From the Dean

When Worlds Collide


The best, most productive partnerships occur when institutions that share goals and values, but have different spheres of expertise, come together for the common good.

An outdoor portrait of Vikas P. Sukhatme, md, scd Dean, Emory School of Medicine Chief Academic Officer, Emory Healthcare

Vikas P. Sukhatme, MD, ScD, Dean Emory School of Medicine, Chief Academic Officer Emory Healthcare

Emory School of Medicine benefits from such partnerships with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Grady Memorial Hospital, the Atlanta VA Medical Center, Morehouse School of Medicine, and Georgia Institute of Technology, to name just a few. Woven throughout this issue of Emory Medicine are exciting discoveries, programs, and relationships that exist because our organizations combined forces: 

  Children five and older can now be vaccinated for COVID-19, in part due to clinical trials by Emory and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. That families are willing to participate in this research is a testament to their confidence in our institution and our clinical partners. 

  Molnupiravir, an antiviral pill to treat COVID-19, was invented at the nonprofit DRIVE (Drug Innovation Ventures at Emory) and licensed to Merck for production and distribution. “To advance a drug quickly and across the globe in all the countries where it is needed, you need the capacity of a company like Merck,” says George Painter, professor of pharmacology and chemical biology and CEO of DRIVE. The drug received emergency use authorization by the FDA in December. 

  The Emory and Georgia Tech Coulter Biomedical Engineering Program allows students and researchers to explore the fertile intersection of medicine and engineering.

  Emory, Morehouse School of Medicine, the Atlanta VA Healthcare System, and Kaiser Permanente of Georgia are leading the Atlanta hub of a nationwide study to identify why some people develop long COVID.

     I appreciate all of our learners, alumni, faculty, staff, partners, and donors who—with open hands and open hearts—have shared their talents, ideas, and resources with us. I’m happy to admit we couldn’t have done it on our own. Your support has exponentially expanded our impact and carried it forth into the broader world, inspiring change and improving lives.