Director's Letter [DRAFT]
Dr. Robert C. Robbins
CVI Director
Nearly 50 years ago, Stanford researchers defined the frontier of cardiovascular research. Many people think they know what I’m talking about—the first heart transplantation in the United States, performed by Dr. Norman Shumway in 1968—but they would be wrong. That surgery was indeed a landmark, the beginning of a new era of heart transplantation that most now take for granted. But that first heart transplant was one event in a bigger story about the way that Stanford carved out this new frontier through research. Norm Shumway spent years conducting careful research in preparation for that first transplantation. And after the first heart transplants, when success rates were so low that most hospitals banned them, Stanford investigators continued to do the research that revealed the mechanics of cardiac rejection and gave them the tools to overcome it.
Stanford continues the foundational science upon which we and others built, and continues to translate that science into other pioneering clinical applications like heart -lung transplantation, cardiac ultrasound imaging and the use of stent grafts [there may be more appropriate technologies mentioned here]. All of this while providing a comprehensive, state-of–the-art clinical care for patients and educating students who have gone on to become leaders in the field around the globe.
We are now on the brink of another golden age of cardiovascular science, when advances from disciplines like genetics, stem cell science and bioengineering are coming together to advance our understanding and provide solutions more rapidly than ever before. At Stanford, this interdisciplinary nexus is creating fertile ground for the understanding and tools we need to lift the burden that cardiovascular diseases place on everyone in the world. To make the most of these opportunities, we need to be strategic about promoting communication and collaboration, focusing on the biggest opportunities and being open to the serendipity and insight that can lead to big things. The institute’s strategic plan is the first step in that process. It is an accounting of where we stand, a survey of the best practices around the nation, a setting of goals as we move forward, and a plan for follow up to make sure we are meeting those goals. This strategic plan will set the foundation for future growth.