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Bertarelli
Foundation Funds
at Harvard Medical School
Benefactor Report
April 2024
Table of Contents
01.
Dean Daley
Cover Letter
02.
Bertarelli
Professor of
Translational Medical Science
03.
Bertarelli
Family Building Renovation Fund
Philanthrophy
04.
Bertarelli
Cover Letter
November 6, 2024
Mr. Robert A. and Mrs. Dana A. Weiss Smith
35 Carisbrooke Road
Wellesley Hills, MA 02481
Dear Rob and Dana,
I am deeply grateful for your support of Harvard Medical School through the Robert and Dana Smith Dean’s Fund for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. During the 2023-2024 academic year, your support continued to nurture an environment of inclusivity, as well as provide leadership development and mentorship opportunities for students and faculty with backgrounds historically underrepresented in medicine. The fund continues to be instrumental in fostering a vibrant and inclusive health sciences community across HMS and our affiliates.
By supporting two key staff positions within the Office of Recruitment and Multicultural Affairs (ORMA), the fund enabled numerous initiatives to enhance diversity and strengthen community connections. Your support also facilitated networking mixers organized in partnership with the hospitals, in addition to student-led events celebrating the diverse backgrounds of students, faculty, and staff.
The fund also made possible the second iteration of the Harvard/MIT Equitable Access to Research Training (HEART) MD-PhD Summer Program. This 10-week, fully-funded initiative for undergraduate students is a collaborative effort between HMS, MIT, and Harvard-affiliated hospitals. This past summer, the program, led primarily by students, enrolled nine scholars to participate in medical research and faculty mentorship.
Your generous contribution ensures that students from all backgrounds can flourish as future leaders in medicine and healthcare. I am also immensely grateful for your willingness to speak at our Legacies of Excellence event January 9, and look forward to seeing you there. You and your family have supported scholarship and teaching excellence across Harvard for so many decades; on behalf of the university, thank you for your longstanding support of our academic community.
George Q. Daley, MD, PhD
Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Harvard University
Caroline Shields Walker Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School
George Q Daley, MD, PhD | Dean of the Faculty of Medicine | Caroline Shields Walker Professor of Medicine 25 Shattuck Street, Boston, MA 02115 | t: (617) 432-1501 | e: George_Daley@hms.harvard.edu
Bertarelli
Professor of Translational Medical Science
DR. COREY IS THE BERTARELLI PROFESSOR
of Translational Medical Science and a professor of neurobiology in the Blavatnik Institute at HMS. His research represents a continuum from basic science on fundamental principles of sensory perception to the specific application of that science for treating inherited diseases of vision and hearing. In the past year, he has continued to work on three broad projects, as detailed in the following pages. The Molecular Mechanism of Auditory Transduction
David P. Corey, PHD
Gene Therapy for Usher Syndrome Type 1F
Usher syndrome type IF is a devastating hereditary disease characterized by the complete absence of hearing and balance at birth and a slowly progressing blindness. It is caused by mutations in the PCDH15 protein, which functions in both the inner ear's sound sensing hair cells and the retina's light-sensing photoreceptors.
Gene Therapy for GJB2-Related Deafness
Mutations of the GJB2 gene cause DFNBl, which is by far the most common form of hereditary deafness. Unlike most deafness genes, GJB2 functions within the cochlea's nearby epithelial cells and fibrocytes rather than the hair cells.
The Molecular Mechanism of Auditory Transduction
The most fundamental event in hearing is the conversion of sound into an electrical signal by opening ion channels in inner ear hair cells. Among the known components of this mechanotransduction complex are proteins that respond to sound by causing the cilia atop each hair cell to vibrate.
Bertarelli
Fellowship Program
For over a decade, the partnership with the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) has facilitated an enriching exchange of visiting master’s degree students. Each year, through a rigorous selection process at the EPFL, five outstanding engineering students are chosen to embark on their master’s research journey at HMS, lasting 10-12 months. These exceptionally qualified students benefit from the mentorship of experienced faculty at Harvard, where host laboratories undergo thorough prescreening to ensure exemplary student training. The Bertarelli Fellowship program empowers students to apply quantitative methods to biomedical research, providing comprehensive training in the techniques and the challenges associated with translational science.
Current Bertarelli Fellows
EMMA FARINA
Farina’s Project Summary
Gastroparesis is a debilitating disorder characterized by delayed gastric emptying in the absence of mechanical obstruction, leading to nausea, vomiting, early satiety, bloating, and abdominal pain. Existing drugs have failed to demonstrate efficacy or have limited symptomatic relief that becomes resistant over time. The celiac ganglion and celiac plexus innervate the stomach, and their dysfunction is at the root of gastroparesis.
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Bertarelli
Family Building
Renovation Fund
Igniting Collaborative Breakthroughs
One of the five original marble buildings shaping HMS' iconic quadrangle, the 70,000-foot Building C holds a prominent position at the heart of HMS' campus. Throughout its existence, it has served as the home of groundbreaking research within the Department of Cell Biology, the Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology (BCMP), and the Therapeutics Initiative (Tl), embodying a rich history that seamlessly bridges past innovations with the promise of future discovery.
The following pages feature conceptual diagrams and refined designs that cast light on the latest vision for Building C, showcasing how it will translate exemplary scientific research into groundbreaking medical solutions that benefit humanity.
The original five buildings-A, B, C, D, and E-of the Quadrangle, as they stood in 1906.
Conceptual Designs
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The volume diagram above reveals a stratified design for Building C.
The stack addition in the atrium will feature a 31-seat meeting room and common areas.
Proposed Floor Plans
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