William Chin, HMS executive dean for research, was named the first incumbent of the Bertarelli Professorship in Translational Medical Science. This new position will be funded by The Bertarelli Foundation’s recent $9 million gift to the School, which is intended to promote discoveries in hearing and other sensory systems through a partnership with L’Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland.
“This commitment to expand our capacity for moving basic neuroscience research into the development and eventual clinical application of devices that improve life, such as enhancing the auditory sensory inputs for the hearing impaired, is at the heart of our vision to strengthen translational research,” Chin said.
The gift also launches the Bertarelli Program in Translational Neuroscience and Neuroengineering, a collaborative program between HMS and EPFL. This program will promote translational neuroscience research and education and connect basic and clinical investigators with experts in device design.
Another key component, the Bertarelli Education Program, will facilitate a bi-directional student exchange between HMS and EPFL. The schools will alternately host an annual symposium to showcase new research and further promote collaborations in translational neuroscience.
