Introduction
In 1991, the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research transferred its Branch, established and directed by Dr. Webster Cavenee, from Montreal where it was at McGill University, to San Diego where it affiliated with the University of California at San Diego Medical School. The San Diego Branch is resident in the Cellular and Molecular Medicine-East building on the main UCSD La Jolla Medical School Campus in a complex with investigators of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, faculty of the UCSD Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine and faculty in a variety of UCSD Departments (e.g. Medicine, Chemistry, Biology, Pharmacology).
The Branch has made important research discoveries in several areas. Several international awards and honors have been bestowed on Branch staff of all levels, we have roles of significance in scientific societies and provide journal editorial and program review responsibilities. Most of our many postdoctoral fellows and graduate students have moved on to independent positions in academia or industry after having finished their training with us. Thus, the Branch continues as a vibrant and challenging environment for training and frontline research.
The Branch now consists of seven Laboratories: the Laboratory of Tumor Biology headed by Web Cavenee (with Sections headed by Frank Furnari and Karen Arden); the Laboratory of Cell Biology headed by Don Cleveland; the Laboratory of Cancer Genetics headed by Richard Kolodner; the Laboratory of Proteomic Biology headed by Huilin Zhou; the Laboratory of Gene Regulation headed by Bing Ren; the Laboratory of Mitotic Mechanisms headed by Karen Oegema; and, the Laboratory of Chromosome Biology headed by Arshad Desai. Each of the Branch faculty are also faculty at UCSD and our relationship is close and cooperative. These groups make for a vibrant, challenging and collaborative environment that places the Branch in an enviable position for future discovery.
We continue to marvel at the attractiveness and quality of our magnificent physical and intellectual environment. We are grateful to the University and the Institute for such a wonderful opportunity and look forward to the many outstanding discoveries that will be made here
