MIT continues to view systems biology as a top priority field at theengineering/biology interface. We are enthusiastic about serving as a strong foundationallocus in the Cambridge/Boston area to enhance the larger community including other areainstitutions and especially the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry in ourneighborhood. The new Council on Systems Biology in Boston that you two arcspearheading plays a central role in this effort. We are also proud of the leadership role thatthe CDP Center is playing in the multi-institutional conferences and symposium it hashelped to organize, and of the industry partnerships (e.g., Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Merck) thatCDP investigators have established. An important goal at MIT is always societal impact,and we envision that systems biology should have tremendous impact on the creation ofnew knowledge in basic biomedical science as well on the translation to human healthcareapplications. A primary goal here, of course, is education of the next generation of leadersfor society, and in your case the students and postdocs that the CDP Center is educating atthe engineering/biology interface are truly the epitome of the science and technologypioneers we wish to produce.The administrative structure supporting your efforts is firmer than ever, with Dougholding central responsibility for the academic and research units with which the CDPCenter is affiliated - as Head of the Department of Biological Engineering and Director ofthe multi-Departmental (partnering with the Departments of Biology and of ElectricalEngineering & Computer Science) Computational & Systems Biology Initiative here. Deanof Engineering Subra Suresh and Dean of Science Marc Kastner join me in their strongsupport for an even stronger Engineering/Science partnership with your Center serving as aleading light. Among other current tangible endeavors, we are working together to enhancethe capabilities of the multi-investigator research platforms sponsored by CSBi along withthe BE, EECS, and Biology Departments, with significant funding and instrumentationassistance as has been requested by Doug and the two other Department Heads.
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