In 1998, the BWH leadership established the Center for Excellence in Vascular Biology which was led by Dr. Gimbrone and Dr. Libby, the former chief of BWH cardiovascular medicine. The center was notably successful in advancing the understanding of the biology of inflammation. Fundamental and pioneering studies illuminated mechanisms of recruitment of leukocytes to sites of inflammation by identifying some of the first endothelial-leukocyte adhesion molecules. Dr. Libby was a leader in establishing the roles of cytokines in vascular diseases. His work laid the foundation for large scale clinical trials focussing on cardiovascular inflammation.

Matthias became the Director of the Gordon Center for Medical Imaging in early 2024, twenty years after joining the MGH Radiology Department as a postdoctoral fellow. Before then, he was trained in internal medicine and cardiology at Würzburg University and obtained his MD degree at Heidelberg University in Germany. Throughout his career, Matthias has applied imaging to understand the role of inflammation, in particular the innate immune system, in cardiovascular disease. His own lab focusses on imaging the heart, arteries and the hematopoietic system, where many disease-promoting immune cells originate.

In 2025, the BWH Center for Excellence in Vascular Biology and the MGH Gordon Center for Medical Imaging consolidated into the MGB Center for Inflammation Imaging, which is co-directed by Drs. Libby and Nahrendorf. We strive to foster collaboration between basic scientists, clinicians and engineers to achieve interdisciplinary progress on today's most pressing clinical problems. Our mission is rooted in the insight that complexity of clinical problems requires expertise beyond what one person can provide. Working with others in teams means learning from them, one of the most cherished activities we get to engage in.