How to be the best Pennington Biomedical Research Center unveils its plan

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How to be the best
Pennington Biomedical Research Center unveils its plan

Released: Monday, January 24, 2005

BATON ROUGE – Opening with a bold vision to be the world’s “leading ” institution of its kind, the head of the Pennington Biomedical Research Center described a plan to do just that.

Dr. Claude Bouchard, executive director of the Center, gained approval today for a five-year master plan he outlined to the Board of Supervisors of the Louisiana State University System. That plan calls for the center to grow half-again its size, build new clinical research facilities and pour $350 million into the economy along the way.

“I think this is an outstanding plan, exactly what the flagship agenda needs. It’s aggressive and achievable,” said Stewart Slack, Systems Chairman, in explaining his support of the plan.

The plan’s 10 priorities effective immediately include establishing a sixth division of nutrition and the brain, which is one of the three priorities dedicated to the Center’s Basic Science Programs; expanding community and professional education efforts; advancing the postdoctoral program; securing additional funding from the National Institutes of Health; and pursuing partnerships to build a research-based wellness center.

Spotlighting the necessity of such goals, Bouchard highlighted that of the plan’s $350 million total expenditure over the next five years, 56 percent of the funding will accumulate from the federal government, 20 percent from state funding, and the remaining finances will come from corporate contracts as well as PBRC’S medical and research foundations.

Now leaping into Vision 2010, the Center has noted great success and considerable growth following Vision 2005 – the Center’s first ever goal-oriented strategic plan. At the end 2004, the Center nearly doubled total personnel from 350 to 600, created a Division of Education Programs, expanded the operating budget from $22 million to about $40 million, and after completing the 180,000 sq. ft. Basic Science Laboratory Building, the Center enhanced recruitment of potential key faculty members.

To download a copy of Vision 2010 plan, please "right-click" the following link and choose "Save Target As": Strategic Plan - Vision 2010

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The Pennington Biomedical Research Center is at the forefront of medical discovery as it relates to understanding the triggers of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer and dementia. It is a campus of Louisiana State University and conducts basic, clinical and population research. The research enterprise at Pennington Biomedical includes approximately 80 faculty and more than 25 post-doctoral fellows who comprise a network of 44 laboratories supported by lab technicians, nurses, dietitians, and support personnel, and 13 highly specialized core service facilities. Pennington Biomedical's more than 500 employees perform research activities in state-of-the-art facilities on the 222-acre campus located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.