Having several medical schools and hospitals in one region can lead to some keen competition, particularly when it comes to retaining staff. In the latest reflection of that competition and of the growing trend of translational medicine, Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia has poached the director of the Philadelphia-based Jefferson University Hospitals’ Center for Translational Medicine to head up its own newly established center.
Dr. Walter J. Koch is the director of Temple’s new Center for Translational Medicine. He also serves as a professor of pharmacology at Temple University School of Medicine and started at the end of January.
Koch developed and led Jefferson’s center since it was formed in 2003. Dr. Shey-Shing Sheu is currently serving as the interim director.
Dr. Larry R. Kaiser, the dean of Temple University School of Medicine and president and chief executive officer of Temple University Health System, said in a statement: “Under Dr. Koch’s leadership, targeted therapeutics, personalized medicine and gene therapy are just some of the areas that Temple’s new Center for Translational Medicine will be well positioned to take advantage of over the long-term.”
Temple has been expanding its services since Kaiser took over as CEO last year. It recently inked an affiliation agreement with Fox Chase Cancer Center and it restarted its heart and lung transplant program shortly after former University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine physician Yoshiya Toyoda joined Temple University Hospital as surgical director of heart and lung transplantation and T Sloan Guy became chief of cardiothoracic surgery.
Translational medicine has been a growing trend among hospitals and research facilities, which focuses on bridging the gap between basic and clinical research. It involves converting biological discoveries into drugs and medical devices that can be used to treat patients.
