Mark Brenner

By Jan R. Holloway, UITS; Lauren J. Bryant, RUGS; and Shannon F. Walden, R&SP

Brenner

Mark Brenner is recently back from Kenya. He was there to observe collaborative research in action, precisely the kind of inter- and multidisciplinary work he is eager to foster in his new role as Indiana University associate vice president for research.

In Kenya, a team from IUPUI and Moi University are finalizing details of a process for collaborating on human subject research. A system of tracking patients, developed at the Regenstreif Institute and the IU School of Medicine, with input from Informatics, is already in use in Africa, where it has the potential to revolutionize an important aspect of medical communication. Given sufficient funding, these collaborative efforts could save countless lives in one of the world’s AIDS hotspots.

Brenner notes that interdisciplinary approaches "harness a range of perspectives in thinking about a specific problem, encouraging new insights." His own academic career is full of the kinds of discovery and invention possible at the intersection of disciplines. Although he earned a Ph.D. in plant sciences, Brenner maintained a specialty in analytical chemistry. With this dual academic background, he studied plant hormone analysis in growth and development problems. A reach to discovery came when Brenner sought to automate certain lab processes. The resulting computerized controller for experimental equipment became the first microprocessor controller for liquid chromatography.

Brenner’s vision for IU, grounded in his own experience, includes encouraging an environment that allows and welcomes such interactions at the intersections of disciplines "and provides the proper rewards when they do occur," he says.

Fostering such an environment brings challenges. Traditional expectations about publishing need to be examined in light of interdisciplinary research. Brenner explains, "A researcher working at the periphery of a field is likely to be published in the more esoteric journals. Such research may not ring bells in the traditional departments. Someone must advocate for the value of this research." And there are other challenges, says Brenner. "Faculty working in interdisciplinary fields may not always teach in their home departments. Unless your teaching is seen as directly adding value to your department, your department may view it as superfluous.

"People from different disciplines need to be given time to interact," he continues. "When that interaction is fruitful, it’s important that the results are translated back to individual departments so they can be understood and valued."

New initiatives like the School of Informatics are evidence of the exciting directions interdisciplinary work can take. "Such programs can go far in strengthening interdisciplinary research and providing turf for the kind of synergistic inquiry that leads to discovery," says Brenner.

Collaborations with the community offer more possibilities for synergy, discovery, and economic gain. "It’s important to make IU’s expertise known in the community, then foster an environment for interactions," says Brenner. He sees instrumentation as one area in which IU offers specialized technologies. "It would be nice to have a system whereby small companies could take advantage of university resources through collaborative efforts." Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grants for companies can help fund activities for collaborative research. Brenner believes that as incubator activity grows, so will opportunities for community-university collaboration. "Initiatives such as INGEN and the Pervasive Technology Labs are wonderful models for the future," he says. "They offer great expectations for success."