Knowing No Bounds Vikas Sukhatme, M.D., Ph.D
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BETH ISRAEL DEACONESS MEDICAL CENTER SUMMER 2010 Renewable Energy p. 5 KNOWING NO In the Spotlight p. 9 BOUNDS VIKAS SUKHATME, M.D., PH.D. It’s diffi cult to pigeon-hole Most would disagree. Sukhatme’s Vikas P. Sukhatme, M.D., Ph.D., into ability to almost seamlessly usher any particular occupational scientifi c knowledge from one category—a situation that suits this fi eld to another and bring it to bear soft-spoken individualist just fi ne. on some of the most pressing Preeminence in A doctoral physicist who went on to problems in medicine has led to Prostate Cancer get his medical degree, Sukhatme groundbreaking discoveries in the p. 10 has since added chief of nephrology, vasculature of tumors; the pregnancy cancer scientist, and, most recently, disorder, preeclampsia; and the chief academic offi cer at Beth Israel side effects of cholesterol-lowering Deaconess Medical Center to drugs, just to name a few. “I’d his wide-ranging resume. “Over the like to think that some of the best years, I have always been interested solutions to problems have come in how cells multiply and spread and from people who traditionally have the general problem of cancer,” not been educated in that discipline he muses. “But along the way there but who bring in something from has been, I would say, more than somewhere else,” says Sukhatme. one signifi cant detour, making me “It could be a technology, it could a bit of a jack of all trades and be a way of thinking, it could be Repair of perhaps not a master of any one.” anything, but it’s that crossing of Genetic Wear and Tear CONTINUED ON P. 2 p. 13 403255.LA.CS4.indd 1 5/13/10 7:31 PM KNOWING NO BOUNDS VIKAS SUKHATME, M.D., PH.D. CONTINUED FROM P. 1 borders, that interface between Finding creative strategies to break Recently, Sukhatme changed the two areas that often pays off the down these barriers is what direction of his cancer investigations richest dividend.” Sukhatme enjoys most. In 2006, to focus on two different avenues he established the Division of of promise: metabolism, how the cell With the majority of his emphasis Interdisciplinary Medicine and generates energy and regulates now on research and research Biotechnology at BIDMC, which, its internal environment, and tumor administration (although he does as its name suggests, was designed immunology, how the cancer cell still see a few patients on the side), to facilitate efforts among divisions, evades recognition by the body. Not Sukhatme believes that the departments, and even institutions surprisingly, he is particularly potential rewards of this philosophy to tackle biomedical problems. intrigued by where these two distinct are such that he’s applying it to Although a major goal of the division fi elds may intersect. “The area that just about everything he does, from is to foster translational research, we’re very excited about is this: if we the interdisciplinary focus of his it focuses not on a single disease manipulate the local environment own laboratory to fi nding synergies entity but medical problem-solving of the tumor, say if the tumor makes across the medical center at large. in the broadest sense, drawing less acid or takes up less sugar, Indeed, the chief academic offi cer especially on the quantitative, are the immune cells more likely to post he now holds was created so computational, and engineering do their thing,” says Sukhatme. “And that there would be one individual sciences. A theme that runs through we have very early data that this reporting directly to the CEO with its recent work is signals. “They is the case. We can by manipulating the ability to cross departmental look at signals that vary in time,” one system actually get the host, borders to help set and implement says Sukhatme of several of his the immune system, to be much the research and academic strategy division colleagues, “and they try to more alert.” for the medical center. While uncover certain patterns in those Sukhatme might seem tailor made Measuring and manipulating the signals that tell you something about for this role, building consensus intracellular milieu of a cell can the underlying medicine or biology around sensitive issues like space be technically and technologically that’s generating them. So it’s a way allocation, recruitment, and fi nances complex, and Sukhatme is initiating of analyzing the data that is quite is no simple task. “We have to some intriguing collaborations innovative and much more complex have administrative silos; you can’t that might be key to unlocking the than just taking an average of things have an organizational structure cell’s secrets. Working with Ary or looking at standard deviations.” without them. But they ultimately Goldberger, M.D., his co-chair of the shouldn’t become intellectual Because of his affi liation with this Division of Interdisciplinary Medicine silos,” says Sukhatme. “It requires group, Sukhatme is looking at and Biotechnology, Sukhatme is in a lot of effort, though, to get people the possibility of incorporating this the initial phases of a project to look to work with each other, and the type of analysis into his own at pairs of cells that differ only by a barriers are many.” interdisciplinary laboratory work. single gene mutation—one exhibiting 2 Giving Matters | Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center 403255.LA.CS4.indd 2 5/13/10 7:49 PM “ I’d like to think that some of the best solutions to problems have come from people who traditionally have not been educated in that discipline but who bring in something from somewhere else...” cancerous properties and one not; Funding, or lack thereof, is their goal is to determine if there a recurring theme in Sukhatme’s are early metabolic signals that professional life because the Goldberger’s sophisticated analysis numbers tend to add up very quickly Howie Rich with members of Team Howie in 2009 can detect, which ultimately might in biomedical science. Luckily indicate that the cell is moving some of his fi scal worries have on a cancerous path. “It’s highly been tempered by the generosity speculative,” he notes. “It’s one of of BIDMC donors, including an How We those far-out ideas that might anonymous philanthropist and make a big splash in the journals Marian Miller Cronin and Michael Remember Howie if it were to work.” Sukhatme F. Cronin, longstanding and ardent and his colleagues also recently won supporters of innovative research. Bike-a-thon’s success a lasting a Harvard Catalyst pilot grant to Sukhatme has been pleased partner with the medical center’s to see individual donors take up tribute to local pastor radiology team to see if imaging this cause because he believes techniques might be useful in it is an area where philanthropy Howie Rich’s optimism throughout his battle with brain assessing the metabolic changes can have a tremendous impact, cancer was an inspiration to the people around him. within a tumor, either when it’s with smaller donations leveraging As an ordained minister, Rich was a man of great faith, growing independently or when future government and foundation commenting once that “if my tumor can do some manipulated with prospective grants. “Promoting unique collab- good for others, it’s worth the journey.” drug therapies. orations, purchasing specialized equipment, supporting out-of-the- Along the challenging path of diagnosis and treatment, Sukhatme fi nds inspiration in the box ideas—these are all things Rich found motivation and encouragement in the 2009 Harvard Catalyst, a university- that individuals can bring to pass wide project designed to provide A Reason to Ride bike-a-thon presented by Fuddruckers, that larger funding sources cannot,” a systematic way for investigators a fundraiser to support brain cancer research at BIDMC. he says. from disparate disciplines and “Howie had a childlike enthusiasm about the ride,” institutions to fi nd and collaborate In particular, Sukhatme notes says his close friend Jim Boland, “and could see the with each other with the goal of what a saving grace this kind of tremendous impact it had on others with cancer, as well reducing human disease. For one, funding can be for physician/ as their loved ones. In some ways, I think being a part it provides modest seed grants for scientists who are early in their of it kept him going.” more adventurous, cross-disciplinary careers. “I honestly believe they’re efforts, like his own, that traditional a courageous bunch of characters,” It kept his loved ones going, too. Rich was a respected larger funding sources tend to shun. he says of this group, “because member of the North Shore community, where the ride “The kind of ideas that people are there are a lot of other occupations takes place, and his friends and family in the area were putting forward when they’re asked you can be in with a lot more job eager to support his cause. Members of Rich’s church, the to work with somebody they haven’t security and a lot better pay. These Union Congregational Church of Magnolia, formed a usually worked with for a relatively people are doing what they’re team of riders and set up a water stop in its parking lot. small amount of money is quite doing because it’s their passion, but Another group formed “Team Howie.” The ride last year remarkable,” says Sukhatme, who they are also very vulnerable so raised $60,000. adds he would love to create a similar if we don’t sustain them and mentor project specifi cally for the medical them in the right way, I think they Rich passed away from his illness on November 20, center.