The government shutdown on top of sequestration on top of ever-tightening paylines at the NIH would be enough to put anyone in a gloomy mood, so it’s a good time to remember that we work at an institution that is attracting and keeping top talent.
Just since I took on my new blogging “career” in the spring we’ve seen the arrival of several researchers who add to our considerable research strengths at IUSM, thanks in part to resources provided by the Strategic Research Initiative and the Physician Scientist Initiative. For example:
- The Glick Eye Institute has welcomed the arrival of husband-and-wife team of Michael Boulton and Maria Grant from the University of Florida. Dr. Boulton is the first director of basic science research and holds the Merrill Grayson Senior Chair in Ophthalmology. His research has focused on age-related changes in the retina and retinal neovascularization. Dr. Grant is the first to hold the Marilyn K. Glick Senior professorship, and her work focuses on understanding and repairing the damage to blood vessels in the eye as a result of diabetes.
- In cardiology, meanwhile, we’ve welcomed Ching-Pin Chang from Stanford University, whose work focuses on the molecular mechanisms of cardiovascular development and disease.
- Also newly arrived on campus, from Thomas Jefferson University, is another research team couple, Teresa Zimmers and Leonidas Koniaris. Dr. Koniaris is a surgical oncologist and Dr. Zimmers a research scientist — their research focuses on mechanisms regulating tissue growth in cancer and other diseases.
On another positive note, construction of the new IU Neuroscience Research Building is proceeding well, and at this point we project construction will be completed by the end of February, furniture move-in will begin in March, and the phased move-in for the building’s new occupants will be done by May 1.