Appreciation evening for MBI’s Founding Director

MBI and friends gather to show appreciation for MBI’s Founding Director, Prof Michael Sheetz

MBI SciComms | JULY 2019

On Friday 28 June 2019, MBI held an appreciation dinner for Prof. Michael Sheetz to mark his time as Director of MBI. Prof. Sheetz has been MBI Director since its inception, having been recruited by Prof. Hew Choy Leong to lead a new RCE in Mechanobiology in 2008.

Prof. Sheetz thanking all the people, past and present, who have helped contribute to the success of MBI during his leadership.

Under Prof. Sheetz’s leadership over the last decade, MBI has recruited excellent researchers, fostered a culture of scientific collaboration, and trained the next generation of mechanobiology investigators. It is now recognised as a world-leading research institute in mechanobiology and has helped showcase Singapore as a hub for interdisciplinary research.

The chairman of MBI’s governing board, Dr Tan Kim Siew opened the event with a speech detailing Prof. Sheetz’s achievements (see below) and thanking him for his stewardship, followed by the presentation of a gift plaque.

Prof. Sheetz then spoke a few words about the challenges and hard work involved in setting up the institute, and the memories that he would take from his time as Founding Director. Finally, he closed with a plea to all scientists to follow their passion for research and discovery throughout their careers.

The Chair of MBI’s Governing Board, Dr Tan Kim Siew presenting a gift plaque to Prof. Michael Sheetz.

Following his speech, several MBI Principal Investigators delivered their tributes to Prof. Sheetz, either in person or through video call via Skype. Throughout all these speeches, there was a common theme of appreciation for Prof. Sheetz’s vision in recruiting scientists with diverse backgrounds to build a multidisciplinary team that works in partnership to answer fundamental biological questions.

Prof. Sheetz receiving a card of thanks from the students and post-doctoral researchers at MBI.

Dr Tan Kim Siew delivering his appreciation speech.

Speech from MBI Governing Board Chairman, Dr Tan Kim Siew, for MBI Director Prof. Michael Sheetz

“In the last 3 plus years as Chair of MBI’s Governing Board, I had the great honour and pleasure of witnessing the progress being made by Mike Sheetz and his team in MBI.

Mike has built up from scratch a most vibrant organisation with PIs of the highest quality.  The open lab concept he built up successfully fostered the close working of the inter-disciplinary teams. He has gathered a truly international group. At one time it had staff and students from 22 nationalities.

But the key to MBI’s success are the world-class PIs whom Mike had personally attracted here to do ground-breaking research.  The prestige that Mike has built up in MBI has allowed good people to be brought in to work with them. And to attract top visiting academics to lend vigour to the research environment and set standards and best practices.

Mike’s concept of having strong technical and administrative staff to manage the core facilities and corporate services so as to free researchers to concentrate on research is also an attractive feature that has raised efficiency.

In 2016, I attended a few sessions of MBI’s Scientific Advisory Board that comprised the top international names working in this area. All the reviewers were full of praise for the achievements of MBI, and the direction that Mike was steering it.  The main shortcoming that they expressed was the low percentage of female researchers, and not something fundamental in research direction and achievement!

In late 2016, MBI was also reviewed by MOE’s International Review Panel.  This review would play a decisive role on whether there would be continued funding for MBI after the first 10 years are up.  MBI passed with flying colours.

Prof. Hew Choy Leong speaking about how he recruited Prof. Sheetz to Singapore to setup a new RCE in Mechanobiology in 2008.

I would now like to read verbatim the findings of the IRP, as it testifies to the achievements of Mike in building up MBI:

The strengths of MBI are:

1. One, the outstanding PIs at both senior and junior levels.
2. Two, the broad research portfolio.
3. Three, the state-of-the-art microscopy and microfabrication facilities.
4. Four, the ‘open lab’ concept.
5. Five, the graduate program that trains the next generation of mechanobiologists.

We recommend, in the strongest possible terms, that funding of the MBI should be continued for the period 2019-2024. The IRP strongly supports the continuation of MBI beyond 2024 with the expectation that the field of mechanobiology will continue to grow rapidly and that MBI will maintain its pre-eminent position within the field.

With that, I would like to thank Mike for achieving all this, starting from scratch, and wish him the very best as he moves on to his next challenge.”

Thank you, Prof. Sheetz!