Holiday Greetings from TSRI's President
Happy Holidays!
While the holidays are typically a busy time of year for
gatherings of friends and family, the season also provides
us with the opportunity for reflection on recent accomplishments
as well as a commitment to new goals and initiatives for the
coming year. I can say without hesitation that 2002 was another
extraordinary year in the history of the Institute, and it
is the collective effort of our entire community that has
enabled us to reach this stage in our development and facilitate
the prodigious contributions of our scientists. TSRI is not
only viewed by our peers as an exceptional environment in
which to conduct the scientific enterprise, but the collegiality
and conviviality within the halls of the institution is palpable
and exciting.
We were pleased to welcome Kurt Wüthrich as a visiting
professor to TSRI and The Skaggs Institute this year, and
congratulate him on receiving the 2002 Nobel Prize in Chemistry
for his work in applying nuclear magnetic resonance to solving
the structures of biological macromolecules. In an institution
with exceptional strength and depth in structural biology,
Kurt's presence creates unprecedented opportunities for increased
collaborations and innovation. We look forward to his spending
more and more time here as he transitions to a full-time commitment
to TSRI in the near future.
TSRI's Graduate Program continues to be ranked among the
top graduate programs in the country, according to a survey
conducted by U.S. News & World Report. That a program
launched only 13 years ago can successfully compete with the
most established, elite graduate schools in the country is
testimony to its vision, as well as the tenacity and leadership
of its founding and current deans. Further, we are proud that
this year the Graduate Program became known as the Kellogg
School of Science and Technology, to honor the extraordinary
contributions to science and education of philanthropists
Jean and Keith Kellogg.
This year also marked the launch of TSRI's newest scientific
initiative, the Center for Integrative Molecular Biosciences
(CIMBio), an interdisciplinary facility organized to combine
the use of x-ray crystallography and electron microscopy to
unravel the structure and function of molecular assemblies
of the cell. Directed by Professor Ron Milligan, the program's
centerpiece is a suite containing six state-of-the-art electron
microscopy rooms, making CIMBio one of the most advanced facilities
of its kind in the world.
In addition, a group of TSRI scientists, led by Martin Friedlander
and Paul Schimmel, received a five-year, $9.6 million grant
from the National Eye Institute to study the leading causes
of blindness and to develop treatments for patients with neovascular
eye disease. Their work focuses on a new class of anti-angiogenic
molecules that may prove useful in the treatment of these
devastating eye disorders.
Numerous members of the faculty were recognized by their
peers this year for their scientific achievements. Francis
Chisari and Chi-Huey Wong were elected to membership in the
National Academies of Science, K.C. Nicolaou received the
Tetrahedron Award, Albert Eschenmoser received the Oparin
Medal and Julius Rebek was honored with the Chemical Pioneer
Award. Ian Wilson was elected to the American Academy of Arts
and Sciences, and Ben Cravatt was named one of the country's
100 young innovators by MIT's magazine, Technology Review.
On an institutional level, TSRI was ranked second in the world
among high-impact institutions in chemistry.
My sincerest thanks to the members of TSRI's faculty, as
well as the myriad technical and administrative support staff
who work hand-in-hand with them, for a truly memorable year.
I am proud to be associated with so many talented and dedicated
individuals, and grateful for their exceptional achievements
on behalf of the organization. My best wishes for a happy,
healthy and prosperous new year.
Sincerely,
Richard A. Lerner
|
"TSRI
is not only viewed by our peers as an exceptional environment
in which to conduct the scientific enterprise, but the collegiality
and conviviality within the halls of the institution is palpable
and exciting."
—Richard
A. Lerner
|
