Center for Aging and Serious Illness (CASI) at Massachusetts General Hospital

What Center for Aging and Serious Illness (CASI) at Massachusetts General Hospital does

The Center for Optimal Aging and Serious Illness Research (CASI), also known as CASI at Massachusetts General Hospital, is a clinical research center within the Mongan Institute at Mass General Hospital, part of the Mass General Brigham (MGB) healthcare system. CASI conducts transdisciplinary research to improve the health, quality of life, and care of older adults, people living with serious illness (including cancer, dementia, and multimorbidity), and their care partners. The center is led by Founding Director Christine S. Ritchie, MD, MSPH, who holds the Kenneth L. Minaker Chair of Geriatric Medicine at MGH, and comprises eight faculty investigators, a six-person administrative team, a two-person data team, and six clinical research coordinators, supported by affiliated senior faculty across Harvard Medical School and MGH.

CASI's research portfolio is organized into seven programs: Serious Illness Communication, Pain and Symptom Research, Geriatric Surgery, Geriatric Epidemiology, Cancer Supportive Care, and Global and Tribal Palliative Care. Methodologies span epidemiology, implementation science, mixed methods, clinical trials, behavioral interventions, and informatics. The center operates two national training pipelines — the Bridge the Gap T32 Fellowship and the DEM-PCCT (Dementia Palliative Care Clinical Trials) program — and runs an internal pilot awards mechanism (Chong Jin Park and Ki Sub Joung awards at $50,000/year plus 20% indirect costs). CASI also co-directs national platforms including the Palliative Care Research Cooperative (PCRC) Investigator Development Center, the National Home-Based Primary Care Learning Network, and the Outreach, Recruitment, and Engagement Core of the Massachusetts Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (MADRC). Recent landmark outputs include randomized trials in JAMA (2024) and NEJM (2023, 2024), with global research partnerships in Jamaica, Uganda, Chile, and American Indian Tribal communities.

As a nonprofit academic research center within Mass General Brigham, CASI does not sell commercial products or services. Revenue is derived from federal research grants (NIH institutes including NIA, NINR, NCI), private foundation grants (PCORI, Alzheimer's Association, Cambia Health Foundation), institutional support from MGH/MGB, and philanthropic donations channeled through Mass General's giving platform. Research participation is voluntary; pilot award amounts are the only formally priced offering. The center distributes its work through academic publications, conferences, training programs, and implementation partnerships with health systems rather than commercial channels.

Name

Center for Aging and Serious Illness (CASI) at Massachusetts General Hospital

Legal name

Center for Optimal Aging and Serious Illness Research

Website

https://mghagingandseriousillness.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

CASI is a clinical research center within the Mongan Institute at Massachusetts General Hospital that conducts transdisciplinary research on aging, serious illness, palliative care, and caregiver support, training investigators through the DEM-PCCT program and T32 fellowship while publishing in JAMA and NEJM.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Academic Clinical Research

NAICS

Health Care and Social Assistance (62), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty Palliative Care (e.g., oncology, CHF/COPD, dementia) (HLADAHAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Chronic Disease & Complex Care Management (Geriatrics) (HLADALAC), Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment & Care Planning (HSABAIAA)

Keywords

• Clinical aging research
• Palliative care research
• Geriatric medicine studies
• Serious illness research
• Academic medical research

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Federal Research Grants (NIH/NIA/NINR): Primary funding from National Institutes of Health including NIA, NINR, NCI, and other institutes. Funds investigator-initiated research, fellowships, and cooperative group activities including the Palliative Care Research Cooperative (PCRC)
2. Pilot Award Program: Chong Jin Park and Ki Sub Joung Early Career Pilot Awards ($50,000 per year plus 20% indirect costs) support innovative applied clinical research focused on improving evidence base for aging or serious illness care
3. Private Foundation Grants: Funding from organizations including Cambia Health Foundation Sojourns Scholar Program, Alzheimer Association, PCORI, and others
4. Institutional Support: Support from MGH, Mass General Brigham system, and Mongan Institute for research infrastructure and administration

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Center for Aging and Serious Illness (CASI) at Massachusetts General Hospital conducts clinical and translational research that improves the health and well-being of older adults, people with serious illness, and their care partners. The center delivers its mission through six thematic research programs (Serious Illness Communication, Pain and Symptom, Geriatric Surgery, Geriatric Epidemiology, Cancer Supportive Care, and Global and Tribal Palliative Care), two national research training programs (Bridge the Gap T32 Fellowship and the DEM-PCCT Dementia Palliative Care Clinical Trials program), and early-career pilot award funding.

Product overview

The Center for Optimal Aging and Serious Illness Research (CASI) is a research center at Massachusetts General Hospital, not a product company. CASI operates as a research institute conducting clinical research to improve the health and well-being of older adults, people with serious illness, and their care partners. The center offers a portfolio of seven research programs (Geriatric Epidemiology, Geriatric Surgery, Pain and Symptom, Serious Illness Communication, Cancer Supportive Care, and Global and Tribal Palliative Care), two training programs (Bridge the Gap T32 Fellowship and Dementia Palliative Care Clinical Trials Program), and two pilot award funding mechanisms (Chong Jin Park and Ki Sub Joung awards). These offerings are research and educational services rather than commercial technology products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Bridge the Gap T32 Fellowship: Interdisciplinary Research Fellowship Program in Prevention, Optimization, and Living Well with Serious Illness through the departments of psychiatry and medicine
• Dementia Palliative Care Clinical Trials Program (DEM-PCCT)
• Serious Illness Communication Research Program
• Geriatric Epidemiology Research Program
• Geriatric Surgery Program
• Pain and Symptom Research Program
• Cancer Supportive Care Research Program
• Global and Tribal Palliative Care Research Program

Products and services

• Serious Illness Communication Research Program Designs, implements, and evaluates system-level interventions to improve communication between clinicians, patients, and families facing serious illness.
• Pain and Symptom Research Program Focuses on improving the understanding and treatment of pain and related symptoms among older adults and people with chronic and serious medical conditions.
• Geriatric Surgery Program Applies implementation science to improve care for older surgical patients.
• Geriatric Epidemiology Research Program Uses epidemiologic methods and core aging concepts to better define the risks and benefits of high-risk therapeutics.
• Cancer Supportive Care Research Program Focuses on improving palliative and supportive care for cancer survivors in the precision medicine era.
• Global and Tribal Palliative Care Research Program Develops culturally-responsive educational interventions to relieve suffering for vulnerable populations within the US and globally.
• Bridge the Gap T32 Fellowship Interdisciplinary Research Fellowship (T32) Program in Prevention, Optimization, and Living Well with Serious Illness through the departments of psychiatry and medicine at MGH.
• Dementia Palliative Care Clinical Trials Program (DEM-PCCT) National training program focused on diversifying and strengthening dementia palliative care clinical trials through training and mentorship of scholars.
• Chong Jin Park Early Career Pilot Award in Aging and Palliative Care Pilot award supporting research focused on improving the lives of those with serious illness, providing $50,000 per year plus 20% indirect costs.
• Ki Sub Joung Innovative Junior Faculty Pilot Award in Aging and Palliative Care Pilot award supporting research focused on aging, providing $50,000 per year plus 20% indirect costs.

Quantifiable outcome

• Stepped Palliative Care intervention for advanced lung cancer patients published in JAMA 2024
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

37 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship, major and minor.

• Massachusetts General HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary host institution for CASI; provides clinical research infrastructure, faculty appointments, and institutional support for aging and serious illness research
• Brigham and Women's HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution for pilot award eligibility; faculty appointments available at both MGH and BWH for early career investigators
• Mongan InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent organization providing research infrastructure and administrative support; CASI is a center within the Mongan Institute at MGH
• Harvard Medical SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic affiliation providing faculty appointments and educational programs for research training
• Mass General BrighamcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent health system encompassing MGH and BWH; provides clinical care infrastructure for research implementation
• Palliative Care Research Cooperative (PCRC)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational research cooperative funded by NINR; Ritchie serves as MPI and directs the Investigator Development Center; enables multi-site palliative care research
• Home-Based Primary Care Learning NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational quality improvement collaborative co-founded by Ritchie and Leff; aims to create culture of high-quality home-based primary care
• Massachusetts Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (MADRC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCASI faculty Ritchie and Vranceanu serve as Co-Directors of Outreach, Recruitment, and Engagement Core
• DEM-PCCT (Diversifying and Strengthening Dementia Palliative Care Clinical Trials)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational training program led by Ritchie, Vranceanu, Kutner, and Pollak; trains scholars across 30+ institutions in dementia palliative care research methodology
• Bridge the Gap T32 FellowshipflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerInterdisciplinary research fellowship in Prevention, Optimization, and Living Well with Serious Illness; interdisciplinary program through departments of psychiatry and medicine at MGH
• MGH Global Palliative Care ProgrammajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal palliative care initiatives led by Daubman; partnerships with local palliative care leaders in Jamaica, Uganda, and Chile; culturally-responsive educational interventions
• Harvard Global Health InstitutemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDaubman serves as Director of Fellowships; supports global health education and training in palliative care
• American Indian Tribal Communities (South Dakota)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCulturally-responsive palliative care educational programming and clinical services developed with Community Advisory Board of enrolled Tribal members
• Center for Health Outcomes and Interdisciplinary Research (CHOIR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVranceanu is Founding Director; CHOIR track of MGH Internship in Clinical Psychology; interdisciplinary research collaboration
• Duke University School of MedicineminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDEM-PCCT scholar institution; McDermott (Assistant Professor), Bankole (Assistant Professor) affiliated faculty
• Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public HealthminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDEM-PCCT scholar institution; Sloan (faculty); Lee (PhD in health services research)
• University of WashingtonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDEM-PCCT scholar institution; McDermott completed T32 fellowship at Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence
• Case Western Reserve University Frances Payne Bolton School of NursingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDEM-PCCT scholar institution; Aaron (Assistant Professor)
• The Ohio State UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDEM-PCCT scholar institution; Grant (Cognitive Health in Late Life Lab), Kimpel (College of Nursing)
• University of Utah College of NursingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDEM-PCCT scholar institution; Jackson (Assistant Professor, health equity research)
• University of Texas at Arlington College of Nursing and Health InnovationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDEM-PCCT scholar institution; S. Kim (Assistant Professor, technology-based interventions)
• University of Alaska AnchorageminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDEM-PCCT scholar institution; Kim (Director of Alaska Native Community-Engaged Aging Research Lab)
• University of Pennsylvania School of NursingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDEM-PCCT scholar institution; Britt (NIA T32 Postdoctoral Research Fellowship); Weiss (T32-funded NRSA postdoctoral fellowship)
• University of ColoradominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDEM-PCCT scholar institution; Cole (nurse scientist), Coats (College of Nursing), Mullen (Department of Family Medicine)
• Mayo ClinicminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDEM-PCCT scholar institution; Meade (Assistant Professor, Speech Pathology and Neurology)
• University of Rochester Medical CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDEM-PCCT scholar institution; Morgan (geriatrician), Yilmaz (Research Assistant Professor), Seshadri (Neuropalliative Care Division)
• University of South Florida School of Aging StudiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDEM-PCCT scholar institution; Dobbs (Associate Professor, Center for Hospice, Palliative Care and End-of-Life Studies)
• University of North Carolina WilmingtonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDEM-PCCT scholar institution; Weiss (Assistant Professor, arts-and-health research)
• University of Texas at San Antonio School of NursingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDEM-PCCT scholar institution; Shieu (Assistant Professor, caregiver interventions)
• University of Iowa College of NursingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDEM-PCCT scholar institution; Britt (Assistant Professor), Liu (Associate Professor, OPTIMAL mealtime program)
• Barrow Neurological InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDEM-PCCT scholar McLean's institution; nurse practitioner in Alzheimer's and Memory Disorders Program
• Brigham and Women's Hospital (DEM-PCCT)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDEM-PCCT program leadership includes Kutner; Bowman (emergency and palliative medicine)
• National Clinician Scholars Program at Duke/VAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDEM-PCCT scholar institution; Vick (health services researcher), Dictus (postdoctoral fellow)
• Veterans Administration of Puget SoundminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDEM-PCCT scholar Bernacki's institution; non-invasive cardiologist with research focus on older adults with cardiovascular disease
• Rush University College of NursingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDEM-PCCT scholar Mayahara's institution; Associate Professor, e-PainSupport digital pain diary development
• University of Alabama School of Social WorkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDEM-PCCT scholar Noh's institution; end-of-life care decision making, rural palliative care research
• Harvard Catalyst / Harvard Clinical and Translational Science CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFaculty profiles and resources linked for Ritchie, LaRowe, Paladino, Davila, and Petrillo

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• University of Washington Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence: Academic palliative care research center at UW with strong T32 fellowship program and investigator development pipeline. Direct peer to CASI given overlapping focus on palliative care research training and federal funding sources.
• National Palliative Care Research Center (NPCRC): National nonprofit dedicated to stimulating, developing, and funding palliative care research. Direct peer in palliative care research infrastructure and pilot funding, comparable to CASI's pilot award programs.
• UCLA Division of Geriatrics: Large academic geriatric medicine division with research programs on aging, multimorbidity, and serious illness. Peer to CASI in integrating clinical geriatrics with NIH-funded research.
• Harvard Medical School Center for Palliative Care: Harvard-affiliated palliative care research and education center. Direct peer and institutional sibling given CASI's MGH/Harvard affiliation and overlapping palliative care research mandate.
• Johns Hopkins Center on Aging and Health: Academic aging research center at Johns Hopkins with NIH-funded training programs and geriatric epidemiology research. Comparable to CASI's geriatric epidemiology and dementia research programs.
• Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai — Brookdale Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine: Major academic geriatrics and palliative care research department at a large East Coast medical school. Comparable to CASI in combining clinical care delivery with NIH-funded research and training programs.
• Stanford Center for Palliative Care: Academic palliative care research and clinical program at Stanford School of Medicine. Peer to CASI in integrating clinical palliative care delivery with research and training.
• Duke Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development: One of the original federally-funded aging research centers; offers research training, clinical research programs, and pilots comparable to CASI's structure. Direct peer in aging-focused academic research.

Emerging players

• University of Colorado Division of Geriatric Medicine: Academic geriatric medicine division with research programs in aging and palliative care. Comparable to CASI but smaller in research scope; DEM-PCCT scholar network flows through this institution.

Broad incumbents

• National Institute on Aging (NIA) Intramural Research Program: Federal research program on aging and age-related conditions. Broad incumbent in the aging research space and CASI's primary federal funder; shapes the research agenda across all academic aging centers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mgh_casi
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mghagingandseriousillness
• Instagraminstagram.com/mghcasi

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Center for Aging and Serious Illness (CASI) at Massachusetts General Hospital