Dear colleagues,
Sometimes it’s a story from a clinician about a successful patient outcome. Or a student sharing an experience with a faculty member in the clinic, or lab, or classroom that inspired them. Or news of a breakthrough achieved through a promising research discovery. On an almost daily basis, I see evidence that the School of Medicine is heading in the right direction, and it’s important that we share and celebrate the good things that are happening.
That is why I’d like to draw your attention to our progress as documented in the recently published 2023 Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research Rankings – the annual analysis of National Institutes of Health funding and researchers.
The SOM rose three spots this year in the overall rankings! That is a considerable achievement for any institution. SOM total NIH funding increased 7.6% to almost $77 million, with a net increase of 11 investigators and 11 awards. We are now 60th in the nation, occupying the same research ranking real estate as places like Cincinnati, Tulane, Jefferson Dartmouth and Brown.
Moreover, three of our departments maintained their place among the top 25 departments in their respective fields: The Department of Family Medicine and Population Health ranks 14th in its category, the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology is 20th among pharmacology departments, and the Department of Psychiatry is ranked 24th. If you look closer, you will also see that nine of our departments experienced an increase in their rankings, including three – Pathology, Microbiology and Surgery – which had double-digit jumps from 2022 to 2023.
The SOM also continues to be a leader in addiction science. We rank eighth in the nation in funding from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) and 19th in National Institute on Drug Abuse funding.
It’s awards season, so I’m going to borrow a line and say there are too many people to thank, because it’s true. But let me just say that our BRIMRR increase in ranking is owed to the tireless and groundbreaking work done by our researchers and departments. Your commitment to advancing knowledge in your respective fields is inspiring, and more importantly, makes a real difference in the communities we serve. Dr. Michael Donnenberg, our senior associate dean for research and research training, is rightfully proud of SOM’s research funding progress, and I thank him for his leadership.
Every day, you give me a reason to feel proud and privileged to work here. Exciting things are happening at SOM! Let’s keep moving forward.
With gratitude,
Arturo P. Saavedra, M.D., Ph.D.
Dean, VCU School of Medicine
Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs, VCU Health System