-Driscoll Administration’s MassTalent Initiative, to scale career training programs for in-demand job opportunities within the industry.     

More information can be found in the Life Sciences issue brief.   More on MLSC Women’s Health

Awardees: 

The Women’s Health Innovation Grants programs focuses on projects with translational potential and preliminary supporting data, but still require a key set of proof-of-concept experiments prior to attracting a commercial partner or spinning out into a new company. The Center is awarding 10 projects totaling $2.6 million. 

Awardee: Dr. Emily Lau, Massachusetts General Hospital 

Project title: Prediction of Pregnancy Outcomes Using Deep Learning Estimation of Cardiorespiratory Fitness (VO2 PEAK) 

Awardee: Dr. Ethan Litman, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center 

Project title: Non-invasive Point-Of-Care Hemoglobin Testing in Pregnancy 

Awardee: Dr. Igor Sokolov, Tufts University 

Project title: Novel imaging modality and image analysis to decrease the number of unnecessary colposcopies during screening for cervical cancer 

Awardee: Dr. Liqun Wang, Harvard University 

Project title: Novel brain shuttle mediated anti-HER2 therapeutics for breast cancer brain metastasis 

Awardee: Dr. Megha Gupta, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center 

Project title: Assessment of Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction in Pregnant and Postpartum Patients Using a Novel Handheld Ultrasound Device with AI-Assisted Algorithm 

Awardee: Dr. Michael House, Tufts Medical Center 

Project title: Benchtop Testing of a Medical Device to Treat Cervical Insufficiency 

Awardee: Dr. Needa Brown, Northeastern University 

Project title: InCITE: A Biomaterial Platform to Overcome Barriers to Drug Delivery 

Awardee: Dr. Staci Gruber, McLean Hospital 

Project title: Evaluating the Impact of a Novel Cannabinoid Product for Endometriosis 

Awardee: Dr. Zohreh Izadifar, Boston Children's Hospital 

Project title: Personalized BV Treatments: Harnessing Organ Chip Models to Tackle Health Inequity 

Awardee: Dr. Zsuzsanna Zsengeller, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center 

Project title: Second generation dual-function redox modulators for Preeclampsia therapy 

The First Look Awards program, a collaboration between the MLSC and the Mary Horrigan Connors Center for Women’s Health and Gender Biology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, supports exploratory projects to begin developing translatable solutions for women’s health and furthering our understanding of gender biology. The Center is awarding five projects totaling $250,000. 

Awardee: Dr. Anahita Dua, Massachusetts General Hospital 

Project title: Personalizing Anti-platelet Medications to Decrease Thrombotic Rates in Elderly Patients with Peripheral Artery Disease Post Lower Extremity Revascularization 

 

Awardee: Dr. Christina Bailey-Hytholt and Dr. Diana Alatalo, Worcester PolytechnicInstitute 

Project title: Lithium-loaded lipid particles for treating bipolar disorder during pregnancy and breastfeeding 

 

Awardee: Dr. Lydia Shook, Massachusetts General Hospital 

Project title: Characterizing the Immune Landscape of the Placenta in Pregnancies Complicated by Type 1 Diabetes 

 

Awardee: Dr. Mariane Le Fur, Massachusetts General Hospital 

Project title: Non-invasive diagnosis of endometriosis by molecular imaging 

 

Awardee: Dr. Natalie Feldman, Brigham Women’s Hospital 

Project title: Pilot of a Digital Mental Health Intervention for Postpartum Anxiety