Dear Tulane Community:
What is most important in securing America's future?
The economy? The environment? Education? Defense? Health care?
Obviously, all of these play a vital role in ensuring a peaceful and prosperous nation. Perhaps, not so obvious is how necessary university research is to achieving success in each of these areas. Tulane has proven this with an astonishing list of research "firsts" and discoveries throughout its more than 180 years.
Tulane researchers were the first to identify mosquitoes as the carrier of yellow fever, the first to link cigarette smoking to lung cancer, the first to isolate the common cold virus, the first to study the cause and effect of whiplash, and one of the first to make many discoveries related to the origin and transmission of AIDS.
A Tulane researcher invented the binocular microscope, another was one of the highest ranking women to work on the Manhattan Project. One invented more than 20 surgical procedures and another invented the pump for the heart-lung machine used during heart surgery. A Tulane graduate even invented permanent press clothing.
All of this makes one wonder what the world would look like if Tulane had not been here to achieve all these research "firsts" and what the world would look like if Tulane were not here to make the discoveries of tomorrow. Fortunately, Tulane research continues to flourish today with our scientists finding quicker ways to diagnose prostate cancer biopsies, test for the Ebola virus and much, much more. And our current focus on increasing the number of researchers collaborating across many fields of study promises to lead to even more unprecedented discoveries in the future.
Who knows what the next Tulane research breakthrough might be and how it will improve all of our lives. The sky is the limit – but it is going to be awfully hard to top permanent press!
