javascript:void(0)
javascript:void(0)


Since its establishment last year, the Miller School’s Miami Institute for Human Genomics has been making waves in the local and international scientific communities. Last year, for example, Margaret Pericak-Vance, Ph.D., institute director and the Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation Professor of Human Genomics, co-led a team that uncovered a gene linked to multiple sclerosis, a finding that could lead to new treatment options.

Such work to identify genetic variants that underlie human diseases can be costly—but certainly worthy. So says Florida Governor Charlie Crist, who came to the Miller School on February 1 bearing a gift for the institute: an $80 million grant.

“We’re always mindful of how important projects like these are,” Crist said at the news conference where the economic development grant was announced. “Not only will it improve the quality of lives, it will save lives. It will also help our economy, which is a tremendous byproduct.”

“This is part of the creation of a vibrant and diverse economy that holds all the promise of this new century, all the promise of a knowledge-based economy,” said then-Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio, who also worked on obtaining the grant.

The award is based on recommendations from Enterprise Florida to the Office of Tourism, Trade, and Economic Development. Enterprise Florida’s study and various analyses found that the Innovation Incentive Fund award would help create about 300 new jobs paying a salary of at least $62,000.

Pascal J. Goldschmidt, M.D., senior vice president for medical affairs and dean of the Miller School, said successful discoveries at the institute are very significant because they may ascertain “from the time you are born, what type of illnesses may actually damage your health and determine appropriate prevention.”