Proceedings of the HMS Faculty Council

To begin the Dec. 12 Faculty Council meeting, HMS dean Jeffrey Flier called on Kathleen Buckley and Russ Porter, both from the Office of the President and Provost, to present an update on science planning in Allston.

Buckley briefly reviewed the background leading to the development of the Allston initiative. She referenced the report of the 2005 Harvard University Task Force on Science and Technology (available for review on the provost’s website at www.provost.harvard.edu/reports/) and the report from the University Planning Committee for Science and Engineering that followed in 2006 (also available on the provost’s website), which reinforced the priorities of the task force.

Buckley introduced Porter, who distributed a copy of a report titled “Harvard’s Allston Science Complex Initiative Concepts.” Porter said that of the approximately one million square feet available, only 320,000 is lab space.

There was some discussion about options for transportation from the Longwood Medical Area to Allston. Nothing definite has been determined. The Allston campus is slated to open in 2010–2011.

There was some discussion about plans for bioengineering. Flier said that a new committee had been formed, chaired by Pamela Silver, HMS professor of systems biology; Elazer Edelman, HMS professor of medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital; and Ralph Weissleder, HMS professor of radiology at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Flier then called on Lee Nadler, the Virginia and D.K. Ludwig professor of medicine at BWH, to update the members on the Clinical and Translational Science Center (CTSC).

Nadler explained that the CTSC would facilitate interaction between basic and clinical sciences, enhance opportunities for collaboration, and provide a mechanism for seed funding.

Nadler acknowledged the many individuals involved in the grant preparation effort. He commented on the extraordinary support offered by the leadership at the affiliated institutions. He also underscored the importance of the Clinical and Translational Science Center, the need to create an academic home for clinical and translational research at HMS, and the importance of collaborating across institutions to create a solid foundation for advancing patient care and treatment.

Nadler described the governance structure, which has been put in place and has the endorsement of the University, the Schools, and the affiliated hospitals. He plans to update the council in about four months.

Applications Requested For Medical Ethics Fellowships

The 2008–2009 Fellowship in Medical Ethics is open to physicians, nurses, lawyers, social workers, and others in academic fields related to medicine or health with a serious academic interest in medical ethics. Fellows are selected on the basis of their previous academic achievement and the contribution they are likely to make in medical ethics. The deadline for submission of application materials is April 7. For more information and application instructions, e-mail helena_martins@hms.harvard.edu or call 617-432-3041.Three copies of all application materials should be sent to Dr. Mildred Solomon, Fellowship Director, c/o Helena Martins, Harvard Medical School, Division of Medical Ethics, 651 Huntington Ave, FXB 6th Fl., Boston, MA 02115.

Invitational Awards to Be Announced
Each year, several foundations invite a limited number of HMS junior faculty and postdocs to apply for their awards. Potential candidates must first apply through the HMS Faculty Fellowship Program. The HMS Fellowship Committee then chooses the applicants to apply to the foundations. New this year is the LAM Treatment Alliance Folkman Fellowship, offered only to HMS postdocs and graduate students. Updated information on the fellowships will be available online beginning Monday, Feb. 18, at http://medapps.med.harvard.edu/fellowships. An informational town meeting will be held on March 6, 12–1:30 pm in the Waterhouse Room on the first floor of Gordon Hall. The internal application deadline is April 9 in the Office of the Dean for Academic and Clinical Programs, Gordon Hall, Rm. 101.

Honors and Advances

•David Fisher, the Margaret M. Dyson professor of pediatrics at Dana–Farber Cancer Institute, has been named the head of the Department of Dermatology at Massachusetts General Hospital. He will also direct the MGH Cutaneous Biology Research Center and the Melanoma Program.

•The Anna Freud Foundation has honored Michael Good, HMS associate clinical professor of psychiatry at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, for his paper “Telescoping, Screening, and the Vicissitudes of Memory: The Relevance of the Work of Anna Freud to Current Issues Regarding Memories of Early Trauma and the Validation of Reconstructions.” The paper was selected as one that best demonstrates how Anna Freud’s theoretical and clinical contributions can effectively address contemporary challenges in psychoanalysis. The award, which he shared with Nicholas Midgley of University College London for his own paper, includes a $5,000 prize.

Smith Professorship Connects Harvard, Children’s, HMS

Liza Green, HMS Media Services

Introduced by Jeffrey Flier, dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Harvard provost Steven Hyman gave remarks at the Jan. 14 celebration of the Robert and Dana Smith Professorship, based in the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences and at Children’s Hospital Boston. He thanked donors Robert and Dana Smith and their family, saying that the gift ties together FAS, Children’s, and HMS. “This is not a trivial matter anymore,” he said, since research can rarely be done today in a single location. Building on this theme, Drew Gilpin Faust (right), president of Harvard, said, “This is a particularly opportune time to advance and support the life sciences.” And she called the Smiths “truly a uniting force in this city.” Faust praised first incumbent James Mandell (left), the president and CEO of Children’s, as one “who believes in the promise of a shared vision.”

Following remarks by Children’s chairman Stephen Karp, Mandell expressed his appreciation for the professorship, which he described as “the first chair that directly links FAS to Children’s.” Donor Robert Smith then said that he and his wife, Dana, feel it is their responsibility “to see that the hopes and dreams of the world are served.” He said that in talking with Mandell, it became clear that one way to do that is to invest in the quality of education.

Hendren Chair Shines Light on Surgical Innovation

Liza Green, HMS Media Services

Opening the Jan. 28 celebration of the W. Hardy Hendren Professorship in Surgery, HMS dean Jeffrey Flier praised the chair namesake as the “father of pediatric urology.” Based at Children’s Hospital Boston and HMS, the chair honors Hendren, who, in a career spanning 50 years, founded the Division of Pediatric Surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital and served as chief of surgery at Children’s; there he “developed and led a world-renowned service for over two decades,” Flier said. Speaker James Mandell, president and CEO of Children’s, described Hendren’s career as what happens when “courage and passion meet creativity and determination.” He quipped that Hendren was so innovative in pediatric urology that he created a lot of work for publishers. “The professorship will provide an inspirational spirit to others,” he said.

When Hendren (left) addressed the assembly, he acknowledged several of his former patients in the audience, describing their progress with evident warmth and pride. He also said that he was “thrilled” with the selection of Tom Jaksic (right) as the first incumbent. He said the system does not allow him to choose the recipient of the chair, but if he had been able to choose, Jaksic would have topped his list: “If I could have, I would have,” he said. Children’s Surgery Department chair Robert Shamberger then introduced Jaksic as a remarkably innovative and productive surgeon. In his remarks, Jaksic likened Hendren’s extraordinary talent to make things happen to that of Star Wars Jedi master Obi-Wan Kenobi. And coming down to Earth, Jaksic said that being named to the chair “is an enormous honor.”

A Farewell to Don Gibbons
In 1996, Don Gibbons became head of the Office of Public Affairs at HMS, which produces Focus. He has had a guiding hand in the publication ever since. Recently, Don announced that he would be leaving HMS for the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), a leader in stem cell research. There he will head their communications office.

We congratulate Don on this new position and wish him well in CIRM’s extraordinary efforts to advance regenerative medicine. One of the most promising areas of biomedical science deserves a pro like Don. But we will miss his energy and vision—and his refreshing iconoclasm.

We also anticipate that the Western front of stem cell research will not be quiet with Don marshaling the news.

Skin Disease Research Center Requests Proposals for Pilot and Feasibility Projects

The Harvard Skin Disease Research Center (HSDRC) is offering awards of $25,000 in direct costs for one year for pilot and feasibility projects investigating skin disease. The HSDRC goal is to harness the talents and strengths of a select group of investigators and consultants to advance the understanding of the cellular, molecular, and genetic mechanisms of the disease. Applications are due Feb. 15, and funding will begin April 1. E-mail applications to Karen Coughlan at kcoughlan@partners.org or send a CD to Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Department of Dermatology, Eugene Braunwald Research Center, 221 Longwood Avenue, 5th Floor, Room 502, Boston, MA 02115. For additional information and application instructions, please contact Karen Coughlan at kcoughlan@partners.org.

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