 |
 |
|
||||
|
||||||
|
||||||
 |
||||||
By Provost Dennis D. Berkey
|
|
|
Provost Dennis D. Berkey Photo by BU Photo Services |
|
|
Research and teaching in the life sciences — including medicine,
dentistry, and biomedical engineering — are increasingly prominent
components of Boston University’s mission. During the past 20 years,
there has been a dramatic and consistent increase in external funding
for life
sciences research, which now exceeds $150 million annually. Faculty achievement
spans the spectrum, from basic science to products and technologies for
fighting disease and improving the quality of life in countless ways.
The prestigious Whitaker Foundation has recognized the quality of this
work on both campuses, supporting the Cardiovascular Institute on the
Medical Campus, and with a Leadership Development Award of $14 million,
our programs in biomedical engineering. Most recently, the National Institutes
of Health has awarded Boston University and Boston Medical Center a grant
of approximately $120 million to fund the development of a National Biocontainment
Laboratory, a central element of our nation’s defense against bioterrorism.
The
stories in the pages of this special edition of the B.U. Bridge will
give you a sense of the enormous expertise, creativity, and dedication
that our faculty and students bring to solving some of the most important
life science questions of our day. There is the new Life Science and
Engineering Building, which will add more than 180,000 square feet of
space specifically designed to encourage interdisciplinary collaboration
on the Charles River Campus. We report on a grant from the National Science
Foundation that created the nation’s first interdisciplinary bioinformatics
program. You will meet some of the new faculty members who have joined
the departments of biology and chemistry over the past five years, and
you will learn about the creation of several new interdisciplinary centers
and institutes, including the Center for Advanced Genomic Technology,
the Center for BioDynamics, the Center for Chemical Methodology and Library
Development, and the Center for Memory and the Brain.
These dramatic developments
hold the promise of better health and improved understanding of the fundamental
processes by which life proceeds. At
the same time, increased research and education strengthens the economy
of our region, producing new industries, new businesses, and new jobs.
I
invite you to remain current with new developments as they occur in the
laboratories and research facilities of Boston University by regularly
visiting the University’s research Web site (http://www.bu.edu/research).
There you will find research briefs, news about new funding and research,
and links to more in-depth information about new developments in the
life sciences. Your interest in these important areas of the University’s
continuing development is very much appreciated.
14
November 2003
Boston University
Office of University Relations