News and Publications

Skaggs Clinical Scholars Program is Established

ith a contribution of $2 million from the Skaggs family, TSRI has established the Skaggs Clinical Scholars Program in an effort

to more closely integrate clinical and basic research within the Scripps organization. Ernest Beutler, M.D., Chairman, Department of Molecular and Experimental Medicine, has been named chairman of the program's steering committee.

According to Richard A. Lerner, M.D., "It is our intention that collaborative efforts will lead to new ideas, re-focus basic research discoveries on human conditions and instill a new sense of camaraderie between clinicians and basic researchers in the shared task of applying research to alleviate human disease."

The new program identifies research-oriented clinicians and funds meritorious collaborative research projects between the clinical scholar and an appropriate TSRI scientist. The broader goal of the program is to expand the body of knowledge related to human disease and to develop effective therapeutic interventions.

An initial group of Skaggs Scholars has been selected. The initial funding levels have been set at a maximum of $150,000 in direct costs and will include salary for research time of the clinical investigator. Grants are awarded in a manner similar to that of the NIH peer review system.

The first group of clinicians to be designated as Skaggs Clinical Scholars are as follows:

Faith H. Barnett, M.D., Ph.D., Division of Neurosurgery, Scripps Clinic

Sandra C. Christiansen, M.D., Division of Allergy, Scripps Clinic

Clifford W. Colwell, Jr., M.D., Division of Orthopaedic Surgery, Scripps Clinic

Hubert T. Greenway, Jr., M.D., Division of Dermatology, Scripps Clinic

James R. Mason, M.D., Division of Hematology/ Oncology, Scripps Clinic

David A. Mathison, M.D., Division of Allergy, Scripps Clinic

John G. McHutchinson, M.D., Division of Gastroenterology, Scripps Clinic

Robert J. Russo, M.D., Ph.D., Division of Cardiovascular Diseases, Scripps Clinic

Alan Saven, M.D., Division of Hematology/ Oncology, Scripps Clinic

Jack C. Sipe, M.D., Division of Neurology, Scripps Clinic

Richard A. Smith, M.D., Medical Staff, Scripps Memorial Hospital

Donald D. Stevenson, M.D., Division of Allergy, Scripps Clinic

Paul S. Teirstein, M.D., Division of Cardiovascular Diseases, Scripps Clinic

Prabhakar Tripuraneni, M.D., Division of Radiation Oncology, Scripps Clinic