Center for Clinical and Translational Science

On Friday morning, May 1, the Bridges to Better Medicine Initiative held its third breakfast forum of the 2008-09 academic year, entitled “New Targets for Antibiotic Drugs: Manipulating the Biology of Cells.” The spring breakfast forum featured Dr. C. Erec Stebbins, Associate Professor and Head of the Laboratory of Structural Microbiology, and Dr. Steven Projan, Vice President and Global Head of Infectious Diseases at the Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research. More than 90 guests attended the forum, which focused on the challenges of antibiotic resistance and the pursuit of more effective antibacterial drugs.

The Bridges to Better Medicine Initiative was launched by the University’s Development Office in 2004 to foster the advancement of translational science by encouraging a robust intellectual exchange between academia and industry. Bridges participants are leaders in biotechnology and pharmaceuticals, the venture capital sector, and the life sciences investment community. Rockefeller scientists and representatives of the University's Office of Technology Transfer also attend Bridges forums, which provide a venue in which members of these varied scientific communities can interact with peers, while keeping abreast of the latest in developments from academic research.

Participants gather at fall, winter, and spring breakfast forums each year to learn about science from world-class researchers on the front lines of biomedicine. Presentations are made from the unique perspectives of Rockefeller scientists conducting basic research and industry executives working on clinical applications of the latest discoveries. Networking and discussion sessions offer participants the opportunity to exchange ideas.

The Bridges breakfast forums are moderated by Dr. Barry Coller, Director of the University’s Center for Clinical and Translational Science, Vice President for Medical Affairs, and Head of the Allen and Frances Adler Laboratory of Blood and Vascular Biology. Hosting the events are Rockefeller University trustees Robin Chemers Neustein and Dr. Anthony Evnin, who are also co-founders and co-chairs of Bridges to Better Medicine.

The winter breakfast forum, which took place on Wednesday, February 18, featured Dr. Sohail Tavazoie, Assistant Professor and Head of the Laboratory of Systems Cancer Biology, and Dr. Dalia Cohen, Chief Scientific Officer, Rosetta Genomics. The forum addressed the remarkable success and potential of microRNAs as research tools, diagnostic markers, and therapeutic targets for cancer. This past fall, Bridges members heard from Rockefeller scientist Dr. Nathaniel Heintz, Professor and Head of the Laboratory of Molecular Biology, and Brad Margus, founder and Chairman of Envoy Therapeutics, who discussed a new platform for central nervous system drug discovery.

For more information on the Bridges to Better Medicine program, visit bridges.rockefeller.edu or call Cliff Wasser, Director of Bridges, at (212) 327-8910.