There is no national science, just as there is no national multiplication
table; what is national is no longer science," said Anton Chekhov, the
Russian author and physician.
More recently, Linus Pauling wrote, "The best way to
have a good idea is to have lots of ideas." Different laboratories
excel in different areas, and have different ideas, and their
interactions, both formal and informal, promote progress."
Dr. Kaplan (far left), Dr. Shore (third from left) and
Ruth McCarrick-Walmsley (far right) meet with the
Henke family during a visit to the FOP Lab. Justin
Henke is at the microscope
Worldwide research collaborations expanded
dramatically following the FOP gene discovery, fostered in
part by Developmental Research Grants from The Center for
Research in FOP and Related Disorders. Presently, physicians
and scientists from the United States and from many nations
around the world participate in a collaborative network
that highlights the expertise of each group, the ingenuity of individual
contributions, and the common goals and aspirations of a thriving
international community. FOP collaborative research partners
include physicians and scientists from Aberdeen, Amsterdam,
Athens, Austin, Berlin, Boston, Buenos Aires, Beijing, Chicago,
Dallas, Genoa, Garmisch, Glasgow, Los Angeles, London,
Melbourne, Nashville, New York, Oxford, Paris, Providence, San
Francisco, São Paulo, Seoul, Stockholm, Sydney and Tokyo. The list
is expanding rapidly.