Cancer research centres downsized
The move is part of a major organizational shakeup that is angering scientists; it follows the closure of the LICR's branch in Lausanne, Switzerland, in January.
The LICR employs more than 700 people at ten branches around the world, and has been lauded as a model for translational research. It aims to understand and control cancer by funding basic research and translating its findings into cancer therapies. Eight agents developed by the LICR are currently in stage III clinical trials, but only one LICR product GMCSF, a molecule that stimulates production of white blood cells and was discovered and developed at the Parkville branch has so far entered the market.
Financial concerns The institute gets most of its funds from an endowment established by Daniel Ludwig, a US billionaire shipping magnate http://www.apexebookmanufacturing.com, in the 1970s. But Edward McDermott, the LICR's president and chief executive, says that the institute suffered during the recent economic crisis, with the overall value of its investment portfolio declining by 14.5% in the financial year ending in June 2009.
McDermott says that the fund has now fully recovered true religion jeans, enabling the institute to spend US$115 million on research last year. Despite this, the LICR's 2010 financial report presented a new strategy for the institute, stating that the current branch structure is probably not sustainable with the resources available.
"Future LICR research will be concentrated at two or three hubs ティファニー," says McDermott. "We found that the widely dispersed, small branch model that we have been utilizing for almost 40 years is no longer equal to the realities of conducting scientific research into the twentyfirst century".
"It's not just a summary decision to pull out funds," insists Andrew Simpson, LICR's scientific director. Simpson and McDermott say that reducing the number of branches, but making them larger, should attract leading international scientists and allow the institute to improve its use of external funding opportunities http://www.lululemondiscountonline.com.
"The limitations on funding means that somewhat decreasing branch numbers is not unreasonable http://www.ansaricapital.com," says CarlHenrik Heldin, director of the LICR centre in Uppsala, Sweden. But he adds that the plan has triggered "anxiety and disruption across the branches", with scientists unsure which centre will be next to close.
process has been handled appallingly. McCluskey is involved in developing the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre (VCCC), a Aus$1billion institute supported by the Australian federal government and the state government of Victoria toms shoes sale, and expected to open in Parkville in 2015. The LICR was intended to be one of seven founding members of the VCCC, but that plan was shelved in August.
The LICR says that its involvement with the VCCC was contingent on finding a director to replace Tony Burgess, who led the Parkville branch for 28 years before resigning in 2009. "We looked for over 18 months and interviewed excellent scientists," says McDermott. "But none of the candidates provided a compelling strategic fit for the institute." The decision means that the Parkville branch will dwindle as current contractual obligations run out over the next five years, and will eventually close.
Tough decisions Scientists have previously complained about a lack of transparency in LICR's decisionmaking (see 'Translational research: a case history', and the move to close LICR Parkville has provoked similar ire. "Over the last three years, the LICR have done at least three backflips in planning for the future of the Parkville branch chan luu wrap bracelet. The process has been handled appallingly," says Doug Hilton, director of the neighbouring Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research.
The closure of the Lausanne branch in January was less disruptive. There, the entire staff was integrated into a new department of the University of Lausanne acheter vanessa bruno, and LICR senior scientists received tenured positions. Former branch director Hugh Robson MacDonald says that a joint funding arrangement between the university and the LICR has left his new department with a very similar budget, and provided the LICR with substantial savings. "Ours was a positive crossover, and it seems it will be a casebycase scenario for the remaining branches," says MacDonald.
But some scientists are not convinced that the LICR's consiolidation strategy is the best way to further its mission of discoverydriven research. Gerard Evan, a cancer biologist at the University of Cambridge, UK true religion discount store, describes the plan as a "fashion statement".
"There is a strong trend in cancer research towards large institutes where 'big' research can be done, such as omics research microsoft office 2010 key, collecting and cataloguing large volumes of data true religion jean outlet online," says Evan. "But discoveries that make profound impacts on understanding disease are often made in smallscale, diverse research environments."
"Other organizations are already trying the largescale model, and I think it's a shame if that is perceived to be the sole way forward vanessa bruno pas cher," he continues. The LICR model is superb for providing sustainable, backbone funding. It does, like all systems, need to evolve but must tread carefully. There are many excellent scientists at the various institutes but this uncertainty will become a selffulfilling prophecy as the best people look to move to other positions prior to decisions being made. Hopefully, LICR will be communicate its decisions and rationale clearly. I agree with Gerard. There is no onesizefitsall in research. Consolidating into large teamoriented research may bring efficiencies but also bigger mistakes. Independent investigator ingenuity is still the primary driver of effective research monster beats. As a young scientist, I have the Ludwig, Parkville to thank for inspiring in me a passion for medical research as an honours student http://www.chanlubracelets.com. I personally believe that the mentorship I received at the Ludwig was of a form less likely to be experienced at larger institutes. Having moved to the much larger Walter and Eliza Hall Institute nearby for my PhD I feel that the two models offer completely different research environments, both of which contribute important elements to a vibrant medical research culture in Victoria lululemon warehouse outlet.Related：

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