Issue link: https://tmcpulse.uberflip.com/i/532968
t m c » p u l s e | j u ly 2 0 1 5 13 in my own lab. But not everyone can do that and it's not easy. The Petrellos made a very compel- ling argument, 'Look what you've done for Rett syndrome. Why can't you do the same for additional disorders? What can we do to help?' That's when I started reflecting about what it would take to address a range of devastating disorders. After careful thought, I told the Petrellos that to be successful at researching a wide range of disorders, we needed a place where all researchers who work on these disorders could work together, a place that could offer access to a diversity of expertise—because there is no way you are going to understand a brain disorder just because you've identified a gene. There is no way you are going to get anywhere just by observing behavior or by simply placing neurons in a dish or on a slide and recording from them. It really has to involve connecting all these different approaches with everyone working together from their respective areas of expertise to solve previously intracta- ble problems. Due to the massive amounts of data that scientists have to understand to solve a problem, an ideal research team would include experts in genetics, biochemistry, physiology, behavior, statistics, mathematics and computer science. We needed to bring together key individuals from various disci- plines, ensure they would work collabo- ratively, and provide an infrastructure of core facilities that offered cutting-edge technology and expertise no individ- ual investigator could afford on his or her own. We quickly realized that we needed a place to bring these different disciplines together under one roof and study disease comprehensively, as a whole, rather than in discrete pieces. This became the impetus to start the NRI. Mr. Mark Wallace, CEO of Texas Children's Hospital, was very excited and whole heartedly supported the vision. Jan and Dan Duncan stepped in to provide the substantial naming gift. So together, the Petrellos, Mr. Wallace, and the Duncans were instrumental in making our vision a reality. If you look at our faculty, we've gone well beyond what we first imagined. Of course we planned to have genet- icists, neuroscientists, cell biologists and neurologists, but we now also have computational scientists, high-level statisticians and faculty who work at the NRI under dual appointments with Baylor and Rice University. Shortly after we started on this program, we were approached by Dr. Ron DePinho, the newly-appointed president of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, to combine our strength in disease neurobiology with their pro- gram for developing potential discov- eries into therapeutics, and collaborate on neurodegeneration. Our exciting neurodegeneration consortium was created and supported by the Robert A. and Renée E. Belfer Family Foundation. We also were approached by the Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine (TIGEM) in Naples, Italy, where beautiful discoveries have been made in genetics for a variety of disorders. In the area of neurode- generation and neurological diseases, TIGEM felt our infrastructure at the NRI was ideal, so ideal, in fact, that Dr. Andrea Ballabio, TIGEM director, now has a laboratory at the NRI and a joint appointment with Baylor College of Medicine. Ballabio's NRI lab is perform- ing research that can truly benefit this class of disorders. We are one of only a very few institutes that have this kind of reach, where investigators from labs throughout the Texas Medical Center, across the country, and around the world truly collaborate on solving prob- lems related to devastating neurologi- cal disorders and disease. Because the Texas Medical Center is such a rich environment, we could not have created the NRI anywhere else. The institute works because everyone in the medical center is open, friendly, generous and collaborative. If you draw a map around the Texas Medical Center, you will discover that the NRI is in the very heart of the Texas Medical Center. This was by design and something I absolutely insisted on—we could not go to the periphery, because we needed to be close to as many of the Texas Medical Center institutions as possible to ensure robust collaborations. The work between Baylor, MD Anderson, Rice, UTHealth and others is very fluid precisely because of our location. Q | What do you hope for the future of the NRI and these rich partnerships? A | My dream for the NRI is that the work happening here will allow us to better understand how the brain works and result in discoveries that will truly help patients with devastating neuro- logical disorders. This goal is why our brilliant physicians, physician- scientists, and basic scientists have cho- sen to come to the NRI. If we can better understand the brain, we can better help those suffering from brain disorders. For our medical center, I have an even bigger dream. I think the Texas Medical Center institutions, along with Rice University, have absolutely some of the best people in the world working in medicine and science. We have the potential to rise up and become the most exciting third coast in America. Yes, the East Coast is steeped in tradi- tion, so much older than Houston and the Texas Medical Center, and the West Coast has unsurpassed natural beauty and the energy of the tech industry. Yet, from an intellectual standpoint, a capability standpoint, and our indefat- igable can-do attitude, I think we have so much more to offer than either the East or the West Coasts. The question now is how to harness our energy to elevate the Texas Medical Center to the place it truly deserves, and be recog- nized for our contributions to science and medicine. For the full interview, visit TMCNews.org (Credit: Texas Children's Hospital)