Scientific Report 2003-2004 - Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research ...

10Continued from Page 9development of a research-based curriculum that will be the hallmark of the CCLCM. Our goal is toeducate physician-scientists using a medical training format that more approximates graduate training inthe biomedical sciences than the classical medical school program. A new Department of MolecularMedicine was created within the CWRU School of Medicine to provide an administrative home for theLRI faculty contributing to the development and teaching of the innovative CCLCM curriculum.Though much effort has been extended toward the CCLCM, we have also moved forward withour graduate and postdoctoral training programs. In 2002, we recruited Marcia Jarrett, Ph.D. todirect the new Research Education Office in the LRI. This office facilitates recruitment of postdoctoraland predoctoral candidates to the LRI and enhances training, and ultimately placement, opportunities forpostdoctoral fellows. The office, including the website with a continuously updated job posting board, isa great resource for fellows and graduate students. Currently, we have ~120 graduate students with mostpursuing degrees at three area universities: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland State University,and Kent State University.Our programs to generate excitement about biomedical science among younger students continueto draw from both private and public high schools in the area. The Clinic’s partnership with John HayHigh School and the Cleveland City School District creates opportunities for minority students toembrace science and research as a career opportunity. This is a nationally recognized program that hasflourished with funding from the NIH (1997-1999) and more recently the Howard Hughes MedicalInstitute (1999 through 2003).Challenges and Opportunities AheadThe future challenges that we face also represent opportunities to continue CCF’s climb into theupper echelon of academic biomedical research institutions. As individual scientists and as members ofteams, our future success is in our own hands. In the face of the reduced rate of NIH budget growth in2004 and beyond, we will need higher priority scores to obtain new grants and to be successful with ourcompetitive renewal applications. We willneed to pursue all relevant programsoffered by NIH, e.g., RFA’s, SPOR’s andprogram project grant applications. Wewill also need to look for alternativefunding sources and to partner with ourclinical colleagues in presenting comprehensiveand highly attractive programs forprivate companies and foundations tosupport. Senior members of the LRI mustbe committed to mentorship of juniorcolleagues to expedite the transition ofthese new faculty from seed funding toexternal support and independent status.While the LRI faces funding andother significant challenges in the nearfuture, I remain extremely optimistic. Wehave a great model for biomedicalresearch, just as our CCF clinical colleagueshave a great model for the practiceof medicine. When we come together, thesynergy benefits all. We also have theunwavering support of CCF leadershipand a stated commitment that the researchThe Lerner Research Institute Management Team: (first row from left) Bruce Trapp, Ph.D.,Chair, Neurosciences; Amiya Banerjee, Ph.D., Head, Section of Virology; Paul DiCorleto,Ph.D., Chair, LRI; Edward Plow, Ph.D., Chair, Molecular Cardiology; Thomas Hamilton,Ph.D., Chair, Immunology; Bryan Williams, Ph.D., Chair, Cancer Biology; Guy Chisolm,Ph.D., Interim Chair, Cell Biology; Andrei Gudkov, Ph.D., Chair, Molecular Biology; andremains a top priority of the institution.My enthusiasm and personal commitmentis further fueled by the outstandingperformance that I observe every day bythe hundreds of individuals that make upthe Lerner Research Institute.