The path ahead
As Slack settles in the Twin Cities, he will undoubtedly be asked, "Are you ready for Minnesota winters?" He brushes off the question with a shrug. After all, scientists are drawn to places that nourish their research interests and, as he explains, the University of Minnesota is one of those places—and more.
"I'm impressed with what the Medical School has already built," he says. "The staff, the infrastructure—it's all very big, and there's a lot of good science going on here." He sees the Stem Cell Institute as a place with a firm foundation built under the steady hand of his predecessor, Verfaillie, who is now leading the Stem Cell Institute in her native Leuven, Belgium, but continues to hold a 10-percent-time appointment at the University.
He also sees it on a path to become a world-class center capable of attracting the brightest minds and substantial research grants. He's happy that Minnesota researchers are working with both adult and embryonic stem cells in order to maximize the avenues of promising work. And he expects to make the most of opportunities for clinical and commercial development.
Charles Moldow, M.D., the Medical School's associate dean for research, thinks that Slack's background is particularly suited to advancing the University's stem cell initiatives. "His credibility as a developmental biologist permits easy entrée to our basic scientists, while the promise of cellular regeneration repair will attract clinicians."
Powell also has full confidence in his abilities. "Jonathan Slack brings to our University his reputation as an outstanding developmental biologist, yet he never loses sight of the primary goal of advancing treatments and cures to improve lives. That makes him the right person to lead our Stem Cell Institute."
If you are interested in contributing to stem cell biology, you can give online today.
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