Chapter 06: Recruited to MD Anderson; A History of Translational Research at MD Anderson

Dr. Mills first tells how he was recruited to MD Anderson by Robert Bast, MD, VP of Translational Research, to set up the best ovarian research center. He explains why he left Toronto Hospital and cites the fact that no other institution has more potential to make a difference. Next, Dr. Mills sketches the history of translational research at MD Anderson. He begins with the 1970s, noting that the patient driven clinical research at that time was not real team science. He talks about the context for research under Charles LeMaistre and the VP of Research, Frederick Becker [oral history interview] and the vestiges of their approach still lingering. He explains that the institution has now embraced the concept that research is a driver in patient outcomes. Dr. Mills explains that leaders need to function as change agents and set in place processes that allow the success of research. He then compares the approach of John Mendelsohn, who allowed institutional change to be driven from the bottom up, with Ronald DePinho, who has taken the opposite approach as he framed the question, Is research progress an engineering and implementation question or do we lack the basic research to make progress at this time.https://openworks.mdanderson.org/mchv_interviewchapters/1064/thumbnail.jp