In this issue of Medicine@Brown, you’ll read about a new center that is developing tools that could become alternatives to animal testing in research. Brown is poised to become a leader in this growing field, which
could potentially change the way toxicology testing is done. The Center to Advance Predictive Biology is just one of many new and growing research centers in the Division of Biology and Medicine.
In fact, our external research funding has grown impressively over recent years. As of the close of the fiscal year that ended in June, Biomed research had increased by 109 percent since 2013! This is due to both the recruitment of stellar new researchers who brought prodigious research portfolios with them as well as the increased productivity and success of existing faculty. As a result, we are one of the fastest-growing research medical schools in the United States. We are growing so quickly that we are running out of wet lab and office space. One of our present challenges is to figure out how to increase the space available for research in order to sustain this exciting trajectory.
There’s more good news related to training the next generation of researchers. The Warren Alpert Physician-Scientist MD/PhD and Advanced Training Program has launched, reestablishing an MD/PhD program at Brown after a short hiatus. Thanks to the generous support of The Warren Alpert Foundation, we will be able to offset MD/PhD students’ medical school tuition for all four years of their training. A robust MD/PhD program is an essential element of a successful, disease-focused medical school that trains future thought leaders. As such, it has been a priority to reestablish this program with a focus on translational science.
As you can see, our investments in people, resources, and education are paying off. We are grateful for the donors whose generosity has made this possible and for the hard work of our faculty, students, and staff.
