As the new director of Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation for their continued generosity in supporting our mission of innovative biomedical research.
I also would like to acknowledge the outstanding leadership of Arthur Riggs, Ph.D., who was the director of Beckman Research Institute from 1999 through 2007, and who continues to champion our scientific endeavors. In addition to his pioneering work, which has been vital to modern genetics and the birth of biotechnology, his leadership has been pivotal in fostering the collaborative environment that has come to define City of Hope. My role as director is to continue promoting excellence in biomedical research and enhancing translation from the laboratory to the clinic through collaboration.
Currently, the institute comprises more than 500 scientific investigators and support staff, including approximately 85 investigators are involved in training approximately 120 postdoctoral fellows and are aided by nearly 80 doctoral-level research scientists. Moreover, the Graduate School of Biological Sciences provides a challenging research curriculum for over 60 doctoral students, and members of the Beckman Research Institute faculty participate in the graduate program by teaching courses and training graduate students in their laboratories.
Beckman Research Institute has 24 scientific shared research facilities that include biomedical informatics, analytical cytometry, mass spectrometry and proteomics, functional genomics, light and electron microscopy, high-throughput screening, small animal imaging and synthetic and biopolymer chemistry. New and developing core facilities include those focused on animal tumor models, stem cells and lentiviral vectors.
Beckman Research Institute laboratories are integral to the interdisciplinary research programs of the City of Hope National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center. The Cancer Center is instrumental in facilitating interactions among basic, translational and clinical researchers in Beckman Research Institute and City of Hope’s National Medical Center. These collaborative exchanges provide tremendous opportunities for translation of laboratory discoveries directly into new therapies for patients.
Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope — the first of five Beckman Institutes in the United States — was established in 1983 following a generous gift from the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation. With a recent donation from the Foundation, construction of the new Arnold and Mabel Beckman Center at City of Hope is well underway. We gratefully acknowledge their support and the support of those philanthropic donors whose generosity further advances our mission.
Many fundamental discoveries in our laboratories have had a profound impact on the treatment of cancer and diabetes over the years, including recombinant human insulin and humanized monoclonal antibodies. As Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope celebrates its 25th year, we look forward to a bright future of continued excellence in biomedical research, with a view toward translation from the laboratory to the clinic through collaboration.
Please join us on this exciting journey of scientific discovery.
Director
Beckman Research Institute
City of Hope