Report of the Chair, Board of Trustees
(prepared in 2002)

During the two years covered by this Scientific Report, we have witnessed impressive productivity at Fred Hutchinson, not only in our research accomplishments, but also in the continued expansion of our physical campus and the formation of a new research partnership with the University of Washington and Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center.

One of the center's proudest achievements came in October 2001 when Dr. Lee Hartwell, our president and director, was awarded the 2001 Nobel Prize in medicine or physiology. He joined Dr. E. Donnall Thomas as Fred Hutchinson's second Nobel laureate, an impressive statistic given the center's relatively short history of 28 years. Hartwell's discovery of the fundamental process of cell division in baker's yeast- work he initiated 30 years ago- has formed the groundwork for much of what is understood today about the development of cancer. His scientific accomplishments, as well as his vision for fostering an interdisciplinary spirit among Fred Hutchinson's four research divisions, continues to ensure that the center remains a world leader in cancer research during this exciting era in biology.

Our Robert W. Day Campus on Seattle's Lake Union, named for the former director and president whose vision inspired its development, continues to grow. In January 2002, we witnessed the opening of the Yale Building, which houses the administrative departments that support our research efforts. Ground broke in late 2001 for our new Public Health Sciences Division building, which is scheduled to open in early 2004. Symbolically, this milestone will unite all of our researchers on one campus, providing the crucial infrastructure of collaboration that is so vital to our mission.

In 2002, we strengthened our research partnerships with UW and Children's with the formation of the Fred Hutchinson/University of Washington Cancer Consortium, which receives support from a Cancer Center Support Grant from the National Cancer Institute. This enhanced collaboration will enable the mutual goals of all three institutions to be realized as rapidly and efficiently as possible. This interaction builds on an existing partnership of the three institutions, the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, which delivers the finest in cancer care to patients from around the world.

Those of us on the board of trustees feel fortunate to be closely associated with the center as it progresses through these exciting and challenging times. We are enthusiastic about the growth of our campus and collaborations and their ultimate contribution to the pursuit of the center's mission-the elimination of cancer and related diseases as causes of human disease and death.

J. Shan Mullin
Chair, Board of Trustees