Leaders in Science: Miller School Names Associate Deans of Basic Science, Team Science
Acknowledging that difference-making medical breakthroughs stem from multidisciplinary collaboration and a strong understanding of the fundamentals of science, the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine named Michal Toborek, M.D., Ph.D., associate dean of basic science and W. Dalton Dietrich, Ph.D., senior associate dean for team science.
The Foundation for Clinical Research
Having risen to the apex of his profession as a researcher of neuroinfections and cerebral vascular biology, Dr. Toborek now wants to help the next generation of medical researchers accomplish their goals.
He sees basic science research as crucial to their success. His contention is underscored by the Miller School’s recent $30 million pledge to basic science research.
“Basic science provides the foundation for clinical research by studying molecular and cellular mechanisms and establishing new pathways which, later on, are used for new treatments,” said Dr. Toborek, professor and vice chair for research for the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the Miller School. “You cannot have clinical research without fundamental basic science research.”
He is hard at work establishing the school’s basic science researchers as integral collaborators with colleagues who pursue specialized clinical research projects.
Dr. Dietrich, who is also scientific director of The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis and co-director of the Institute for Neural Engineering, will be an ally for Dr. Toberek’s efforts,
“This position is important for bringing research groups together from different scientific disciplines to work on the most complex scientific questions,” said Dr. Dietrich. “Today’s research objectives, like repairing the nervous system after injury or curing diabetes or cancer, require multiple approaches and technologies to address these most complex questions.”
The Importance of Funding
Dr. Toborek’s primary goals include stressing the importance of basic science research seed funding as a necessary element in larger projects. That initial support and collaboration can lead to studies that attract substantial grants from organizations like the National Institutes of Health. But getting them off the ground is a sizable endeavor.
“These program projects are huge and they take a tremendous amount of time,” Dr. Toborek said. “I look forward to working with Dean Ford, Dr. Nimer and the Office of the Executive Dean for Research to identify funds to stimulate those efforts and develop that type of collaboration.”
Dr. Dietrich’s charge is similar. Like Dr. Toborek, Dr. Dietrich will use his post to attract external research dollars. He’ll also be responsible for targeting Miller School funds for promising projects that involve research that crosses departmental lines.
“We plan to grow extramural funding in the school and across the university by leveraging resources to help faculty secure translational center grants and training programs,” he said. “We will provide pilot funding for innovative, cross-disciplinary programs that combine the expertise of multiple investigators to address basic, translational and clinical research issues.”
The two consummate scientists have garnered widespread national and international acclaim throughout their careers. But, as far as they’ve come and as much as they’ve accomplished, both Dr. Toborek and Dr. Dietrich remember the significant role teamwork and collegial support played in their careers. Their experiences, in fact, drive them to help today’s emerging researchers.
“I got so much from the research community early in my career,” Dr. Toborek said. “I want to give back to that community by supporting junior faculty research and showing appreciation for the effort they put in every day at the Miller School.”
”Since my early days as a graduate student more than 45 years ago, I have been a big advocate for team science,” Dr. Dietrich said. “I learned early that a researcher working on a basic science question can impact translational and clinical programs by working with colleagues outside your immediate field of study.”
Tags: biochemistry and molecular biology, Dr. Michal Toborek, Dr. W. Dalton Dietrich III, neurosurgery, team science, The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis