Tec and Harvard celebrate ten years of joint research

Three hundred students have been involved in research projects such as molecular biology, nanomedicine, artificial intelligence, and biomedical device design over the course of the ten-year collaboration between Tec de Monterrey and Harvard University. 

Tec de Monterrey’s Research Internship Program in Collaboration with Harvard Medical School has enabled students to participate in one of the twenty-two laboratories offered by the program. 

“This year, we’re celebrating a decade of synergy, innovation, and outreach by two world-class institutions”, said Elvia Castro, Director of the Tec’s foreign academic programs. 

“We are also celebrating the success stories of our alumni, who have progressed from being student interns to become leaders in their respective fields”, she added. 

On May 7 and 8, the Monterrey campus hosted Harvard-Tec Lab Days 2026: Celebrating Ten Years of Research Internships, during which Tec graduate and faculty members from both universities led lectures, panel discussions, and networking sessions. 

Harvard University is considered to be one of the world’s leading institutions due to its historical prestige, academic excellence, and global influence. 

Over the last decade, this program has featured students from twenty undergraduate programs and ten graduate programs in the fields of science, engineering, health, and computer science.  

“The depth and impact on the careers of researchers who took advantage of the opportunity to participate in these or some of the programs we offer has been truly exponential”, said Ignacio de la Vega, the Tec’s Vice President for Global Affairs. 

Students join active research teams and contribute directly to experimental work, data collection, and innovation processes that lead to publications, patents, and startups. 

“Currently, these internships are held at hospitals such as Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Beth Israel Medical Center, and Boston Children’s Hospital”. 

“Some students have even had the opportunity to study at other institutions like MIT, with whom we have a very close relationship”, said Guillermo Ruiz-Esparza, a Tec graduate, pioneer of the program, and Harvard professor. 

Students have done research in areas such as: 

“The most rewarding thing is seeing students who have worked with us grow, fulfill their dreams, and watch as many of them lay the groundwork for becoming future leaders in the fields of technology and science”, he added. 

For his part, Dr. Luis Alonso Herrera, National Dean of the School of Medicine and Health Sciences, said that students from Monterrey, Mexico City, and Guadalajara have been able to apply their talents in world-class research settings thanks to this program. 

“This partnership between Harvard and Tec de Monterrey is not just an academic exchange; it’s a transformational platform. We’ve been training scientific leaders capable of tackling the most complex challenges of our time for ten years”. 

The results achieved over these ten years of collaboration include hundreds of contributions to peer-reviewed publications, articles in high-impact journals, contributions to patents, prototypes, and technologies. 

Additionally, certain graduates have published between ten and thirty scientific papers each. 

The Harvard-Tec Lab Days 2026 event, at which Tec alumni shared their experiences from these research stays, was held as part of the celebration of ten years of collaboration. 

During Harvard-Tec Lab Days 2026, several graduates of Tecnológico de Monterrey shared their experiences with students on research internships. 

CONECTA shares some details about Tec graduate collaborations below. 

A pediatric resident at Michigan Children’s Hospital, Andrés is about to begin a subspecialty in pediatric cardiology in Austin, Texas. 

“My Tec education helped me thrive in Harvard’s labs by teaching me early on how to seize opportunities, look beyond the obvious, and think outside the box”. 

Santiago is currently doing a doctorate in engineering at Stanford University. 

“It was an experience that changed my outlook and opened the door to other opportunities as I continued to make progress in my professional life”. 

Mildred currently works as an Investment-Readiness Consultant at Village Capital. 

“My experience at Harvard was key to the career shift I made; what inspires us is making an impact in our community.” 

She is doing a Ph.D. in bioengineering at Stanford University. 

“You realize the potential we have as Mexicans and as Tec alumni; when they tell you that you can go and do research at a university like that, you realize the level you’ve reached at the Tec.” 

Lorena is a specialist in medical information and scientific communication at Roche Mexico. 

“This experience marked a major turning point in my scientific and professional career; it gave me the tools I needed to continue growing.” 

Diana works as a computational biologist at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute 

“The group I belong to has joined the Harvard program offered by Tec de Monterrey, and we’re about to welcome our first student.” 

Carlos is the co-founder and current CEO of Criocore, a spin-off company from Harvard and the Zhang Lab that is developing an automated biofabrication platform for human-relevant in-vitro models for preclinical drug development. 

“This experience changed my life; the Tec not only helped me develop my technical skills, it also enhanced my acumen, which enabled me to see solutions in new ways and to be creative.” 

Tec de Monterrey’s international programs offer students the opportunity to participate in high-level research labs. 

The goal is to foster more productive professional student development and to provide an intensive, full-time research experience. 

“Tec de Monterrey is offering this so that you can gain experience at top-notch laboratories and further your professional development”, said Delia Flores of the Tec’s International Programs.