Vanderbilt University School of Medicine (VUSM) has formed a new Basic Science Research Advisory Committee.
The committee, which is inclusive across all VUSM departments, will hold quarterly meetings that will serve as a forum for generating ideas and opportunities. The committee’s first meeting will take place on Dec. 9.
The committee’s formation is in response to feedback from this summer’s Strategic Direction planning process, which identified the importance of continuing to incorporate the institution’s academic capabilities into Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s (VUMC) strategic initiatives.
Contributions from the Basic Science Research Advisory Committee’s members are intended to help guide how the basic sciences will continue to develop, expand and innovate.
“The committee’s purpose is to offer input into new and ongoing research and educational operations and initiatives for faculty across the School of Medicine,” said Lawrence Marnett, Ph.D., Mary Geddess Stahlman Professor of Cancer Research and Dean of Basic Sciences for VUSM.
“We believe the committee will also help maintain a sense of unity and shared purpose for the basic science departments.”
Through the legal and financial separation of Vanderbilt University and VUMC that occurred earlier this year, the basic science departments, along with the centers and institutes associated with these departments, are now part of the School of Medicine that is supported by Vanderbilt University.
“The work that took place through the Strategy Direction process provided an opportunity to validate the significant benefits the Medical Center derives from the important discoveries taking place in the basic science departments and the impact of these discoveries on clinical care,” said Jennifer Pietenpol, Ph.D., B.F. Byrd Jr. Professor of Oncology, Executive Vice President for Research for VUMC and director of the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center. “Input from the committee will help provide a mechanism to more broadly involve basic science faculty and help increase the understanding of the value of the contributions originating from our research enterprise on the Medical Center’s future.”
Member of the Basic Science Research Advisory Committee are:
• Mark Denison, M.D., Craig Weaver Professor of Pediatrics
• James Goldenring, M.D., Ph.D., Paul W. Sanger Professor of Experimental Surgery and Professor of Surgery and Cell and Developmental Biology
• Anne Kenworthy, Ph.D., Professor of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics
• Edward Levine, Ph.D., William A. Black Professor of Ophthalmology and Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
• Craig Lindsley, Ph.D., William K. Warren Jr. Professor of Medicine and Professor of Pharmacology
• Lawrence Marnett, Ph.D., (ex officio)
• Jennifer Pietenpol, Ph.D., (ex officio)
• Charles Sanders II, Ph.D., Aileen M. Lange and Annie Mary Lyle Professor of Cardiovascular Research and Professor of Biochemistry
• Edward Sherwood, M.D., Ph.D., Cornelius Vanderbilt Chair in Anesthesiology
• Eric Skaar, Ph.D., Ernest W. Goodpasture Professor of Pathology and Professor of Pathology, Microbiology & Immunology
• Seth Smith, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Radiology and Radiological Sciences
• Alissa Weaver, M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Cancer Biology
• Christopher Wright, D. Phil., Louise B. McGavock Professor and Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology
• Roy Zent, MBBCh, Ph.D., Thomas F. Frist Sr. Professor of Medicine.
