June 20, 2017

Research faculty have completed the development of a new vision statement for research in the OHSU School of Medicine and beyond.

View PDF of statement and schematic.

"It's important that we periodically assess and refine our research vision to reflect who we are, what we want to be and where we want to go," said Mary Stenzel-Poore, Ph.D., senior associate dean for research, OHSU School of Medicine. "This new vision statement captures us well and will serve as an important guide in research advancement and planning."  

The statement replaces the original research vision developed by faculty five years ago: By 2016, the OHSU School of Medicine will be recognized globally for excellence in scientific discovery, collaboration and the rapid translation of new knowledge into practices that improve human health. 

The new statement was updated to better reflect attributes that define the university's research faculty and its aspirations, explains Mary Heinricher, Ph.D., associate dean for basic research, OHSU School of Medicine.

In addition, the new statement underscores the importance of a supportive and enabling culture to advance research. "Our culture is the soil in which our science will grow," said Dr. Heinricher.

Another aspect of the new statement is a depiction of the two-way flow of knowledge from lab to clinic and from clinic to lab. See image above.

Development of a new vision statement began last fall when Task Force chairs, below, in the Collaborative Research Leadership Group met to discuss ideas. (View Task Force information, OHSU login required.)

Task Force Chairs

• Mary Heinricher, Ph.D., associate dean for basic research, OHSU School of Medicine
• Robert Hitzemann, Ph.D., professor of behavioral neuroscience, OHSU School of Medicine
• William Rooney, Ph.D., director, Advanced Imaging Research Center, senior scientist
• Melissa Haendel, Ph.D., professor, OHSU Library, associate professor of medical informatics and clinical epidemiology, OHSU School of Medicine
• David Ellison, M.D., director, OCTRI, professor of medicine, OHSU School of Medicine
• Sancy Leachman, M.D., chair and professor of dermatology, OHSU School of Medicine
• Cynthia Morris, Ph.D., M.P.H., assistant dean for admissions, OHSU School of Medicine
• Allison Fryer, Ph.D., associate dean for graduate studies, OHSU School of Medicine
• Traci Rieckmann, Ph.D., associate professor, OHSU-PSU School of Public Health
• Jim Huntzicker, Ph.D., professor, Division of Management, OHSU School of Medicine
• Nancy Haigwood, Ph.D., director, Oregon National Primate Research Center, adjunct professor of molecular microbiology and immunology, OHSU School of Medicine

The group met several times over the academic year to craft and refine the statement. Members gathered input from the Collaborative Research Leadership Group and finalized it into the above version.