From our new scientific director in Bar Harbor to the outgoing chair of our Board of Trustees, from faculty researchers to alumni — the people you will meet on our website are all visionaries who are deeply committed to advancing our mission.
Like each of them, all of us at The Jackson Laboratory — more than 1,700 scientists and staff — are determined to work together as One JAX to achieve our vision. This entails creativity and collaboration, not just across multiple geographic locations, but also across focus areas: fundamental mammalian genetics, clinical genomics, education and the development of resources for the global biomedical research community.
As we look ahead, the future holds even more opportunities to envision the transformation in human health that our research will make possible. The new Precision Medicine initiative recently launched by the federal government is focusing attention and investment on genomic medicine. With our new JAX Genomic Medicine campus in Connecticut open and building momentum, we are poised to play a leading role in uncovering the full potential of precision medicine to prevent, treat and cure disease.
JAX researchers are embracing the new technologies that will be vital to advancing precision medicine, including CRISPR/cas gene editing technology. Wayne Frankel’s work on epilepsy, for example, has been transformed by rapid advances in sequencing technology that have enabled him to identify myriad genes related to this complex condition.
At the same time, some of the creative solutions that move science forward are surprisingly low-tech: witness Elissa Chesler’s use of LEGO® bricks as a tool for understanding the neurobehavioral underpinnings of addiction. Sometimes the basic building blocks of great science are just that: simple tools that unleash creativity, enabling us to envision unexpected solutions.
At JAX, we are proud to be visionaries, working together as One JAX to improve human health through scientific discovery. We could not build for the future without the generous support of the many donors and friends who share our commitment to a healthier future. We are grateful to all of you who make it possible for us not only to envision new possibilities, but to make them a reality.