Page 3 - Dr. Zach W. Hall and Julie Ann Giacobassi

Zach’s suggestion was Dr. Peter R. “

had a program to provide funding
to minority-focused schools. Zach Morehouse School of Medicine’s primary aim is
saw an application from MSM. health equity. Training researchers in basic sci-
“I knew there were promising
ence and neuroscience may seem to have no direct
things there, but they needed lead- connection to health equity, but it is an investment in the
ership in neuroscience,” Zach says. future. We must engage and encourage talent from all seg-
“We said we can fund the work if
you recruit the right leader.” ments of our population.

MacLeish, who had been a student Former Trustee Zach W. Hall, PhD
at Yale while Zach was a member
of the junior faculty. Peter was picked for the job and their home in Wilson, Wyoming. But that hasn’t been
Zach helped persuade him to take it. the case.
In 2002 Zach went back to academia, serving as “Zach did a short stint as a volunteer park ranger,
Senior Associate Dean for Academic Development and a longer time serving on the local hospital board. I
while also working as Director of the Zilkha Neuroge- helped run a local free medical clinic,” Julie says.
netic Institute at the Keck School of Medicine at USC. Five years ago, together with a group of friends, the
In 2003 he received the Purkynje Medal for Scientific couple started a college scholarship program for local
Achievement from the Czech Academy of Science. students who have no family history of college.
From 2005 to 2007, he served as the first President “The program is far more than a monetary award, as
of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, we mentor the students during their senior high school
which funded stem cell research in the state. The Insti- year and throughout all four years of college,” Julie
tute was created in 2004 to distribute up to $3 billion says. “Making education accessible and affordable to all
in research grants. students is what it’s all about. How lucky Zach and I are
And in 2017, in honor of the MacLeishes, Zach and to be part of the MSM effort to do just that.”
Julie provided in 2017 start-up funds for the Drs. Peter
and Marlene MacLeish Endowed Lectureship that
draws Nobel Laureates and other distinguished speak-
ers to MSM to celebrate basic science, inspire students
and junior faculty, and inform the public about ad-
vances.
“Peter, along with Dr. Gianluca Tosini, has done
a fantastic job in building a nationally significant
corps of researchers and students at MSM,” Zach says.
“White-majority schools have become very eager to
have minority representation so they can say they are
doing their bit. That means that far too often, promis-
ing minority students and faculty might start at MSM,
and then the wealthier schools try to recruit them. But
Peter and Gianluca, working together, have been able
to developed a nationally recognized program at MSM.
They deserve a lot of credit and praise.”
Zach and Julie retired from science and music about
14 years ago, promising to go into a quieter phase at