Dean's Column

Welcome to the Fall 2024 issue of The Bulletin. As we commemorate the final months of our bicentennial celebration and begin to create our third century, I am both proud and honored to mark my first year at Jefferson. It has been a year of progress and promise. I have already met many extraordinary alumni, and I look forward to meeting many more of you.

This issue, I want to highlight one of my central priorities—expanding and accentuating scientific research and highlighting its role in our mission to improve lives.

We must tackle this initiative from all sides.

Research is the bedrock of everything we do, fundamental not only for Sidney Kimmel Medical College but also for the entire Jefferson enterprise. When I first arrived at Jefferson almost a year ago, I created the Dean’s Executive Council for Research. Staffed by leaders in basic science and clinical research, this team has already begun to create strategies and programs designed to strengthen our research offerings.

For example, in this issue, you will read about basic science researcher Adam Snook, PhD, JCLS ’08, who recently received a $1.3 million grant for his CAR-T cell therapy cancer study. Dr. Snook’s research could lead to a powerful new therapy for solid cancers, ultimately bringing life-changing—and life-saving—care to patients near and far.

We are also building on our recent success in securing the NCI Comprehensive Cancer Center designation. With the momentum of this achievement, we can better compete for National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences funding from the National Institutes of Health. Securing these large grants supporting clinical and translational research is an institutional priority, and we have established a task force and work groups to advance this important initiative.

In addition, we are committed to building a pipeline designed to attract, recruit, and retain qualified research investigators and physician-scientists. I am pleased to report we have launched the inaugural Sidney and Caroline Kimmel research pilot programs, made possible by the generous support of Mr. and Mrs. Kimmel. We are excited and encouraged by the number and diversity of the applications that we have received and have already been able to fund two basic science and two health outcomes clinical research applications in just our first year.

Support from alumni and philanthropic partners allows us to maintain our leadership in academics, research, and clinical care. Fundraising drives innovation, exploration, and discovery, and helps to create the necessary infrastructure for robust, active, and cutting-edge research. Our pursuit of excellence is rooted in our world-class clinical care, education, and research, and is integral to our mission to redefine what is possible and improve lives.

Said Ibrahim, MD, MBA, MPH
Anthony F. and Gertrude M. DePalma Dean
Sidney Kimmel Medical College
President, Jefferson University Physicians