Dean's message

A time for celebration and remembrance

       When faculty member Lynn T. Landmesser, Ph.D., was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in May, it was a much-deserved honor for her and a proud moment for the School of Medicine. Election to the NAS is one of the highest honors a scientist can achieve.
       Dr. Landmesser, who chairs the Department of Neurosciences and is the Arline H. and Curtis F. Garvin Professor in Neurosciences here, joins CWRU faculty members Cynthia M. Beall, Ph.D., Oscar D. Ratnoff, M.D., and Frederick C. Robbins, M.D., in the NAS. As members, they help advise the government on matters related to science and technology.
       All of our faculty are exceptional, but on the occasion of Dr. Landmesser's recognition, we thought it the perfect time to look at the stellar accomplishments of other women faculty members. The medical school is blessed with numerous talented faculty members who have made significant contributions in their areas, but because of space limitations, we decided to focus on women with long-established careers who hadn't been featured in recent issues of our publications.
       Reading the interviews with these women, I was struck by the stories of how they became interested in their particular areas of science and medicine. Even events and interactions that might have seemed insignificant at the time at which they occurred had a lasting effect. It's also very clear that mentors played an important role in their lives, and their stories serve as a reminder to all of us who work in medicine and science of the important duty we have to pass along our passions for our interests to tomorrow's physicians and researchers. I'm pleased to note that the women profiled in these pages are doing just that while they make vital contributions to their individual fields and the School of Medicine.
       As we were preparing this issue, the awful events of Sept. 11 unfolded, affecting the lives of our alumni, faculty, students, staff and friends. I always will remember the stress of being far away from home and family that day; my wife, Suzie, and I only could check on the welfare of our children and of those at the medical school from Sante Fe, N.M., where I was attending a Council of Deans meeting. Thankfully, our children and those taking classes, teaching or otherwise working at the medical school were safe that day, but some of those in the CWRU School of Medicine family are experiencing very personal and long-lasting effects of this tragedy. To these people I have expressed my deepest sympathy. We are privileged in this issue to shine a little light on the loved ones who perished and on those who have tried to ease the suffering related to the events of that day.
       This issue also will introduce you to the new president of CWRU, Edward M. Hundert, M.D. Dr. Hundert is the first medical doctor to be named president of this institution. This discipline was attractive to the search committee, as the university seeks to increase its efforts in the technology transfer area and the region pins its hopes on biotechnology for economic success. His appointment was announced Jan. 17 and will become effective Aug. 1. We at the medical school are looking forward to working with him with eager anticipation.

Sincerely,

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