This is not your father’s HMS. Harvard Medical School is growing and changing in ways that will strengthen the School and enhance its programs well into the 21st century.
In September 2007, Dean Jeffrey Flier launched a yearlong strategic planning initiative, involving more than 100 faculty and staff. The effort charted a course to reinvigorate science and education at HMS and reinforce the Medical School’s leadership around the globe (see hms.harvard.edu/public/strategy).
“Although the economic situation has slowed progress toward our key goals,” Flier said, “it has by no means dampened our enthusiasm for the future we envision for HMS. We are continuing to move ahead thoughtfully and strategically in support of our strategic plan.”
Strengthening the faculty is one important way the School is advancing its mission. “During phase one of the planning process,” Flier noted, “we froze recruiting in order to make choices about how best to invest our resources. When we selectively thawed the freeze, we did so to move forward in the highest priority areas.”
To add expertise in these areas, HMS has recruited some extraordinary faculty members over the past year. These new members include the following:
The Department of Neurobiology welcomed Michael Greenberg as chair of the department at the beginning of the 2009 academic year. Greenberg, who came to HMS from Children’s Hospital Boston, recently recruited Robert Datta as an assistant professor in the department. Datta’s research focuses on understanding how the brain extracts information from the environment and translates it into action.
Steven McCarroll, a nationally recognized expert on human genetics, has joined the Department of Genetics as an assistant professor. His research focuses on how the structure of the human genome varies among people and how such variation is linked to disease. McCarroll’s arrival represents a significant boost for the HMS Human Genetics Initiative.
Two major figures in immunology, Diane Mathis and Christophe Benoist, have been appointed in the Department of Pathology. They join the faculty on the Quad from their previous appointments at Joslin Diabetes Center. Even before coming to HMS, Mathis was a leader in the immunology discussions during the School’s strategic planning process. The Mathis and Benoist laboratory conducts research in the fields of T cell differentiation and autoimmunity, including the investigation of immunological mechanisms in diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis.
The Department of Cell Biology has recruited Gaudenz Danuser, who comes to HMS from the Scripps Research Institute. Danuser has developed computational models of cytoskeleton mechanics to study the dynamic assembly, disassembly and mechanical function of the cellular skeleton and how these events influence important cell behavior such as migration and cell division. Danuser’s expertise in imaging and computational biology will benefit programs across HMS.
“We are proud and delighted that these stellar individuals have chosen to join HMS,” said Flier. “We are fortunate to have recruited them, and I join the preclinical chairs in celebrating these additions to our community. Their presence constitutes a significant step forward in our progress toward our strategic goals.”
News & Research
