Words of Wisdom

After remarks by Scripps Research President Richard Lerner and Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of Graduate Studies Jeffery Kelly (top), Floyd Bloom (bottom)—distinguished neuroscientist, thoughtful mentor, and a leader in business and scientific publishing—stepped up to the podium to deliver the keynote address. Bloom is chairman, chief scientific officer, and founding CEO of Neurome, a La Jolla-based company, and former chair of the Scripps Research Department of Neuropharmacology.

Bloom's remarks addressed the different facets of science-of which he found applications in medicine the most problematic: "In my 2003 Presidential Address to the American Association for the Advancement of Science, I called attention to a dark cloud on our still endless horizons of sciences, the precarious nature of our healthcare system.  Until solved, this long neglected problem presents a gigantic obstacle to the application of the discoveries flowing from biomedical research into deliverable standards of medical practice that could benefit all of society, both in the United States and globally."