UVA School of Medicine

fromthedean W e are well into our second year groove of teaching in the Claude Moore Medical Education Build- Research and training programs are a precious resource, not just for our university, but for our nation and the future of science in America. Leading the way in medical and science education, and securing the funding and resources for training, are among our top priorities. ing with the Next Gen Curriculum, and it is no exaggeration to say that our first year was a resounding success. A vast majority of faculty, students and all those who make our teaching possible have embraced the changes with great enthusiasm, judging them as more relevant to the way modern medi- cine is practiced. Inevitably, there were some teething troubles, and some faculty took a little longer to acclimate to teaching "in the round" and the collaborative model of teach- ing. However, the overwhelming fervor of many faculty and students soon converted any doubters. The completion of our new building and the introduction of the Next Gen Curricu- lum came at an opportune time, as the li- censing body for medical schools is now re- quiring more "active learning". We exceeded our goal of 40 percent active learning cur- ricula time last year and, as a result, we have raised the bar this year to 50 percent. Medi- cal school teaching is changing at a pace not previously seen. In today's climate, it is difficult to discuss teaching and research without talking about funding. The decline in support from the state and federal government, combined with the challenges of raising funds from alumni and other sources in an economy still in recession, present obvious difficulties. Consequently, I am pleased to be able to point to the success of our pre-doctoral stu- dents (PhD) in tripling the dollar amount of their extramural awards since the start of the Biomedical Science program in 2004. During their studies, these students are supported typically by UVA and the Dean's office in the first two years, but in later years student support comes largely from grants awarded to their mentors—typically basic science faculty—and their own independent research grants. A mentor's funding generally comes from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). As you might expect, NIH is awarding fewer grants, and each grant is for fewer dol- lars. NIH currently is funding approximately seven percent of grants in any given field— nearly half of what it was just a few years ago. Researchers, therefore, are looking for other funding sources, including organiza- tions as diverse as the Department of De- fense and the American Heart Association (and other voluntary health organizations). UVA students received more than $900,000 through these types of awards in fiscal year 2011, a true success story that points to the quality of our students and our programs. Biomedical research is facing many chal- lenges. Who in the future will discover new biomarkers for predicting, understanding and treating disease, or the drug that will cure cancer? The new anti-cholesterol medi- cations? Of course, we do not yet know what these discoveries will be, but with ad- equate funding, biomedical students, trained at universities like UVA, will likely be some of the people to make them. These research and training programs are a precious resource, not just for our university, but for our nation and the future of science in America. Leading the way in medical and science education, and secur- ing the funding and resources for training, are among our top priorities. Thank you for your continued interest in the School of Medicine, our faculty and our students. We value your involvement and support. Respectfully, Steven T. DeKosky, MD, FACP Vice President and Dean Vitals Fall 2011 3

• Cover
• Grand Rounds
• LAM Program
• Research Collaboration
• Profiles
• Students