The GORDON AND LLURA GUND LEADERSHIP AWARD honors individuals who have made a significant contribution to increasing the level of advocacy for medical and health research at the local, state or national level. This year we are honoring two individuals, Michael J. Friedlander, PhD and Heywood Fralin.

Michael J. Friedlander, PhD, the founding executive director of the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute, was named Virginia Tech’s inaugural vice president for health sciences and technology in March 2016. In addition to his role as executive director of the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute, his new responsibilities call for him to lead a dynamic network that connects and enhances health science-related work across the university.

The health sciences and technology initiative will grow the partnership with Carilion Clinic and capitalize on the health care-related resources and activities at the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine and Fralin Biomedical Research Institute, the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, the Faculty of Health Sciences, and other colleges and research institutes. It will also connect to the greater Washington, D.C., metro area, which is expected to provide resources in computation as well as data, electronic health record, and social science analytics.