City, St. Louis County, and the State of Missouri enabled us to bring our research into the community during a time of great need.
As it entered its third century, Saint Louis University approved a strategic plan that would ensure our next 100 years would be filled with discovery, partnership, and insights in service to humanity. In 2018, we were blessed with a historic gift that allowed us to rigorously pursue that vision: a 10-year, $50 million donation from Dr. Jeanne and Mr. Rex Sinquefield that established the Saint Louis University Research Institute. The Research Institute has proven to be a catalyst for cutting-edge research at our University, making meaningful and strategic investments that empower our faculty and students to pursue their greatest research ambitions. It has been a distinct pleasure of mine to witness the growth, momentum, and impact of our research over the last year. When we set out on this journey in 2018, none of us could have anticipated the devastation and adversity caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Nevertheless, the establishment of the Research Institute prior to the pandemic ensured we had a strong foundation that would allow us to launch an aggressive and successful pandemic response. Additionally, our relationships with St. Louis
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I am immensely proud of the way SLU rose to the challenge of the pandemic. As a national leader in vaccine research, we knew right away that SLU would join the race for a COVID-19 vaccine. Our Center for Vaccine Development, one of just 10 Vaccine and Treatment Evaluation Units (VTEUs) in the country, led phase 3 clinical trials for both the Moderna and J&J/Janssen vaccines. In the past year, students and faculty from the Trudy Busch Valentine School of Nursing have distributed thousands of those vaccines in vaccine drives hosted both on and off campus. Meanwhile, our College for Public Health and Social Justice partnered with St. Louis County on an impressive regional response, informed by real-time data and geospatial analysis provided by SLU experts. Finally, the Sinquefields, in yet another token of extraordinary generosity, helped launch the Research Institute’s COVID-19 Seed Fund, which supported a wide range of immediateimpact projects, such as addiction treatment during the pandemic, telehealth, health communication, and contact tracing. In the last few years, we have made significant investments in our research, even as we did not fully know when those investments would pay off. We have seen that there is strength in bold, decisive action during times of crisis. As we slowly begin to imagine
SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSIT Y RESEARCH INSTITUTE
IMPACT REPORT 2021
life beyond the pandemic, SLU will not lose sight of our responsibility to address emerging challenges and lead the way for all. We constantly analyze what the future may hold, both for the University and for our world. This is who we are as a Jesuit research university, and this is the vision made possible by the Sinquefields’ gift. Saint Louis University is now fully prepared to live our mission as a world-class Jesuit research university, leading where possible and serving where needed. I am humbled to serve at this University during what I believe is the beginning of a bold new chapter of research excellence and humanitarian service. On behalf of the entire Saint Louis University community, I invite you to explore this Research Institute Impact Report and share in our journey toward a better world — for all.
Sincerely,
FRED P. PESTELLO, PH.D. President