It’s not often that the celebration of one generous philanthropic gift becomes an occasion to announce yet another.

That was the happy case this summer during a virtual celebration for Susan A. Slaugenhaupt, PhD, the inaugural incumbent of the newly established Elizabeth G. Riley and Daniel E. Smith, Jr. Endowed MGH Research Institute Chair.

Elizabeth and Dan, who donated $2.5 million to establish the endowed chair, marked the occasion by announcing another $2.5 million commitment to establish the Elizabeth G. Riley and Daniel E. Smith, Jr. Endowed Fund for the Mass General Research Institute.

This new gift creates a permanent endowment to support the activities and programs overseen by the Office of the Scientific Director (OSD).

Slaugenhaupt has dual roles at the hospital as an investigator in the Center for Genomic Medicine and the Department of Neurology, where she studies rare genetic disorders, and as scientific director for the Mass General Research Institute, where she and her team work to promote the hospital’s vast research enterprise through research communications, philanthropic outreach and collaborations with industry.

“We hope as a family that this money gives you the ability to do some of the [additional] things that you’ve talked about doing,” said Elizabeth. “We wish you the best going forward, and we’ll be right there by your side.”

The announcement came as a welcome surprise to many of those in attendance.

“I’m sort of speechless,” said Peter L. Slavin, MD, former president of Massachusetts General Hospital (Dr. Slavin stepped down from his position in September).

Slavin noted that during his tenure as president, he participated in approximately 160 celebrations for endowed chairs. “I think this is the first where we’ve organized an event to thank a donor, and at that event the donor makes another gift.”

“It speaks volumes to your philanthropic bent, your commitment to science and your commitment to this hospital,” Slavin told Elizabeth and Dan. “I couldn’t be more grateful for what you’ve already done; and for what you’ve just announced you’re planning to do.”

About the Office of the Scientific Director

The OSD was established in 2014 as a cornerstone initiative of the Mass General Research Institute. It is charged with promoting research at Mass General through three main initiatives:

Research Communications

The communications team within the OSD works to increase awareness of research and its impact on patient care through newsletters, blog posts and social media.

The team also organizes events to highlight the hospital’s research programs and community of investigators, including science slams and a bimonthly conversation series, Quick Interviews with Interesting People (QUIIPS).  Teaching Mass General investigators to be better communicators is also a top priority.

Industry Collaborations

The Longfellow Project, a key initiative of the Strategic Alliances team within the OSD, seeks to transform the scope and nature of collaborations between industry and academia.

The practical arm of the Longfellow Project includes eight challenge-driven research programs encompassing 261 investigators from 21 different departments and centers.

These programs align experts in science, medicine and technology to address key challenges in immuno-oncology, epigenetics, cardiometabolics, neuroinflammation in neurodegeneration, the microbiome, rare diseases, antimicrobial resistance and how sleep impacts disease.

The Strategic Alliances team then works to identify potential industry partners with the goal of forming long-term, multi-lab collaborations.

The educational arm of the Longfellow Project is Bridging Academia with Industry, a training course and project competition designed to teach junior investigators the importance of working with industry through coursework, guest lectures and a project competition.

Now entering its fourth year, the course has trained 51 faculty members across 17 departments and centers.

Philanthropic Outreach

The OSD also works closely with colleagues in the Development Office to provide philanthropic support for researchers at Mass General.

The MGH Research Scholars program, which is funded entirely through philanthropy, provides investigators with $500,000 in unrestricted funds over five years to support them in pursuing promising new areas of research that are too early or unproven for traditional funding mechanisms.

There have been 70 MGH Research Scholar awards presented to investigators since the program began in 2011.

There have also been six endowed MGH Research Institute Chairs established since the launch of the MGRI to provide the hospital’s most accomplished investigators with flexible and sustainable long-term support.

A Legacy of Giving

Slaugenhaupt first met Elizabeth in 2013 when she was named the Elizabeth G. Riley and Daniel E. Smith, Jr. MGH Research Scholar 2013-2018. Elizabeth has been a volunteer member of the Mass General Research Advisory Council since 2014 and is also a key contributor to the Bridging Academia with Industry program.

“It has been wonderful to have Elizabeth as a member of the Research Institute Advisory Council, and I’m very thankful to her and Dan for this remarkable gift,” said Slaugenhaupt. “This new gift will help me—and those who follow me as scientific director—to continue to expand our programming aimed at promoting science at Mass General.”

About the Mass General Research Institute
Research at Massachusetts General Hospital is interwoven through more than 30 different departments, centers and institutes. Our research includes fundamental, lab-based science; clinical trials to test new drugs, devices and diagnostic tools; and community and population-based research to improve health outcomes across populations and eliminate disparities in care.
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