Fall 2016 Newsletter

Enlisting Philanthropies to Invest in Basic Medical Research

What is the role of science philanthropy today? How does private investment in science and technology compare to that of the government, and what challenges stand in the way of more support for basic research?

The Hunt for the Huntington’s Gene

Nancy Wexler’s journey to find the gene that causes Huntington’s disease began in 1968 when her mother was diagnosed with the condition. It took years of fundraising, collaboration, and conferences, and months spent in the stilt villages of Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela collecting samples, to find the answer.

Investing in Projects That Are “a Little Crazy”

Jim and Marilyn Simons talk about establishing and running the Simons Foundation, which is committed to advancing the frontiers of research in mathematics and the basic sciences, and how they see the role of philanthropy in supporting science.

The Last Big Piece of the Biology Puzzle

Robert Tjian, the former president of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, discusses whether it’s better to fund people or projects, how to encourage collaboration, and what questions in biology excite him most today.

Senator Mark Hatfield: The NIH Is the Cornerstone of Improved Quality of Life in This Nation

Senator Mark Hatfield received the Albert Lasker Public Service Award in 1995 for his enduring leadership in support of biomedical research.