Northwest Association for Biomedical Research

Bridges.
Picture the Northwest Association for Biomedical Research as a grand suspension bridge, built to explain why supporting medical research matters to each of us. This bridge connects the research community to the public. What questions come to mind as you approach and prepare yourself to cross? Straight ahead are two massive towers that can be seen from great distances, supported by an intricate system of steel cables.

Towers. The first tower contains our Education Outreach Programs; the second houses our Member Services. Each tower holds the past year’s accomplishments, which can be found on the next page. As NWABR’s work continues to meet the needs of our members, the towers will grow even stronger.

Cables. Each cable represents the dedicated people who play key roles in the development of our programs. The members of our Security and Communications Network secure the main cables that connect directly to the towers. The interconnecting cables represent our many partners:
• the researchers and administrators who create our highly successful regional conferences for members of Institutional Review Boards and Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees throughout the Northwest.
• the lead teachers who play critical roles in designing and piloting the “Ethics Primer” developed in this first year of our new National Institutes of Health Science Education Partners Award.
• The veterinarians, clinicians, researchers and patients who volunteer time to speak to classrooms and community groups about their work. Shiny new cables were added in 2004 for the members of our Regional Councils in Oregon and the Inland Northwest dedicated to expanding our programs throughout the region.

Anchors. You may ask…what anchors this bridge? How does it support itself as well as all the people who depend on it for safe passage? The NWABR suspension bridge is grounded in solid support from our expanding family of member institutions, grants, foundations, sponsors and all the individuals listed in this annual report. Travelers. Who travels with us on our bridge? Each person touched by the power of biomedical research and its advances crosses our bridge. See those school buses? Inside are the educators who participated in our curriculum workshops. Their teaching now integrates new approaches to engaging their students in connecting science and ethics. Riding their bicycles are the 500 middle school students who participated in our “Biomedical Breakthroughs” contest. And, racing across are the 300 high school students, each of whom was mentored by a scientist for the projects they proudly displayed at the Student Biotech Expo; NWABR managed this program in partnership with the Washington Biotechnology Foundation. Navigating the large vans filled with patients are our members who lead the voluntary health associations throughout this region.

Architects. The NWABR Board of Directors safeguards this bridge. Our work is based on the premise that the shared use of this bridge by scientists and the public will lead to better understanding and support for research in the Northwest. We invite all our members and supporters to take their places on the bridge with us.

Susan Adler, Executive Director
January 2005

NWABR is a 501(c)3 organization. All contributions are tax deductible.
The NWABR web site was made possible by funding from the National Center for Research
Resources and the National Institutes of Health through a Science Education Partnership Award.