October is a historic month for WashU Medicine. On October 23, 1947, there was an early morning knock on the front door of a home in Glendale, Missouri. When scientists Gerty and Carl Cori opened that door, they learned that they had won a Nobel Prize — good thing they were home! It takes a village to advance science and the Coris’ spectacular intellectual partnership, resilience and commitment to each other helped to build a dynamic research community at WashU.
Did you know that 19 WashU Medicine-affiliated scientists have been awarded the Nobel Prize? And I’m sure a few future winners are working here in our community right now.
Ours is a special community, for reasons beyond the awards we win. So many of you took the time to consider and choose the qualities that define WashU Medicine and are essential to moving us forward from our academic mission to our aspirational future vision. I’m so grateful for your engagement in the survey and your pivotal role in our community. We are reviewing the more than 2,400 responses now and will share the results with you soon.
“The energy in that room was infectious and a reminder that the best and brightest young people continue to choose our very old profession because they know that together we are doing something that will change the world for the better.”
I recently had the privilege of welcoming new faculty to WashU Medicine. Seeing so much energy and expertise in one place was thrilling and inspiring. In addition, a few days ago, I was delighted to watch our newest students put on their white coats for the first time — literally and figuratively surrounding themselves in their profession. The energy in that room was infectious and a reminder that the best and brightest young people continue to choose our very old profession because they know that together we are doing something that will change the world for the better. In a time of uncertainty for academic institutions, we are fortunate to have a talented and dedicated workforce, and we continue to benefit from a robust pipeline of new faculty and trainees. These recent moments of gathering and reflection highlight for me the strength and resilience of our community.
Let’s all celebrate October with a note of appreciation to one or more of our colleagues for their outstanding contributions to our community.
With appreciation to all,
Bruce
Bruce D. Levy, MD
Executive Vice Chancellor for Medical Affairs
Joseph Erlanger Distinguished Professor
George and Carol Bauer Dean, WashU Medicine