June 11, 2009
School of Medicine, Kochi
 

“Dr. Lee Hartwell didn’t realize as a boy that his youthful predilection for chasing butterflies hinted at his future as a geneticist. Nor did his teenage tinkering on auto engines give him a clue that he would win a Nobel Prize. But today, his career’s work in cell genetics has changed the way we think about life itself … (Read more about Dr. Hartwell on the website of The Hutch.)
 

The Hutch is the world-renowned Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. This past week, a senior team from Amrita visited the Center. Known for its interdisciplinary teams of scientists and humanitarians working for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer, HIV/AIDS and other diseases, the Center has three Nobel laureates among its research scientists. The Amrita team met with Dr. Lee Hartwell, 2001 recipient of the Nobel Prize in Medicine.
 

Although no longer actively working in a research lab, Dr. Hartwell remains interested in the role of technology in education and fostering the spirit of leadership in students. Dr. Hartwell agreed to tentatively deliver one or more lectures to students at Amrita’s different campuses over the Amrita-ISRO satellite e-learning platform. This network connects over 40 institutions of higher learning in India; students at these institutions will have the opportunity to participate as well.
 

Amrita also looks forward to additional collaborative opportunities with the Hutch and with Dr. Hartwell. At the Amrita School of Medicine, there is a proposal for starting a collaborative Fellowship Training Program in Clinical Hemotology and Oncology. This combined training program is not currently offered by any other academic institution in India. Amrita will possibly look for guidance to premier international institutions such as the Hutch to successfully implement this first-in-India program.