City of Hope researchers recently hosted new Caltech President Jean-Lou Chameau, Ph.D., at a reception at the Visitor Center, encouraging the exchange of ideas between the two scientific institutions.

Michael A. Friedman, M.D., president and chief executive officer of City of Hope, and key faculty members from basic science, translational research and clinical programs throughout the institution welcomed Chameau at the Nov. 1 event.

Chameau assumed the presidency of Caltech in September, succeeding David Baltimore, Ph.D., who stepped down after nearly nine years in the post. A civil engineer, Chameau previously had been provost and vice president for academic affairs at the Georgia Institute of Technology.

While at Georgia Tech, Chameau built strong links between that institution’s engineers and Emory University’s biomedical scientists. He told City of Hope researchers he hopes to forge similar ties with the Duarte campus, creating a fertile field for advances in biotech.

Collaborations already include a partnership among Caltech’s Mark E. Davis, Ph.D., the Warren and Katharine Schlinger Professor of Chemical Engineering, and City of Hope’s Stephen J. Forman, M.D., Francis and Kathleen McNamara Distinguished Chair in Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, and Yun Yen, M.D., Ph.D., associate director of translational research.

Chameau also noted new links among Christina Smolke, Ph.D., assistant professor of chemical engineering at Caltech, and City of Hope’s Carlotta Glackin, Ph.D., associate professor of molecular medicine, and Michael C. Jensen, M.D., associate chair of the Division of Cancer Immunotherapeutics & Tumor Immunology.