Annual Report 2001 - the University of Massachusetts Medical School

M E S S A G E F R O M T H E P R E S I D E N T
The year 2001 was marked by excitement
and anticipation as we ushered in a new era
of biomedical research at the University of
Massachusetts Medical School. In just 30 years,
UMMS has risen to achieve national prominence with our
ambitious research enterprise; funding is projected to reach
$123 million this year. Ranked second out of 10 Northeast
public medical schools in funding from the National Institutes
of Health—265 individual awards with 14 program, project
and center grants—and an impressive fourth among 30 medical
schools founded since 1965, UMMS is on the rise, providing
the momentum for the institution to become one of the
outstanding research medical schools in the country.
In October, a dream was realized on campus with the dedication
and opening of the new research laboratory building.
In just over two years, the structure was designed and constructed
to facilitate the latest in cutting-edge biomedical
research. Made possible by the unwavering support of the
Worcester Foundation and the UMMS community, the
building stands as a symbol of the successful collaboration that
has defined the relationship of the two since their merger in 1997.
Recognizing that the key to furthering growth is in the
recruitment of outstanding scientists, the 360,000-squarefoot
facility will house 100 new investigators, of which 30
have already been recruited from some of the most prestigious
universities and institutes in the country. These scientists,
along with our current accomplished faculty, will undertake
research to discover the causes of and cures for the most
devastating diseases of our time. They will explore the
genetic basis of disease, leading to further understanding of
how genes work, and develop gene therapy techniques for
the insertion of new genes into cells. They will tackle diabetes
and other autoimmune diseases, and embark on new frontiers
in immunology. Research programs in neuroscience will be
launched, with implications for disorders ranging from
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome to Alzheimer’s disease and
the understanding of the genetics of mental illness.
Program in Chemical Biology and appointed Tariq Rana,
PhD, as its first director, who will guide the program in
applying the power of chemistry to the molecular basis of
disease.We welcomed nationally recognized dermatologist
and virologist Elliot Androphy, MD, to the Department of
Medicine as the Barbara and Nathan Greenberg Chair in
Biomedical Research and the Department of Medicine’s vice
chair for research.
Among our ranks, we count two
of the most highly cited scientists
in the world and three Howard
Hughes Medical Institute Investigators.
Our scientists are publishing
in the most prestigious journals,
including Cell, New England Journal
of Medicine, Science and Nature and
presenting their research at distinguished
conferences around the
world. And to bring 2001 to a
close, we welcomed four of the
country’s pre-eminent researchers
to this fall’s Scientific Symposium,
reflecting our highest aspirations
for scientific achievement.
In the coming year, our priority will be the recruitment of
a director for our Cancer Center. I am looking forward to
an incredible 2002 for the UMMS research enterprise.
John L. Sullivan, MD
Director, Office of Research
UMMS Professor of Pediatrics and Molecular Medicine
This exciting year also encompassed a series of events and
accomplishments celebrating superior science.With the
support of a four-year, multi-million dollar grant from the
Howard Hughes Medical Institute, we implemented the
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