Biomedical sciences at UMaine

Maine’s future became a bit brighter this week, when the University of Maine formally enrolled the first 12 Ph.D. students in its Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (GSBS). These students will work with faculty researchers and other scientists from institutions around Maine to advance our understanding of critical concerns related to human health.

This work will also have positive economic implications, as we expect it to lead to significant high-tech business activity employing talented, educated people in the kind of jobs that can move our economy forward. Their work will play a significant role in helping Maine become a healthier, more prosperous state.

These 12 students (eight women and four men) are highly accomplished scholars who have the academic foundation and personal motivation to succeed in the rigorous program that lies before them. Nine of the 12 have Maine roots; several of them have, in fact, brought their talents back home to Maine after having studied and worked elsewhere. Amid valid statewide concerns about “brain drain,” this is a most welcome development.

Interestingly, two of the GSBS students are Chinese citizens who bring tremendous abilities and valuable international perspectives to their studies. This breakdown signifies a big part of what GSBS is all about: it provides outstanding educational opportunities for Maine people, while it also creates a means for attracting others who can provide the foundation for expanding the biomedical industry in Maine.

The quality of this student group indicates strong demand for this type of education, and suggests that GSBS will be a continuing magnet for attracting quality students. We are already at work on identifying and recruiting those students who will join the program one year from now as part of the second group of GSBS students.

The Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, which is rooted in close relationships among Maine’s outstanding research institutions, has really come together very quickly, thanks to the unprecedented level of cooperation among those institutions. UMaine’s GSBS partners – The Jackson Laboratory, Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory, Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems, Maine Medical Center Research Institute, the University of Southern Maine and the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine – have each brought a firm and long-term commitment to this collaboration, which represents the kind of arrangement that works so well in a state like Maine.

We have shared resources, we have shared expertise and we have worked together to develop a program that serves an important statewide need.

Even at this early stage in its development, it is useful to look at the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences in a broader context. The quality of these first students shows how attractive the school is to those who are looking for opportunities in these emerging fields. The combined 80 faculty members from the collaborating institutions already makes GSBS one of the largest programs of its kind, creating the opportunities for coordinated research activities among scientists involved in various aspects of biomedical research.

The creative energy that derives from those relationships and collaborations can, and should, help to fuel the high-level research advances and business opportunities that will define the GSBS’ ultimate success.

The first stages of development of GSBS have been eminently rewarding for all of us involved. The opportunity to formalize and further develop collaborations among Maine’s wonderful array of research institutions has been valuable on many levels. It has also been gratifying to note the public support for this activity, along with the overwhelmingly positive response from statewide leaders in government, business and industry.

The initial and continuing support from both Gov. John Baldacci and legislative leadership provided critical impetus for this program. They all see the tremendous potential for the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences to play a significant role in developing Maine’s biomedical science educational programs and business opportunities. The 12 GSBS students, the 80 faculty members and all of us involved on other levels are excited and enthusiastic about having arrived at this important milestone.

Even more, we are looking forward to the program’s continued growth and

to the positive outcomes that will be so important to Maine’s brighter future.

Robert A. Kennedy is president of

the University of Maine.