By John Kuriyan
As Larry Marnett informed you in the last issue of Vestigo, he has stepped down from his position as dean of the School of Medicine Basic Sciences and returned to full-time scholarship and his lab. I have had the good fortune to be selected as the new dean.
As the dean emeritus has noted, the school is very well positioned for the future, and I am very grateful that we can all benefit from his excellent stewardship of the school. I am indebted to Larry for his guidance in helping me transition into my new role. In this issue of Vestigo, as Vanderbilt University celebrates 150 years of existence, we glance back at biomedical research that has taken place here with an eye to the future.
Celebrating 150 years of scientific progress is an opportunity not just for reflection but also for anticipation. The advancement of human knowledge has been awe inspiring, and with each passing year, we continue to solve new mysteries and confront unprecedented challenges.
Vanderbilt has been a center of groundbreaking discoveries that have had a direct impact on the improved treatment of human disease. In this issue, we discuss the history of biomedical research at Vanderbilt and the founding of School of Medicine Basic Sciences. You’ll read about our Nobel Prize connections and histories of our four departments. You’ll also learn about the evolution of medical and research illustration: We have come a long way from the hand-drawn images of cells and now can rely on high-powered, million-dollar imaging equipment to give us insights at the molecular level.
Leaving the past, we profile several of Vanderbilt’s trailblazing scientists, including award-winning female faculty. You’ll learn about the outstanding work of current researchers in the areas of addiction and human genome regulation and read about research being conducted by graduate students and postdocs, which is an appropriate segue to the future.
Artificial intelligence presents numerous ground-breaking opportunities in the field of biomedicine. These opportunities can significantly impact research, diagnosis, treatment, and health care delivery. To that end, we introduce you to our newly launched Center for Applied AI in Protein Dynamics, whose aim is to explore the intersection of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and macromolecular mechanisms to understand protein structures and their functions in the human body.
The past 150 years of biomedical research have seen the development of cures, reduced disease mortality rates, and dramatically improved health outcomes for millions. The next 150 years hold the promise of discoveries we can scarcely imagine. Our goal is to harness this potential for the betterment of humankind.
My hope, as the new dean of basic sciences, is to bring you good news of groundbreaking research from our labs in each issue of this magazine.
Sincerely,
John Kuriyan
Dean of Basic Sciences
School of Medicine, Vanderbilt University