September 30, 2005

Leadership meeting introduces Simches Research Center

The official introduction of the new Richard B. Simches Research Center at Charles River Plaza was the focus of the quarterly leadership meeting Sept. 26. Hospital managers, supervisors and department heads gathered in the center's main conference room to hear more about this state-of-the-art research facility that bears the name of a former MGH patient.

"We are so grateful to Nancy Simches for her generous gift to the MGH in memory of her late husband, Richard, who was a patient of the MGH Brain Tumor Center," said Peter L. Slavin, MD, president of the MGH. "We are proud that his name graces this spectacular building that now contains 25 percent of the hospital's total research space."

Approximately 60 percent of the building is devoted to the four thematic centers — the Center for Regenerative Medicine, the Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, the Center for Human Genetics Research and the Center for Systems Biology and Physiologic Genomics. Because the space is not allotted by department but rather to these thematic centers, the hope is that the configuration of the building will foster new collaborations among scientists from different disciplines. In addition, Molecular Biology, the Cancer Center and Pediatric Surgery, as well as a new cafeteria — the Plaza Café — and a large conference center occupy the other 40 percent of the building space.

Slavin acknowledged the hard work and dedication of all staff who were involved with the planning, design, construction and relocation of staff and equipment to the bright, new eight-story facility. In particular, he recognized Richard Bringhurst, MD, senior vice president of Medical Services and Research (shown at left in front of the center); Daniel Podolsky, MD, former chair of the Executive Committee on Research; Michael Fisher of Research Management; and the employees from the many hospital departments who worked tirelessly to make the transition into the new building seamless. Slavin also introduced David Altshuler, MD, PhD, of the MGH Department of Medicine and Molecular Biology, who spoke about his lab's work in the field of genetics and what genetics research could mean for the future of medicine.

The upcoming hospitalwide United Way campaign also was an important topic addressed at the meeting. Slavin, who is the co-chair of the campaign at the MGH, introduced the guest United Way speakers, including Nancy E. Corbett, senior administrative director for Radiation Oncology, who also is co-chairing the campaign, as well as Milton Little, president and CEO of the United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Bill Henning, executive director of the Boston Center for Independent Living, which receives United Way funding.