Good afternoon. It is a wonderful privilege to have been invited by Bruce Gaultney and his colleagues at the Telegram and Gazette to spend some time with you thinking about the future of health care and biomedical research in our community and beyond. I feel especially privileged to be with those our community honors with Vision Awards this afternoon.
At our academic health sciences center, we have strong ties to two of today’s honorees, Dr. and Mrs. Pappas. Arthur was the founding chair of our Department of Orthopedics and is fondly recalled as the surgeon who admitted and operated, in 1976, on the first patient at the newly constructed UMass Hospital. Today, it brings special pride to us that he and Martha are being honored for their lifelong generosity and tremendous contributions to our community. The Pappases are wonderful people. They embody so many of the virtues that we seek to instill in our students: Compassion; empathy; and a deep devotion to caring for patients, especially children. We are grateful for all that they have done for our community, and we join in celebrating them and this year’s other honorees.
Today, I begin this reflection mindful that our city, nation and the world face tremendous challenges. Yet, we can sense great opportunity. But, as realists, we recognize that difficult economic times prevail and that there is a need for change, as we position ourselves to respond to future challenges.
Not long ago, I met a young man who lived with challenging circumstances. Once an enthusiastic athlete, he was now confined to a wheelchair and faced the difficult future posed by ALS. On the evening we met, I spoke of the immense potential of biomedical research and the wonderful privilege it is to care for patients, as we search for tomorrow’s cures. After my talk, this young man’s caretaker approached and asked me to speak with the patient, who clearly understood the realities of his illness, but, also sensed the opportunity that exists on our campus and in our labs. From his wheelchair, with a whisper of a voice, but with great urgency, that young man spoke words I will never forget: “Hurry up, Doc!”
The simplicity of that statement was profound. Those words, his words, entreat, encourage and inspire us.
Half a century ago, leaders in our commonwealth had the vision to turn acres of windswept farmland into our state’s only public medical school. Later, the leaders of our school had the vision to invest in the work of hundreds of promising scientists; among them, a tall, shy, young faculty member studying molecular biologic processes in microscopic worms called c. elegans.
He saw challenges, uncertainty and promise.
Six years ago, that scientist, Craig Mello, and his collaborator, Andrew Fire, won the Nobel Prize in Medicine, thereby bringing extraordinary renown to our institution and our community. In recent years, we have built upon Dr. Mello’s accomplishments to create one of the most advanced biomedical research centers in the world. As you pass our campus today, you see the Albert Sherman Center steadily advancing toward completion. This new structure is tangible evidence of our deep commitment to the next generation of biomedicine and a sign of fulfillment of our vision for the future.
We have received tremendous support from many of you here, and others, as we pursue our vision. Governor Deval Patrick and Lieutenant Governor Timothy Murray championed the creation of a $1 billion Life Sciences Bill in 2008, which led directly to $90 million for the Advanced Therapeutics Cluster here at UMass Chan. This vision is creating one of the most innovative research centers in the world.
But our story and vision of the future are not just about growth and expansion. We are entering a new era in health care. One driven by breakthroughs in molecular biology and advanced diagnostics that will allow physicians to treat patients ba
