David Galas, PhD
Senior Vice President for Strategic Partnerships
Institute for Systems Biology
International Partnerships and the Future of Medicine This past year a visionary decision in Europe launched an unprecedented partnership for the Institute for Systems Biology (ISB). A revolutionary model for funding scientific advances that will change medicine and healthcare around the world has now become a reality for us. As part of a larger partnership, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg is funding an ambitious research program at ISB over at least the next five years. ISB's scientific strategy has come to include the vision that during the next decade medicine will be transformed from reactively treating illness to proactively maintaining health – from an averaged picture of disease to a systems biology view of individualized care. The international partnership between ISB and the Government of Luxembourg addresses fundamental challenges of personalized medicine and reflects that government's remarkable foresight for the country. The relationship with ISB links Luxembourg's recognition of important economic forces with an equally important concern: improving the health of its citizens. Motivated by a study it commissioned, the government recognized the need to accomplish simultaneously three objectives to reach the country's economic and healthcare goals: 1) rapidly advance research capabilities in the life sciences, 2) develop a skilled workforce through initiatives in higher education, and 3) catalyze commercial opportunities in the life sciences. The study identified systems biology as the driver of revolutionary change in the life sciences and the transformation of healthcare. Recognizing that a partner was needed to provide unifying elements for success in this long-term goal, Luxembourg reached across the Atlantic to us at ISB. Luxembourg recognized ISB's pioneering work in systems biology, our tradition of valuing and promoting education and training, and our history of enabling the commercialization of scientific discoveries to benefit healthcare. ISB made an ambitious research proposal to Luxembour that captured their imagination and promised to achieve what they wanted. We would work with the University of Luxembourg to develop a new Center for Systems Biology Luxembourg (CSBL), carry out two coupled research projects, and provide advice, collaboration and training to help reach the country's goals. In addition, through separate and private funding mechanisms, ISB would work with Luxembourg on opportunities for commercial ventures, including a platform company for personalized medicine that would later be co-located in Luxembourg and help bring US life science and healthcare companies to that country.
email: tlangton@systemsbiology.org
BIOS Production and
Design: Christine Emswiler
email: cemswiler@systemsbiology.org
VP for Development: Larry Herron
email: lherron@systemsbiology.org
