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CASE Baltimore 2/2011

Moving Academic Medicine Forward: A Conference in Honor of Edward D. Miller

Innovation and Creativity in Scientific Research

June 11, 2012

Lloyd B. Minor, M.D. Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Johns Hopkins University

Studying Innovation and Creativity

Scientific Progress

Thomas Kuhn, The Structure of Scientific Revolutions

3 Photo credit: B. Pierce/Time Life/Getty

• Puzzle-solving within the current paradigm

• Proposing a new

paradigm

Genetics to Epigenetics

4 Waterland, R.A. and Jirtle, R.L., Transposable Elements: Targets for Early Nutritional Effects on Eipgenetic Gene Regulation, Mol. Cell. Biol. 23(15): 5293-300, August 2003.

Same genes, but the mother of the thin, brown mouse ate a diet rich in B12 and folate while she was pregnant

COMBINATION

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Innovation as Combination

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Steep Association Hierarchy Flat Association Hierarchy

Simonton, Dean Keith. Creativity in Science: Chance, Logic, Genius, and Zeitgeist. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2004.

Innovation is the recombination of existing knowledge in novel ways.

A Test

Cream, Skate, Water Ice Safety, Cushion, Point Pin Rain, Test, Stomach Acid

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In 2 seconds… 1/3 1/4 1/100

Combination at Work

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Enhancing Opportunities for Combination

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Education Nursing Political Science Sociology Business Economics

Public Health Medicine International

Studies Health Policy Engineering Health

Systems

Social Determinants of Health Initiative

• Create a diverse environment • Support communication across boundaries

CHANCE

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Innovation as Chance

11 All photos courtesy of the National Library of Medicine.

Discoveries Not in the NIH Funding Plan

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Superior Canal Dehiscence Syndrome

“I honestly think a wiser and more focused investigator would have stayed right on that NIH plan.”

Aquaporins

Comparison of Two Sources of Funding

13 Azoulay, P., Zivin, J. S. G., & Manso, G. (2011). Incentives and creativity: Evidence from the academic life sciences. RAND Journal of Economics, 42(3), 527-554.

Effects of HHMI Appointment on Publication Rates

Enhancing Opportunities for Chance

• Time • To fail • To succeed over the long term • To innovate

• Freedom • To experiment • To go where the research leads • To innovate

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Conclusion

We must create environments that allow for the combination and chance that lead to paradigm shifting science.

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