Letter from the Director

Over ten years have elapsed since the founding of the Institute of Molecular Medicine and Genetics in 1993. The original mission of IMMAG was to strengthen MCG research by promoting excellence in interdisciplinary, theme-based research programs. This mission has remained unchanged. This approach maximizes the use of precious funds from internal resources and minimizes the inevitable dilution or duplication of effort that would have accompanied attempts to pursue a broader range of research activities. The approach of developing highly focused and integrated research programs has proven highly successful in attracting national and international recognition and extramural funding to MCG. NIH funding was relatively flat until IMMAG appeared on the horizon. Since its establishment, IMMAG has played a key role in developing research clusters, providing leadership in developing core facilities, establishing the University System of Georgia MD/PhD program, promoting translational research, and providing an inviting environment for recruiting first-rate scholars. It may be safe to claim that the emergence of IMMAG has been a primary stimulator for the growth of research at MCG.

As we enter the second decade of operation, I wish to re-affirm that future policy on faculty development must always take into account that IMMAG research must be focused on a range of biomedical research clusters approved by the School of Medicine and the Biomedical Research Council.

We resolve:

to promote collaborative research with clinical and basic science departments at MCG and with other Georgia research universities
to develop and promote research clusters, including Regenerative Medicine, Cancer Biology, Immunotherapy, Sickle Cell Disease, and Molecular Chaperones Biology, with participation from other academic units
to increase IMMAG’s extramural research funding
to establish new research infrastructures in core facilities to complement the current cores.

With respect to our mission in education, IMMAG has developed a unique and highly successful Graduate Program in Molecular Medicine and houses nearly a third of MCG’s graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. In future years, we aim: a) to establish joint graduate/resident training with basic and clinical departments, including Neuroscience and Cancer Biology Graduate Programs; b) to promote residency and post-doctoral training; c) to enhance the MD/PhD program by including other institutions within the University System of Georgia; and d) to develop a faculty reward system for excellence in teaching.

The past decade has been filled with much excitement and growth. I look forward to another successful decade and remain fully committed to establishing IMMAG as one of the premier research and educational centers in the world.

Medical College of Georgia
IMMAG Home	A-Z Index \| MCG Home \| Site Search

From the Director