In a world that is constantly changing, I wanted my first Director’s blog post to serve as a way of addressing change for WaNPRC and the people and primates we serve. I’d like all our readers to know what to expect as WaNPRC embarks on its next chapter.
First, a note of thanks to all past directors of the center. They have led the center as researchers here made multiple discoveries that have had a historic impact on global human health. I’ve had the pleasure of working with several of them, and I’m honored to now take my place at the helm.
Having spent the last 14 years working at the Center and having co-founded a biomedical technology company I bring a combination of science and business savvy to this role. And while I applaud our previous leadership, I have a lofty vision of my own I hope to achieve.
I want to make WaNPRC the top primate research center in the U.S., and the top institute in the world for nonhuman primate research. Sounds ambitious, but I have a six-pronged plan to get us there.
- Affirm our identity
- Build and expand our identity through interdisciplinary consortia and collaborations
- Enhance communications between research units and between researchers & veterinary staff
- Implement strategies for long-term sustainability
- Support a 3Rs culture: Respect, Restraint, Responsibility
- Increase our visibility
I’m not sure people are aware of just how important WaNPRC is to research in gene therapy, infectious disease, neuroscience and global conservation. Just in the last year, we supported 126 grants totaling $118 million in funding. We have more than 150 employees, and we support nearly the same number of collaborating scientists nationwide. And we are the only NPRC that breeds pigtail macaques, the best NHP model for a wide range of vital areas of research that has led to breakthroughs. For example, the pigtail macaque is the closest species to model pregnant women, and research in this model at WaNPRC led to the first insights into how Zika virus and other infectious disease cause fetal injury and is paving the way toward new innovations to protect women from sexually transmitted diseases.
Our research has also revealed new insights into the causes of neurological, genetic, cardiovascular and infectious diseases, and we are turning these discoveries into cures for people living with AIDS, spinal injuries, cancer, color blindness, blood disorders and cardiovascular disease. We are also at the forefront in developing new vaccines and immunotherapies for malaria, HIV, influenza, SARS-CoV-2 and Valley Fever, a fungal disease that is rapidly spreading due to climate change.
Our outstanding animal behaviorists and veterinary teams are critical to the success of this research. Their ability to innovate and refine new techniques has improved our research, animal breeding and care. We are also the only NPRC with a worldwide primate conservation and education program that has gained international recognition for its cutting-edge work in understanding nonhuman primates in the natural habitat and their interface with humans.
I believe that the most innovative ideas occur at the intersection of different disciplines. My aim is to build on our track record and provide our outstanding faculty with new opportunities to collaborate to bridge scientific discipline, combine our research strengths and spur innovation. To that end, I announced last month a $150,000 funding opportunity that will require a collaboration between two or more researchers working in distinct research disciplines. Stay tuned for an announcement about this opportunity in November, concurrent with our annual P51 pilot project initiative.
While this is going on, we’re also already working on a shift in culture that improves collaboration between our researchers and animal care teams to benefit both animals and the research they support. The tight job market has affected WaNPRC the same way it has other industries. You’ll be seeing a more aggressive recruiting campaign and new opportunities for our veterinary teams to lead and collaborate with our researchers in projects aimed at developing novel veterinary procedures and new concepts to enhance our animal behavior, breeding and care,
In the longer term, you’ll see us landing opportunities to improve our financial outlook by seeking partnerships and funding sources that improve revenue and increase efficiency while reducing our costs. Seattle is a growing hub for biotechnology and in parallel, we are expanding our portfolio of translational research studies and capabilities to support a growing need for preclinical research in nonhuman primates that provide a critical bridge to close the gap between biomedical breakthroughs at the bench and human clinical trials. For example, research at our primate center is helping HDT Bio, Orlance, Inc., Sana Biotechnology and Umoja Biopharma advance their novel innovations for new vaccines, stem cell, and cancer therapies to human clinical trials.
There’s also something we’re going to stop doing: We’re not going to shrink from the opportunity to tout the successes we have. We’re constantly bombarded by misinformation and lies put out by animal rights extremists. But we’re not going to let them tell our story, and we’re not going to let bullying and threats affect our work. So, expect to see more in this spot about the research we do and how we’re improving human health and animal welfare at the same time.
Come visit this site every month. You’re going to hear from me and other leaders at WaNPRC about all these topics as we work to bring to life that ambitious vision.
It’s a privilege to have the opportunity to lead WaNPRC in these efforts. I am looking forward to seeing the progress we make towards these goals.