Dean's Message

Heart disease one of seven key areas to future growth of medical school

Inside this issue of the Medical Bulletin, you'll find information about the expanding cardiovascular research and clinical programs at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.
         The School of Medicine has a long history of research in matters of the heart. Among the findings originating at Cleveland's medical school, described in the article on page 3, are those of Carl J. Wiggers, M.D., Claude S. Beck, M.D., Frederick S. Cross, M.D., Herman K. Hellerstein, M.D., and Matthew Levy, M.D.
         The research of these pioneering physicians-the latter three are alumni-dates back to the early part of this century. The significance of their research has been recognized in several ways, including their being inducted into the Cleveland Medical Hall of Fame.
         Now, as we prepare to enter a new century, others continue to make history at the School of Medicine. Research detailed in the articles beginning on page 2 includes that of:

• Antonio Scarpa, M.D., Ph.D., chairman of the Department of Physiology and Biophysics at the CWRU School of Medicine and the David and Inez Myers/ Antonio Scarpa, M.D., Ph.D., Professor in Physiology and Biophysics;
• Robert Stewart, M.D., a member of the CWRU surgery department and director of heart transplantation and co-chief of the division of cardiothoracic surgery at University Hospitals of Cleveland (UHC);
• Albert L. Waldo, M.D., Walter H. Pritchard Professor of Cardiology and professor of medicine, division of cardiology, at CWRU, and program director of the clinical cardiac electrophysiology program at UHC; and
• Richard A. Walsh, M.D., chairman and John H. Hord Professor of Medicine in the Department of Medicine at CWRU, and director of medicine at UHC.

         In fact, heart disease is one of seven research areas the medical school has identified as key to future growth. The other areas where we plan to strengthen and expand programs include brain sciences, cancer, emerging infectious diseases, endocrine metabolic diseases, connective tissue diseases, and genomics. Just as we have done and will continue to do for heart disease, our plans are to attract and retain outstanding faculty in these other areas of research. Our future growth will allow us to capitalize on the existing strength of our departments and on the tradition of collaboration among faculty members across departments that truly helps the medical school stand out among its peers.
         The research programs at the medical school benefit our patients, our students and the Northeast Ohio region in general. Because we are one of the nation's powerhouses for medical research, patients in Cleveland have immediate access to the latest breakthroughs in medicine. School of Medicine students have the opportunity to learn from researchers who are working at the forefront of scientific discovery. Also, our medical discoveries are the heart of Cleveland's burgeoning biotechnology industry, which has the potential to generate high-tech jobs and tax revenues for the region. But research conducted here has a far-reaching impact as well, as it is applied at other institutions and benefits the health of those across the country and around the world. Now that's heartening.

Sincerely,

Nathan A. Berger, M.D.
Vice President for Medical Affairs
and Dean, School of Medicine