The Novartis Foundation

before — a hotbed of gene therapy research. It was a remarkable opportunity. Mulligan was offered one laboratory at the Children's Hospital to work on the basic science of viral vectors, and a second laboratory in a central Harvard building that will manufacture the vectors for use in human trials. Despite all these enticements, Mulligan did not agree to move — and leave a position at the Whitehead that he fondly recalls as " the best job in the world " — until he became convinced that his Harvard colleagues were skeptics too. " There was long-term optimism mixed with scientific conservatism, " the ideal mix. " I didn't have to cheapen my way of doing things. " In Mulligan's view, he himself and Harvard are not the only beneficiaries. The fact that Harvard is taking an active role in gene therapy will also increase the chances that gene therapy will be better sooner. Because of Harvard's conservatism, it will not repeat the mistakes of others and rush into human trials without a long-term plan for each disease it studies. Furthermore, Harvard provides an academic, rather than a corporate setting for the work. These days, major researchers in basic science fields have so many industry affiliations that it often makes it difficult for them to work with each other. Mulligan believes Harvard offers an unusual opportunity to bring the best minds together. " It's exactly the sort of environment needed for the basic research that will drive the development of gene therapies. " For Mulligan, says hematologist Stuart Orkin of the Children's Hospital, the Harvard offer presented a very simple choice: either make gene therapy work yourself or stop criticizing it. " In other words, put up or shut up, " says Orkin. " This is putting up. " Steven Dickman is a freelance science writer based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Gazetteer The Novartis Foundation What is it famous for? The name isn't well-known yet. For now, it's probably best described as 'the scientific charity formerly known as The Ciba Foundation'. Why the change of name? The Ciba parent company no longer exists. It merged with that other pharmaceuticals giant Sandoz in December 1996 to form a new company, Novartis. In response, the Foundation adopted the name of its new benefactor on 1 September 1997. When was it founded? Robert Käppeli, managing director of the Ciba company of Basel, Switzerland, persuaded …