“My reasons for the gift are two-fold,” said Smith. “First, my late husband Mark was very supportive of the Institute and deeply involved in the building of the facility, so I wanted to do this in memory of him. Secondly, this gift will fund a scientist who does cancer research; and that clinched it for me.” This scientist will have the honorary title of the Mark C. Smith Investigator.
Advances in genomic research hold some of the greatest promise toward treatments, cures and prevention of diseases and disabilities. Huntsville, with a growing brain trust that invites collaborations across the sciences, engineering and business, represents a cradle for biotech innovation.
“I personally am so impressed with the work being done at HudsonAlpha and the entire team there,” Smith added. She also acknowledged the co-chairmen of the Institute’s board of directors. “Huntsville is so very fortunate to have Lonnie McMillian and Jim Hudson who had a dream and made it happen. Also, bringing Dr. Rick Myers to Huntsville has insured that this dream will be a reality. I can think of nothing more exciting than what HudsonAlpha is doing in Huntsville.”
In order to make the kinds of discoveries that profoundly impact health and wellness, HudsonAlpha is committed to a broad program that shows a clear and consistent commitment to basic research. “At HudsonAlpha, we embrace the transformational character of basic research and its ability to put science to work for our economy,” noted HudsonAlpha President and Director Rick Myers. “The more broadly we can share and collaborate, the more quickly advances will be made.”
