Scripps institute
The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) is a medical research facility that focuses on research in the basic biomedical sciences. Primarily located in La Jolla, California, with a sister facility in Jupiter, Florida, the institute is home to 3,000 scientists, technicians, graduate students, and administrative and other staff, making it among the largest private, non-profit biomedical research organizations in the world.
History
TSRI's roots can be traced to the Scripps Metabolic Clinic, founded near the current site in 1924, by the noted philanthropist Ellen Browning Scripps. In 1946 it evolved into the Scripps Clinic and Research Foundation. Initially focusing on the study of immune disorders, over the following 25 years the faculty grew and diversified its research interests, precipitating another name change in 1977, to The Research Institute of Scripps Clinic. In 1991 the Scripps Clinic and research division became separate corporations and The Scripps Research Institute was founded. In 1989 TSRI started a graduate program.
Structure
Located on 35 acres (140,000 m2) of land between the Torrey Pines State Reserve and the University of California, San Diego, TSRI has departments of cancer biology, cell biology, chemistry, genetics, immunology and microbial science, infectology, molecular biology, molecular and experimental medicine, molecular therapeutics, chemical physiology, neurobiology, molecular and integrative neurosciences, neurobiology of addictive disorders, aging and metabolism, and translational research. In addition, it incorporates:
- The Skaggs Institute for Chemical biology
- The Pearson Center for Alcoholism and Addiction Research
- The Dorris Neuroscience Center
- The Center for Integrative Molecular Biosciences
- The Kellogg School of Science and Technology
- The Worm Institute for Research and Medicine
- The Center for Regenerative Medicine
The president of TSRI is Richard Lerner. Among the 214 members of faculty are notable chemists, Kyriacos Costa Nicolaou, William R. Roush and Dale L. Boger, as well as Nobel Laureates Gerald Edelman, Kurt Wüthrich and K. Barry Sharpless.
The Scripps Institution of Oceanography is often incorrectly associated with TSRI; it is in fact a nearby research facility that is part of UCSD. TSRI is a private institute not directly associated with UCSD. Confusingly, the Scripps Institution of Oceanography was once called the Scripps Institution for Biological Research.
Scripps Florida
TSRI has built a sister facility at the Jupiter campus of Florida Atlantic University in Palm Beach County, Florida. Scripps Florida now operates with approximately 300 scientists, technicians, administrators, and graduate students at a 350,000-square-foot (33,000 m2), state-of-the-art biomedical research facility focusing on neuroscience, cancer biology, medicinal chemistry, drug discovery, biotechnology, and alternative energy development.
The grand opening of the new facility took place on February 26, 2009, five years after Scripps Florida started operating, with a public ceremony that drew many dignitaries including Florida Gov. Charlie Crist.
Medical schools
TSRI and the Scripps Health hospital network plan to jointly start the Scripps School of Medicine, with its first students entering in 2013. It will be located on the TSRI San Diego campus and will be the area's's second medical school alongside UCSD's. The school will offer a curriculum lasting five years focusing on both clinical care and laboratory research. TSRI will need to raise $150 million to start the school.[1]
Separately, Florida Atlantic University will start a new medical school in association with Scripps Florida, ending its relationship with the University of Miami's medical school. The first students will enter the new program in fall 2011.[2]
References
- ^ Clark, Cheryl. "Scripps plans to start new medical school". San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 March 2008.
- ^ Travis, Scott. "FAU to Offer Its Own Medical Degree". Florida Sun-Sentinel, 20 January 2010.
