BRI Celebrates Researchers
The BWH Biomedical Research Institute (BRI) honored researchers last month and provided a glimpse into the future of research at BWH with the BRI Research Celebration.
"This is an exciting time to be a researcher at Brigham and Women's Hospital Biomedical Research Institute," said Thomas Kupper, MD, director of the BRI and chair of Dermatology. "There is a critical mass of basic, translational and clinical scientists across multiple disciplines, and even in these times of constrained resources, there is great enthusiasm for where our research is going."
BWH President Gary Gottlieb reflected on the formation of the BRI. "Like discoveries that come from the great minds working in our labs, the BRI started with an idea-the idea that we could use the might and reach of the institution that is Brigham and Women's Hospital to strengthen the relationship between researchers and clinicians and accelerate the translation from bench to bedside."
Just four months old, the BRI already has accomplishments to celebrate, including granting its first round of funding to comprehensive research centers and holding regular Research Oversight Committee and Executive Committee meetings to chart the research future's course. This spring, the committee holds elections to add more members from the research community-an opportunity for everyone to participate in planning the BRI's future.
In addition, plans are in the works for a new research building at the site of the old Massachusetts Mental Health Center, reported Senior Vice President for Research Barbara Bierer, MD.
The research celebration featured keynote speaker David Altshuler, MD, PhD, director of the program in Medical and Population Genetics at the Broad Institute.
A reception in the Cabot Atrium honored researchers for years of service in increments of five years, from five to 55 years. Among them, nine researchers were honored for 20 or more years of service, including Bert L. Vallee, MD, for 55 years; James Link Breeling, MD, Earl Francis Cook Jr., DSc, Michael James Miller, MD, PhD, Stephen Carl Moore, PhD, and Thomas Peter Rocco, MD, for 25 years; and Marie Foley Kijewski, PhD, and David Stanley Milstone, MD, PhD, for 20 years.
Visit www.bwhpikenotes.org/research.asp for a list of the researchers honored for years of service.