Dear colleague: 

Last week we posted an invitation for applications for Transformational Research Funding on the School of Medicine website and I would encourage you to review it and consider the importance of this opportunity for the future of the School. The School is offering funding support for up to four new multidisciplinary research programs that have the potential to position our School as a leader in cutting-edge and emerging fields. The budgets for the proposed initiatives should be between $10 million and $20 million, which will be allocated over a five-year period, beginning July 1, 2016.

The Anschutz Medical Campus is already known as an academic medical center that values collaborative scientific endeavors. This funding project is intended to take us to an even higher level of renown by establishing new research programs of great breadth and deep understanding. We want these new multidisciplinary research programs to combine the talent we have here and to attract other top investigators to campus. We want these programs to offer training and mentorship opportunities to cultivate the next generation of scientific innovators. Research programs are the essential foundation for providing excellent clinical care and improvement of the human condition. With the Transformational Research Funding project, we are making a major commitment to the future of our School and to securing a prominent place in the discovery and development of improved health and health care for all. 

The details of the application process are available online and we will post an FAQ based on questions we receive. I also plan to schedule a Town Hall meeting on campus to discuss this effort. Letters of Intent are due by Thursday, Oct. 1, and the proposal submission deadline is Monday, Dec. 7.

On Friday, the Helen and Arthur E. Johnson Depression Center held its fifth annual luncheon. This year’s event, at the Seawell Grand Ballroom at the Denver Performing Arts Complex in downtown, gatheed about 500 people to support the center and to recognize the generosity of the Helen K. and Arthur E. Johnson Foundation for its $10 million grant. In addition to an update from Marshall Thomas, MD, the center’s executive director, attendees heard from keynote speakers Linea and Cinda Johnson, who discussed their book, “Perfect Chaos, A Daughter’s Struggle to Survive Bipolar and A Mother’s Journey to Save Her.”

We welcomed Will Cook, president and CEO of University of Colorado Hospital, at the School of Medicine Executive Committee meeting last Tuesday. Will joined us on the Anschutz Medical Campus earlier this month from UPMC (University of Pittsburgh Medical Center). He most recently had been senior vice president of UPMC’s Health Services Division, chief operating office of Physician Services and president of UPMC Mercy. Will brings 20 years of leadership and experience in academic healthcare. We are fortunate to have him here.

Also at the Executive Committee meeting, we said farewell to Carolyn Adams, who has served as interim director of the VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System since April. Carolyn is returning to Charleston, S.C., where she had previously served as director of the Ralph H. Johnson Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

Peter Smith, MD, associate professor of family medicine, has been named assistant dean for clinical affairs/assistant medical director for the adult health practice. Peter will primarily focus on adult-health ambulatory practices, supporting the University of Colorado Hospital dyad leadership model and promoting clinical processes required for success in value-based payment models. 

The Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome announced last week that Joaquin Espinosa, PhD, has been named associate director of science. Joaquin is a professor of pharmacology and previously had his lab at the University of Colorado Boulder. His lab will continue investigating cancer genes, while also focusing on those with Down syndrome, who have a lower risk of developing solid tumors.

The University of Colorado Denver | Anschutz Medical Campus Staff Council is hosting a Staff Appreciation Breakfast on Tuesday, Sept. 29, from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. in Krugman Conference Hall. RSVPs are due by Friday, Sept. 25. All AMC staff are invited. 

Have a good week,

John J. Reilly, Jr., MD
Richard D. Krugman Endowed Chair
Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs and
Dean, School of Medicine